Shelby County, TN truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Shelby County: 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
2.2 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 4.5 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Shelby County compares with Tennessee
Shelby County against Tennessee and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Shelby County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Shelby County | Tennessee | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 50.8 | 60.1 | 49.7 | 15% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 4.5 | 3.9 | 3.4 | 1.2× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.58 | 0.48 | 0.49 | 1.2× 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% | 48% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 21.7% | 21.8% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 15.6% | 14.9% | 13.8% | same |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 40.8% | 40.5% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 25.0% | 25.9% | 24.8% | same |
Shelby County has lower values than Tennessee for crashes per 100k residents / yr and on snow, slush or ice. It stands out for higher deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and garbage-truck share.
Shelby County at a glance: I-40 most fatal truck crashes in Shelby County: 35 since 2015.
Overview
Police reported 5,377 crashes involving commercial trucks in Shelby County since 2015: 3,109 people were injured and 238 were killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about 1 truck crash a day.
When crashes happen
May has the most truck crashes, 9.1% of the yearly total, while February has the fewest (7.4%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 40.8% of truck crashes, vs 40.5% for Tennessee.
More truck crashes happen at 12–1 pm than at any other hour (7.0%).
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 1.2% of truck crashes, compared with 2.3% in Tennessee.
Where crashes happen
I-40 leads in Shelby County with 35 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. After it: US-78 (20), I-240 (14) and SR-175 (14).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 139 of the truck crashes here, or 2.6%, compared with 1.9% in Tennessee.
The most garbage-truck crashes happen in August (12%).
Per 100 crashes, garbage trucks recorded 2.2 deaths compared with 4.5 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Shelby County fleets
- Review driver schedules for May, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Where you can, review stops along I-40; it has the most fatal large-truck crashes nearby.
- Waste haulers: August is the peak month for garbage-truck crashes in Shelby County.
- Paste your stops into the free Route Planner to see the risk score, safer alternatives and low bridges.
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 Shelby County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (in Shelby County) |
|---|---|
| I-40 | 35 |
| US-78 | 20 |
| I-240 | 14 |
| SR-175 | 14 |
| I-55 | 9 |
| US-51 | 8 |
| US-64 | 5 |
| SR-14 | 4 |
| US-61 | 4 |
| Winchester Rd | 3 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Shelby County) |
|---|---|
| I-40 | 813 |
| I-240 | 407 |
| Lamar Ave | 331 |
| I-55 | 267 |
| E Shelby Dr | 234 |
| Winchester Rd | 111 |
| Getwell Rd | 61 |
| Shelby Dr | 61 |
Shelby County at a glance
| Population | 910,530 |
| Land area | 752.8 sq mi |
| Density | 1,210 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP average) | $71,497 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Shelby 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 | 24 | — | 13.2 |
| 2000s | 384 | +1525% | 10.0 |
| 2010s | 510 | +33% | 11.1 |
| 2020s | 424 | -17% | 19.0 |
In the 1990s about 24 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 424. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. Fatal large-truck crashes: 15.8 a year in 2016–19, 19.0 a year in 2020–24.
Cities, towns & communities in Shelby County
ZIP codes in Shelby County
Nearby counties
Questions fleets ask about Shelby County
How many truck crashes happen in Shelby County?
5,377 truck crashes have been reported in Shelby County since 2015, with 238 deaths and 3,109 injuries.
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in Shelby County?
I-40 had 35 fatal crashes involving a large truck in Shelby County since 2015, more than any other road.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Shelby County?
Truck crashes in Shelby County peak in May, with 9.1% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Shelby County?
Garbage trucks were involved in 139 reported crashes in Shelby County since 2015 (2.6% of truck crashes).
How do truck crashes in Shelby County compare with Tennessee?
Per 100,000 residents, Shelby County has 50.8 truck crashes a year; Tennessee has 60.1.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Shelby County?
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.