Essex, MT truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Essex: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Essex and Flathead County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Flathead County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
9 of 379 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
No fatal large-truck crashes with a road name recorded here since 2015.
How Flathead County compares with Montana
Flathead County against Montana and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Flathead County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Flathead County | Montana | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 27.5 | 64.3 | 49.7 | 57% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 6.4 | 3.8 | 3.4 | 1.7× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.40 | 0.34 | 0.49 | 1.2× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 2.6% | 0.9% | 2.3% | 2.8× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 20.2% | 39.4% | 6.2% | 49% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 27.2% | 22.9% | 23.7% | 1.2× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 13.6% | 20.6% | 13.8% | 34% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 37.3% | 54.3% | 41.9% | 31% below the state |
| After dark | 16.2% | 30.8% | 24.8% | 47% below the state |
Flathead County sits below Montana on crashes per 100k residents / yr, on snow, slush or ice and in rain, sleet or snow. Where it is higher: deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and garbage-truck share.
What stands out in Flathead County: 1 in 38 garbage-truck share of crashes is 2.6%, against 0.9% for Montana.
Overview
Police reported 379 crashes involving commercial trucks in Flathead County since 2015: 152 people were injured and 23 were killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 12 days.
Only 0 truck crashes were reported in Essex since 2015; patterns below come from Flathead County as a whole.
84% of truck crash reports in Flathead County since 2015 leave the city field blank; place counts include only reports that name the place.
When crashes happen
The worst month is July with 11.9% of truck crashes; the quietest is February at 4.7%.
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 37.3% of truck crashes, vs 54.3% for Montana.
By time of day, 10–11 am stands out with 9.8% of truck crashes.
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 20.2% of truck crashes, compared with 39.4% in Montana.
Where crashes happen
NHTSA lists no located fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Essex since 2015.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 9 of the truck crashes here, or 2.4%, compared with 0.9% in Montana.
Route planning tips for Essex fleets
- Build extra time into July routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Morning starts matter: 27.2% of truck crashes fall between 6 and 10 am, higher than Montana.
- Check your own stops for crash hotspots and low bridges with the free Route Planner.
About the data
Sources: the FMCSA crash file for all reported truck crashes and NHTSA FARS for fatal crashes with a large truck. Every statement here comes straight from those numbers.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Flathead County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
No fatal crashes involving a large truck with a road name were recorded within 10 miles since 2015.
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Flathead County) |
|---|---|
| US-2 | 4 |
| Church Dr | 2 |
| Helena Flats Rd | 2 |
| Truck Route 9Th St | 2 |
| 1St Ave E / 11Th St | 1 |
| Blacktail Heights | 1 |
| Blacktail Rd | 1 |
| Glenwood Dr | 1 |
Essex at a glance
| Land area | 0.5 sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 59916) | $60,250 |
| Median home value (ZIP 59916) | $391,717 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Flathead County 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 | — | — | 1.4 |
| 2000s | 39 | — | 1.3 |
| 2010s | 27 | -30% | 1.6 |
| 2020s | 33 | +22% | 2.4 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 39 a year in the 2000s and 33 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 2.8 a year in 2016–19 and 2.4 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Essex
How common are truck crashes in Essex?
Flathead County has had 379 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 152 people and killing 23.
When do most truck crashes happen in Essex?
July has the most truck crashes in Flathead County, 11.9% of the yearly total.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Essex?
9 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Flathead County since 2015, 2.4% of all truck crashes.
How does Essex compare with Montana for truck crashes?
Flathead County records 27.5 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 64.3 across Montana.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Essex?
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.