Rockvale, TN truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Rockvale: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Rockvale and Rutherford County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Rutherford County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
2.7 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 2.5 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Rutherford County compares with Tennessee
Rutherford County against Tennessee and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Rutherford County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Rutherford County | Tennessee | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 54.8 | 60.1 | 49.7 | 9% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 2.5 | 3.9 | 3.4 | 36% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.46 | 0.48 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.6% | 1.9% | 2.3% | 16% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 2.1% | 2.3% | 6.2% | 9% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 23.7% | 21.8% | 23.7% | 1.1× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 12.7% | 14.9% | 13.8% | 15% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 40.9% | 40.5% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 28.5% | 25.9% | 24.8% | 1.1× the state |
Rutherford County has lower values than Tennessee for crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and garbage-truck share. It runs above Tennessee on morning rush (6–10 am) and after dark.
The headline for Rockvale: I-24 5 fatal truck crashes since 2015, more than any other road within 10 miles of Rockvale.
Overview
Since 2015, 2,424 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Rutherford County. They injured 1,139 people and killed 60.
That averages about one truck crash every 2 days in fully reported years.
Only 2 truck crashes were reported in Rockvale since 2015; patterns below come from Rutherford County as a whole.
40% of truck crash reports in Rutherford 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 9.3% of truck crashes; the quietest is November at 7.6%.
The five winter months (November to March) hold 40.9% of truck crashes, against 40.5% across Tennessee.
By time of day, 8–9 am stands out with 6.8% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 2.1% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Tennessee: 2.3%).
Where crashes happen
The deadliest road for trucks within 10 miles of Rockvale is I-24, with 5 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. After it: I-840 (4), US-231 (4) and SR-99 (2).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 37 crashes, 1.5% of the total, against 1.9% across Tennessee.
Garbage-truck crashes peak in October (24% of them).
They recorded 2.7 deaths per 100 crashes, against 2.5 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Rockvale fleets
- Build extra time into October routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Check whether your routes use I-24, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- For residential and commercial waste routes, look again at October schedules: garbage-truck crashes peak then.
- Morning starts matter: 23.7% of truck crashes fall between 6 and 10 am, higher than Tennessee.
- Use the free Route Planner to score your route and spot low bridges before drivers head out.
About the data
This report uses the FMCSA crash file (reported crashes of trucks over 10,000 lb) and NHTSA FARS (fatal crashes). It reports the numbers without guessing at reasons.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Rutherford County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-24 | 5 |
| I-840 | 4 |
| US-231 | 4 |
| SR-99 | 2 |
| US-31A | 2 |
| S Rutherford Blvd | 1 |
| SR-840 | 1 |
| SR-96 | 1 |
| US-41 | 1 |
| Veterans Pkwy | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Rutherford County) |
|---|---|
| I-24 | 1,014 |
| I-840 | 139 |
| S Church St | 79 |
| Nw Broad St | 48 |
| Ramp | 34 |
| Shelbyville Pike | 32 |
| Waldron Rd | 29 |
| W Sam Ridley Pkwy | 27 |
Rockvale at a glance
| Land area | 4.2 sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 37153) | $99,143 |
| Median home value (ZIP 37153) | $450,656 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Rutherford 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 | 44 | — | 2.7 |
| 2000s | 85 | +94% | 3.5 |
| 2010s | 158 | +86% | 3.9 |
| 2020s | 218 | +38% | 5.0 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 44 a year in the 1990s and 218 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. Fatal large-truck crashes: 3.8 a year in 2016–19, 5.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Rockvale
How many truck crashes happen in Rockvale?
2,424 truck crashes have been reported in Rutherford County since 2015, with 60 deaths and 1,139 injuries.
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in Rockvale?
Since 2015, I-24 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Rockvale: 5.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Rockvale?
The worst month is October: 9.3% of truck crashes in Rutherford County happen then.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Rockvale?
37 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Rutherford County since 2015, 1.5% of all truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Rockvale compared with Tennessee?
Rutherford County records 54.8 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 60.1 across Tennessee.
How can I plan a safer truck route in Rockvale?
The free Route Planner takes your stops and returns a route risk score, safer alternatives and low-bridge warnings.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.