Dallas, NC truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Dallas: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Dallas and Gaston County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Gaston County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
1.7 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 1.8 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Gaston County compares with North Carolina
Gaston County against North Carolina and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Gaston County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Gaston County | North Carolina | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 73.6 | 61.3 | 49.7 | 1.2× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 1.8 | 2.5 | 3.4 | 28% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.70 | 0.66 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 3.0% | 2.6% | 2.3% | 1.2× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 1.1% | 1.7% | 6.2% | 38% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 25.0% | 24.0% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 13.3% | 10.5% | 13.8% | 1.3× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 40.0% | 41.0% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 22.8% | 20.4% | 24.8% | 1.1× the state |
Compared with North Carolina, Gaston County is lower on deaths per 100 crashes and on snow, slush or ice. Where it is higher: crashes per 100k residents / yr, garbage-truck share and in rain, sleet or snow.
Dallas at a glance: I-85 most fatal truck crashes within 10 miles of Dallas: 11 since 2015.
Overview
Police reported 2,086 crashes involving commercial trucks in Gaston County since 2015: 1,440 people were injured and 38 were killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 2 days.
With 116 truck crashes reported in Dallas since 2015, this page uses Gaston County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
When crashes happen
March has the most truck crashes, 9.4% of the yearly total, while December has the fewest (7.2%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 40.0% of truck crashes, vs 41.0% for North Carolina.
More truck crashes happen at 3–4 pm than at any other hour (7.5%).
Road surface: 1.1% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (North Carolina: 1.7%).
Where crashes happen
I-85 leads within 10 miles of Dallas with 11 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. It is followed by US-321 (3), US-74 (2) and Brownstone Ct (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 61 of the truck crashes here, or 2.9%, compared with 2.6% in North Carolina.
Their busiest month is November, with 18% of garbage-truck crashes.
Deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes: 1.7, vs 1.8 for all truck crashes.
Route planning tips for Dallas fleets
- Plan March schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Gaston County.
- Check whether your routes use I-85, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- Garbage-truck crashes here peak in November; review collection routes for that month.
- 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 Gaston County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-85 | 11 |
| US-321 | 3 |
| US-74 | 2 |
| Brownstone Ct | 1 |
| N Chester St | 1 |
| SR-216 | 1 |
| SR-273 | 1 |
| SR-274 | 1 |
| SR-275 | 1 |
| SR-279 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Gaston County) |
|---|---|
| N Chester St | 60 |
| E Franklin Blvd | 34 |
| W Franklin Blvd | 16 |
| S York Rd | 16 |
| Bessemer City Rd | 16 |
| Gastonia Dallas Hwy | 16 |
| N New Hope Rd | 15 |
| S New Hope Rd | 15 |
Dallas at a glance
| Population | 6,270 |
| Land area | 3.1 sq mi |
| Density | 2,040 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 28034) | $62,083 |
| Median home value (ZIP 28034) | $245,276 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Gaston 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 | 91 | — | 3.0 |
| 2000s | 118 | +30% | 2.4 |
| 2010s | 151 | +28% | 2.7 |
| 2020s | 178 | +18% | 3.0 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 91 to 178. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 3.8 a year in 2016–19 and 3.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Dallas
How common are truck crashes in Dallas?
Since 2015, 2,086 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Gaston County (1,440 injured, 38 killed).
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in Dallas?
NHTSA data shows I-85 with 11 fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Dallas since 2015, the highest of any road.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Dallas?
March has the most truck crashes in Gaston County, 9.4% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Dallas?
Since 2015, Gaston County has reported 61 garbage-truck crashes, or 2.9% of its truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Dallas compare with North Carolina?
Gaston County records 73.6 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 61.3 across North Carolina.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Dallas?
Use the free Route Planner: enter your stops to get a risk score, safer alternatives and the low bridges on your route.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.