Arlington, TN truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Arlington: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Arlington and Shelby County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Shelby County numbers.
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 sits below Tennessee on 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.
Arlington at a glance: I-40 deadliest road: 13 fatal truck crashes within 10 miles of Arlington 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.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly 1 truck crash every day.
Only 174 truck crashes were reported in Arlington since 2015; patterns below come from Shelby County as a whole.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in May (9.1% of the year) and are lowest in February (7.4%).
November through March accounts for 40.8% of truck crashes here, compared with 40.5% in Tennessee.
More truck crashes happen at 12–1 pm than at any other hour (7.0%).
Road surface: 1.2% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Tennessee: 2.3%).
Where crashes happen
I-40 leads within 10 miles of Arlington with 13 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. After it: SR-14 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 139 crashes, 2.6% of the total, against 1.9% across 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 Arlington fleets
- Plan May schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Shelby County.
- Check whether your routes use I-40, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- For residential and commercial waste routes, look again at August schedules: garbage-truck crashes peak then.
- Paste your stops into the free Route Planner to see the risk score, safer alternatives and low bridges.
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 Shelby County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-40 | 13 |
| SR-14 | 1 |
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 |
Arlington at a glance
| Population | 15,550 |
| Land area | 23.8 sq mi |
| Density | 655 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 38002) | $116,895 |
| Median home value (ZIP 38002) | $398,176 |
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 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 24 a year in the 1990s and 424 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 15.8 a year in 2016–19 and 19.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Arlington
How many truck accidents are there in Arlington?
Shelby County has had 5,377 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 3,109 people and killing 238.
Where do fatal truck crashes happen most in Arlington?
NHTSA data shows I-40 with 13 fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Arlington since 2015, the highest of any road.
When do most truck crashes happen in Arlington?
The worst month is May: 9.1% of truck crashes in Shelby County happen then.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Arlington?
139 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Shelby County since 2015, 2.6% of all truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Arlington compare with Tennessee?
Shelby County records 50.8 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 60.1 across Tennessee.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Arlington?
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.