Hickory, NC truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Hickory: 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
0.0 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 2.1 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Hickory compares with North Carolina
Hickory against North Carolina and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Hickory stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Hickory | North Carolina | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 107.7 | 61.3 | 49.7 | 1.8× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 2.1 | 2.5 | 3.4 | 16% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.55 | 0.66 | 0.49 | 17% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 4.3% | 2.6% | 2.3% | 1.7× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 1.7% | 1.7% | 6.2% | same |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 24.2% | 24.0% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 12.0% | 10.5% | 13.8% | 1.1× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 43.6% | 41.0% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 17.0% | 20.4% | 24.8% | 16% below the state |
Compared with North Carolina, Hickory is lower on deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and after dark. It runs above North Carolina on crashes per 100k residents / yr, garbage-truck share and in rain, sleet or snow.
Hickory at a glance: 1 in 23 crashes involve a garbage truck (26 since 2015), vs 2.6% across North Carolina.
Overview
Hickory has recorded 570 truck crashes since 2015, with 312 people injured and 11 killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 8 days.
When crashes happen
The worst month is January with 10.2% of truck crashes; the quietest is June at 5.1%.
The five winter months (November to March) hold 43.6% of truck crashes, against 41.0% across North Carolina.
More truck crashes happen at 9–10 am than at any other hour (9.1%).
Road surface: 1.7% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (North Carolina: 1.7%).
Where crashes happen
I-40 leads within 10 miles of Hickory with 7 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. It is followed by SR-10 (2), SR-1400 (2) and US-321 (2).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 26 of the truck crashes here, or 4.6%, compared with 2.6% in North Carolina.
The most garbage-truck crashes happen in July (23%).
Deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes: 0.0, vs 2.1 for all truck crashes.
Route planning tips for Hickory fleets
- Build extra time into January 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.
- For residential and commercial waste routes, look again at July schedules: garbage-truck crashes peak then.
- Paste your stops into the free Route Planner to see the risk score, safer alternatives and low bridges.
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 Hickory
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-40 | 7 |
| SR-10 | 2 |
| SR-1400 | 2 |
| US-321 | 2 |
| 9th Ave | 1 |
| SR-16 | 1 |
| Ssr-1005 Mcdonald Pkwy Ne | 1 |
| Ssr-1005 Startown Rd | 1 |
| Ssr-127 | 1 |
| Ssr-1491 Section House Rd Nw | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Hickory) |
|---|---|
| 8Th St Dr Se | 11 |
| Mcdonald Pkwy Se | 11 |
| Tate Blvd Se | 9 |
| Fairgrove Church Rd Se | 9 |
| 1St Ave Sw | 8 |
| N Center St | 7 |
| Lenoir Rhyne Blvd Se | 6 |
| 2Nd Ave Nw | 6 |
Hickory at a glance
| Population | 45,081 |
| Land area | 32.3 sq mi |
| Density | 1,396 per sq mi |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Hickory 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 | 26 | — | 3.5 |
| 2000s | 33 | +26% | 2.0 |
| 2010s | 49 | +48% | 2.0 |
| 2020s | 41 | -17% | 2.2 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 26 a year in the 1990s and 41 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 1.8 a year in 2016–19 and 2.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Hickory
How many truck accidents are there in Hickory?
Hickory has had 570 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 312 people and killing 11.
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Hickory?
Since 2015, I-40 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Hickory: 7.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Hickory?
January has the most truck crashes in Hickory, 10.2% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Hickory?
Garbage trucks were involved in 26 reported crashes in Hickory since 2015 (4.6% of truck crashes).
What is the truck crash rate in Hickory compared with North Carolina?
Hickory records 107.7 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 61.3 across North Carolina.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Hickory?
The free Route Planner takes your stops and returns a route risk score, safer alternatives and low-bridge warnings.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.