Potsdam, ND truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Potsdam: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Potsdam and Dickey County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Dickey County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
2 of 47 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Dickey County compares with North Dakota
Dickey County against North Dakota and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Dickey County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Dickey County | North Dakota | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 75.6 | 73.9 | 49.7 | same |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 2.4 | 4.1 | 3.4 | 41% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.54 | 0.33 | 0.49 | 1.6× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 2.4% | 0.9% | 2.3% | 2.7× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 21.9% | 34.4% | 6.2% | 36% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 31.7% | 22.7% | 23.7% | 1.4× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 9.8% | 16.2% | 13.8% | 40% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 26.8% | 47.2% | 41.9% | 43% below the state |
| After dark | 2.4% | 24.7% | 24.8% | 90% below the state |
Dickey County has lower values than North Dakota for deaths per 100 crashes, on snow, slush or ice and in rain, sleet or snow. It stands out for higher injuries per crash, garbage-truck share and morning rush (6–10 am).
What stands out in Dickey County: 1 in 41 garbage-truck share of crashes is 2.4%, against 0.9% for North Dakota.
Overview
Since 2015, 47 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Dickey County. They injured 27 people and killed 1.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 98 days.
Potsdam had 0 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Dickey County numbers.
87% of truck crash reports in Dickey County since 2015 leave the city field blank; place counts include only reports that name the place.
When crashes happen
The worst month is October with 23.4% of truck crashes; the quietest is January at 2.1%.
The five winter months (November to March) hold 26.8% of truck crashes, against 47.2% across North Dakota.
The busiest hour is 9–10 am, with 14.9% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 21.9% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (North Dakota: 34.4%).
Where crashes happen
Fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Potsdam since 2015 were spread across roads: US-281 (2).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 2 of the truck crashes here, or 4.3%, compared with 0.9% in North Dakota.
Route planning tips for Potsdam fleets
- Build extra time into October routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- 31.7% of truck crashes happen between 6 and 10 am, above North Dakota; consider earlier or later starts where possible.
- 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 Dickey County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-281 | 2 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Dickey County) |
|---|---|
| Nd State Hwy 11 | 2 |
| 88Th St Se | 1 |
| 89Th Ave Se | 1 |
| SR-11 | 1 |
| US-281 | 1 |
Potsdam at a glance
| Population | 35 |
| Land area | 34.4 sq mi |
| Density | 1 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 58433) | $70,375 |
| Median home value (ZIP 58433) | $116,766 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Dickey 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 | 3 | — | 0.0 |
| 2000s | 2 | -42% | 0.3 |
| 2010s | 4 | +200% | 0.1 |
| 2020s | 3 | -37% | 0.2 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 3 a year in the 1990s and 3 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. NHTSA counts 0.0 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 0.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Potsdam
How common are truck crashes in Potsdam?
47 truck crashes have been reported in Dickey County since 2015, with 1 deaths and 27 injuries.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Potsdam?
Truck crashes in Dickey County peak in October, with 23.4% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Potsdam?
2 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Dickey County since 2015, 4.3% of all truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Potsdam compared with North Dakota?
Dickey County records 75.6 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 73.9 across North Dakota.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Potsdam?
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.