Charlotte, NC truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Charlotte: 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
2.9 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 1.6 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Charlotte compares with North Carolina
Charlotte against North Carolina and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Charlotte stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Charlotte | North Carolina | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 81.6 | 61.3 | 49.7 | 1.3× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 1.6 | 2.5 | 3.4 | 36% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.67 | 0.66 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.8% | 2.6% | 2.3% | 30% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 0.8% | 1.7% | 6.2% | 56% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 24.6% | 24.0% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 10.4% | 10.5% | 13.8% | same |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 41.1% | 41.0% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 21.9% | 20.4% | 24.8% | 1.1× the state |
Charlotte has lower values than North Carolina for deaths per 100 crashes, garbage-truck share and on snow, slush or ice. Where it is higher: crashes per 100k residents / yr and after dark.
The headline for Charlotte: I-77 deadliest road: 24 fatal truck crashes within 15 miles of Charlotte since 2015.
Overview
Police reported 8,471 crashes involving commercial trucks in Charlotte since 2015: 5,516 people were injured and 133 were killed.
That averages about 2 truck crashes a day in fully reported years.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in June (9.3% of the year) and are lowest in December (7.6%).
November through March accounts for 41.1% of truck crashes here, compared with 41.0% in North Carolina.
By time of day, 8–9 am stands out with 7.7% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 0.8% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (North Carolina: 1.7%).
Where crashes happen
The deadliest road for trucks within 15 miles of Charlotte is I-77, with 24 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. It is followed by I-485 (18), I-85 (18) and US-29 (6).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 157 crashes, 1.9% of the total, against 2.6% across North Carolina.
Their busiest month is April, with 13% of garbage-truck crashes.
Deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes: 2.9, vs 1.6 for all truck crashes.
Route planning tips for Charlotte fleets
- Plan June schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Charlotte.
- Where you can, review stops along I-77; it has the most fatal large-truck crashes nearby.
- Garbage-truck crashes here peak in April; 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
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.
Reporting to FMCSA was incomplete in 2024; rates and comparisons skip those years.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Charlotte
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 15 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-77 | 24 |
| I-485 | 18 |
| I-85 | 18 |
| US-29 | 6 |
| SR-16 | 5 |
| SR-24 | 3 |
| US-74 | 3 |
| SR-273 | 2 |
| SR-49 | 2 |
| Steele Creek Rd | 2 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Charlotte) |
|---|---|
| Brookshire Blvd | 103 |
| N Tryon St | 86 |
| Wilkinson Blvd | 85 |
| Westinghouse Blvd | 74 |
| N Graham St | 74 |
| S Tryon St | 72 |
| Albemarle Rd | 65 |
| Statesville Rd | 63 |
Charlotte at a glance
| Population | 943,476 |
| Land area | 311.6 sq mi |
| Density | 3,028 per sq mi |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Charlotte 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 | 154 | — | 7.5 |
| 2000s | 433 | +182% | 8.1 |
| 2010s | 726 | +68% | 9.7 |
| 2020s | 675 | -7% | 11.2 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 154 a year in the 1990s and 675 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 12.0 a year in 2016–19 and 11.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Charlotte
How many truck crashes happen in Charlotte?
Charlotte has had 8,471 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 5,516 people and killing 133.
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in Charlotte?
Since 2015, I-77 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes within 15 miles of Charlotte: 24.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Charlotte?
June has the most truck crashes in Charlotte, 9.3% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Charlotte?
157 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Charlotte since 2015, 1.9% of all truck crashes.
How does Charlotte compare with North Carolina for truck crashes?
Per 100,000 residents, Charlotte has 81.6 truck crashes a year; North Carolina has 61.3.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Charlotte?
Paste your stops into the free CurbWaste Route Planner: it scores your route against fatal-crash locations, suggests safer alternatives and flags low bridges.
Crash reporting to FMCSA was incomplete in 2024; those years are greyed out and left out of rates. 2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.