Montana truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Montana: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
1.4 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 3.8 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Montana compares with United States
Montana against United States, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Montana stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Montana | United States | vs US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 64.3 | 49.7 | 1.3× the US |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 3.8 | 3.4 | 1.1× the US |
| Injuries per crash | 0.34 | 0.49 | 31% below the US |
| Garbage-truck share | 0.9% | 2.3% | 61% below the US |
| On snow, slush or ice | 39.4% | 6.2% | 6.4× the US |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 22.9% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 20.6% | 13.8% | 1.5× the US |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 54.3% | 41.9% | 1.3× the US |
| After dark | 30.8% | 24.8% | 1.2× the US |
Montana has lower values than the US for injuries per crash and garbage-truck share. Where it is higher: crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and on snow, slush or ice.
What stands out in Montana: 39.4% share of truck crashes on snow, slush or ice (the US: 6.2%).
Overview
Montana has recorded 8,553 truck crashes since 2015, with 2,887 people injured and 324 killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about 2 truck crashes a day.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in February (12.2% of the year) and are lowest in May (5.5%).
November through March accounts for 54.3% of truck crashes here, compared with 41.9% in the US.
By time of day, 9–10 am stands out with 7.2% of truck crashes.
39.4% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 6.2% across the US.
Where crashes happen
I-90 leads in Montana with 43 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. It is followed by US-2 (18), US-212 (17) and US-93 (15).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 81 crashes, 0.9% of the total, against 2.3% across the US.
Their busiest month is January, with 15% of garbage-truck crashes.
Deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes: 1.4, vs 3.8 for all truck crashes.
Route planning tips for Montana fleets
- Build extra time into February routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Check whether your routes use I-90, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- For residential and commercial waste routes, look again at January schedules: garbage-truck crashes peak then.
- 39.4% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice, above the US; plan winter equipment checks before the season.
- Use the free Route Planner to score your route and spot low bridges before drivers head out.
About the data
Crash counts come from the FMCSA crash file (police-reported crashes involving trucks over 10,000 lb); fatal-crash locations come from NHTSA FARS. Text on this page states only what these numbers show.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Montana
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (in Montana) |
|---|---|
| I-90 | 43 |
| US-2 | 18 |
| US-212 | 17 |
| US-93 | 15 |
| US-87 | 14 |
| I-15 | 13 |
| US-191 | 11 |
| SR-200 | 10 |
| US-89 | 9 |
| US-12 | 8 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Montana) |
|---|---|
| I-90 | 6 |
| US-2 | 6 |
| US-93 | 5 |
| Mm 221.5 I-15 | 4 |
| Mm78.1 I94E | 3 |
| Mm5.9 Mt85 | 3 |
| Mm 213.0 I-15 | 3 |
| Truck Route 9Th St | 2 |
Montana at a glance
| Population | 1,137,233 |
| Land area | 145,550.3 sq mi |
| Density | 8 per sq mi |
Historical data: truck crashes in Montana since the 1990s
Combines the FMCSA crash file (all reported truck crashes, real coverage from about 1990) with NHTSA FARS (fatal crashes involving a large truck, 1982–2024).
| Decade | Truck crashes / yr | Change | Fatal crashes / yr (FARS) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 45 | — | 19.8 |
| 2000s | 550 | +1133% | 23.4 |
| 2010s | 589 | +7% | 18.9 |
| 2020s | 779 | +32% | 31.6 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 45 to 779. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. NHTSA counts 23.5 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 31.6 a year in 2020–24.
Counties in Montana
Largest places in Montana
Nearby states
Questions fleets ask about Montana
How many truck crashes happen in Montana?
8,553 truck crashes have been reported in Montana since 2015, with 324 deaths and 2,887 injuries.
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in Montana?
I-90 had 43 fatal crashes involving a large truck in Montana since 2015, more than any other road.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Montana?
February has the most truck crashes in Montana, 12.2% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Montana?
81 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Montana since 2015, 0.9% of all truck crashes.
How does Montana compare with the US for truck crashes?
The yearly rate is 64.3 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Montana, vs 49.7 for the US.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Montana?
Paste your stops into the free CurbWaste Route Planner: it scores your route against fatal-crash locations, suggests safer alternatives and flags low bridges.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.