Sawmills, NC truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Sawmills: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Sawmills and Caldwell County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Caldwell County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
11 of 345 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Caldwell County compares with North Carolina
Caldwell County against North Carolina and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Caldwell County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Caldwell County | North Carolina | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 36.6 | 61.3 | 49.7 | 40% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 3.7 | 2.5 | 3.4 | 1.5× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.61 | 0.66 | 0.49 | 8% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 3.1% | 2.6% | 2.3% | 1.2× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 2.5% | 1.7% | 6.2% | 1.4× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 25.9% | 24.0% | 23.7% | 1.1× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 9.2% | 10.5% | 13.8% | 12% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 41.2% | 41.0% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 12.6% | 20.4% | 24.8% | 38% below the state |
Caldwell County sits below North Carolina on crashes per 100k residents / yr, injuries per crash and in rain, sleet or snow. It stands out for higher deaths per 100 crashes, garbage-truck share and on snow, slush or ice.
What stands out in Sawmills: I-40 most fatal truck crashes within 10 miles of Sawmills: 5 since 2015.
Overview
Police reported 345 crashes involving commercial trucks in Caldwell County since 2015: 211 people were injured and 13 were killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 12 days.
Sawmills had 1 reported truck crash since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Caldwell County numbers.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in March (12.8% of the year) and are lowest in May (5.8%).
November through March accounts for 41.2% of truck crashes here, compared with 41.0% in North Carolina.
By time of day, 7–8 am stands out with 8.7% of truck crashes.
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 2.5% of truck crashes, compared with 1.7% in North Carolina.
Where crashes happen
Within this area, I-40 had the most fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015 (5). After it: US-321 (4), Ssr-1933 Southwest Blvd (2) and US-64 (2).
Garbage & waste trucks
11 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 3.2% share (North Carolina: 2.6%).
Route planning tips for Sawmills fleets
- Build extra time into March routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Look at alternatives to I-40 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- Morning starts matter: 25.9% of truck crashes fall between 6 and 10 am, higher than North Carolina.
- Icy and snowy roads show up in 2.5% of truck crashes here, more than North Carolina; schedule winter checks early.
- Check your own stops for crash hotspots and low bridges with the free Route Planner.
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 Caldwell County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-40 | 5 |
| US-321 | 4 |
| Ssr-1933 Southwest Blvd | 2 |
| US-64 | 2 |
| SR-1159 | 1 |
| SR-18 | 1 |
| Ssr-1001 Connelly Springs Rd | 1 |
| Ssr-1145 Virginia St | 1 |
| Ssr-127 | 1 |
| Ssr-1404 Beecher Anderson Rd | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Caldwell County) |
|---|---|
| Morganton Blvd | 14 |
| Blowing Rock Blvd | 9 |
| Hickory Blvd | 6 |
| Southwest Blvd | 4 |
| Harper Ave | 3 |
| Norwood St | 3 |
| Wilkesboro Blvd | 3 |
| Falls Avenue | 2 |
Sawmills at a glance
| Population | 5,059 |
| Land area | 6.6 sq mi |
| Density | 766 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 28638) | $67,135 |
| Median home value (ZIP 28638) | $206,039 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Caldwell 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 | 21 | — | 1.9 |
| 2000s | 28 | +35% | 1.4 |
| 2010s | 32 | +14% | 0.9 |
| 2020s | 26 | -20% | 1.8 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 21 to 26. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. NHTSA counts 1.0 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 1.8 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Sawmills
How many truck crashes happen in Sawmills?
345 truck crashes have been reported in Caldwell County since 2015, with 13 deaths and 211 injuries.
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Sawmills?
I-40 had 5 fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Sawmills since 2015, more than any other road.
When do most truck crashes happen in Sawmills?
The worst month is March: 12.8% of truck crashes in Caldwell County happen then.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Sawmills?
Since 2015, Caldwell County has reported 11 garbage-truck crashes, or 3.2% of its truck crashes.
How does Sawmills compare with North Carolina for truck crashes?
Per 100,000 residents, Caldwell County has 36.6 truck crashes a year; North Carolina has 61.3.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Sawmills?
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.