Pottsville, PA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Pottsville: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Pottsville and Schuylkill County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Schuylkill County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
16.0 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 6.6 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Schuylkill County compares with Pennsylvania
Schuylkill County against Pennsylvania and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Schuylkill County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Schuylkill County | Pennsylvania | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 85.2 | 57.2 | 49.7 | 1.5× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 6.6 | 2.6 | 3.4 | 2.5× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.81 | 0.47 | 0.49 | 1.7× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 3.7% | 3.6% | 2.3% | same |
| On snow, slush or ice | 15.0% | 9.1% | 6.2% | 1.6× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 22.8% | 24.5% | 23.7% | 7% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 22.2% | 19.0% | 13.8% | 1.2× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 47.2% | 42.7% | 41.9% | 1.1× the state |
| After dark | 27.2% | 24.2% | 24.8% | 1.1× the state |
Schuylkill County sits below Pennsylvania on morning rush (6–10 am). Where it is higher: crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and injuries per crash.
What stands out in Schuylkill County: 6.6 deaths per 100 truck crashes, vs 2.6 in Pennsylvania.
Overview
Since 2015, 1,452 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Schuylkill County. They injured 1,138 people and killed 93.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 3 days.
With 31 truck crashes reported in Pottsville since 2015, this page uses Schuylkill County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in March (12.7% of the year) and are lowest in May (7.2%).
November through March accounts for 47.2% of truck crashes here, compared with 42.7% in Pennsylvania.
The busiest hour is 10–11 am, with 7.9% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 15.0% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Pennsylvania: 9.1%).
Where crashes happen
The deadliest road for trucks within 10 miles of Pottsville is I-81, with 4 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. After it: SR-61 (3), SR-0061 (2) and SR-901 (2).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 53 crashes, 3.7% of the total, against 3.6% across Pennsylvania.
Garbage-truck crashes peak in August (15% of them).
Per 100 crashes, garbage trucks recorded 16.0 deaths compared with 6.6 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Pottsville fleets
- Review driver schedules for March, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Where you can, review stops along I-81; it has the most fatal large-truck crashes nearby.
- Waste haulers: August is the peak month for garbage-truck crashes in Schuylkill County.
- 15.0% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice, above Pennsylvania; plan winter equipment checks before the season.
- 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 Schuylkill County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-81 | 4 |
| SR-61 | 3 |
| SR-0061 | 2 |
| SR-901 | 2 |
| Berne Dr | 1 |
| Keystone Blvd | 1 |
| SR-0443 | 1 |
| SR-0901 | 1 |
| SR-1011 | 1 |
| SR-183 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Schuylkill County) |
|---|---|
| I-0081 | 532 |
| SR-0061 | 211 |
| SR-0309 | 84 |
| SR-0901 | 79 |
| SR-0054 | 51 |
| SR-0443 | 47 |
| SR-0209 | 39 |
| SR-0183 | 36 |
Pottsville at a glance
| Population | 13,404 |
| Land area | 4.2 sq mi |
| Density | 3,217 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 17974) | $111,488 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Schuylkill 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 | 112 | — | 4.2 |
| 2000s | 128 | +13% | 4.3 |
| 2010s | 99 | -23% | 3.7 |
| 2020s | 131 | +33% | 3.8 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 112 a year in the 1990s and 131 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. Fatal large-truck crashes: 3.2 a year in 2016–19, 3.8 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Pottsville
How common are truck crashes in Pottsville?
Schuylkill County has had 1,452 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 1,138 people and killing 93.
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in Pottsville?
Since 2015, I-81 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Pottsville: 4.
When do most truck crashes happen in Pottsville?
March has the most truck crashes in Schuylkill County, 12.7% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Pottsville?
53 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Schuylkill County since 2015, 3.7% of all truck crashes.
How does Pottsville compare with Pennsylvania for truck crashes?
The yearly rate is 85.2 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Schuylkill County, vs 57.2 for Pennsylvania.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Pottsville?
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.