Cleveland, TN truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Cleveland: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Cleveland and Bradley County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Bradley County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
8.7 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 3.3 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Bradley County compares with Tennessee
Bradley County against Tennessee and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Bradley County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Bradley County | Tennessee | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 67.1 | 60.1 | 49.7 | 1.1× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 3.3 | 3.9 | 3.4 | 15% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.38 | 0.48 | 0.49 | 21% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 2.7% | 1.9% | 2.3% | 1.4× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 1.2% | 2.3% | 6.2% | 49% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 21.1% | 21.8% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 14.3% | 14.9% | 13.8% | same |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 38.7% | 40.5% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 29.9% | 25.9% | 24.8% | 1.2× the state |
Bradley County has lower values than Tennessee for deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and on snow, slush or ice. It stands out for higher crashes per 100k residents / yr, garbage-truck share and after dark.
Cleveland at a glance: I-75 most fatal truck crashes within 10 miles of Cleveland: 12 since 2015.
Overview
Bradley County has recorded 896 truck crashes since 2015, with 355 people injured and 30 killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 5 days.
Cleveland had 422 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Bradley County numbers.
41% of truck crash reports in Bradley County since 2015 leave the city field blank; place counts include only reports that name the place.
When crashes happen
August has the most truck crashes, 10.5% of the yearly total, while February has the fewest (6.6%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 38.7% of truck crashes, against 40.5% across Tennessee.
More truck crashes happen at 2–3 pm than at any other hour (9.0%).
1.2% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 2.3% across Tennessee.
Where crashes happen
I-75 leads within 10 miles of Cleveland with 12 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. After it: SR-60 (2), US-64 (2) and SR-306 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 25 crashes, 2.8% of the total, against 1.9% across Tennessee.
Garbage-truck crashes peak in May (32% of them).
Deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes: 8.7, vs 3.3 for all truck crashes.
Route planning tips for Cleveland fleets
- Plan August schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Bradley County.
- Where you can, review stops along I-75; it has the most fatal large-truck crashes nearby.
- Garbage-truck crashes here peak in May; 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.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Bradley County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-75 | 12 |
| SR-60 | 2 |
| US-64 | 2 |
| SR-306 | 1 |
| SR-58 | 1 |
| US-11 | 1 |
| Us-64Bp/74 Sr-311 Apd-40 Appal | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Bradley County) |
|---|---|
| I-75 | 430 |
| Apd 40 Hwy | 24 |
| Inman St | 22 |
| Apd 40 | 21 |
| Lower River Rdnw | 17 |
| Dalton Pike Se | 14 |
| Dalton Pikese | 13 |
| E Waterlevel Hwy | 12 |
Cleveland at a glance
| Population | 50,232 |
| Land area | 31.1 sq mi |
| Density | 1,615 per sq mi |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Bradley 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 | 29 | — | 1.8 |
| 2000s | 41 | +41% | 2.1 |
| 2010s | 62 | +53% | 1.8 |
| 2020s | 80 | +29% | 1.6 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 29 a year in the 1990s and 80 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. Fatal large-truck crashes: 1.0 a year in 2016–19, 1.6 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Cleveland
How common are truck crashes in Cleveland?
Bradley County has had 896 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 355 people and killing 30.
Where do fatal truck crashes happen most in Cleveland?
I-75 had 12 fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Cleveland since 2015, more than any other road.
When do most truck crashes happen in Cleveland?
August has the most truck crashes in Bradley County, 10.5% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Cleveland?
25 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Bradley County since 2015, 2.8% of all truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Cleveland compare with Tennessee?
Bradley County records 67.1 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 60.1 across Tennessee.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Cleveland?
Paste your stops into the free CurbWaste Route Planner: it scores your route against fatal-crash locations, suggests safer alternatives and flags low bridges.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.