Germantown, TN truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Germantown: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Germantown 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 has lower values than Tennessee for crashes per 100k residents / yr and on snow, slush or ice. Where it is higher: deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and garbage-truck share.
What stands out in Germantown: US-78 deadliest road: 17 fatal truck crashes within 10 miles of Germantown since 2015.
Overview
Shelby County has recorded 5,377 truck crashes since 2015, with 3,109 people injured and 238 killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly 1 truck crash every day.
Only 30 truck crashes were reported in Germantown since 2015; patterns below come from Shelby County as a whole.
When crashes happen
May has the most truck crashes, 9.1% of the yearly total, while February has the fewest (7.4%).
November through March accounts for 40.8% of truck crashes here, compared with 40.5% in Tennessee.
The busiest hour is 12–1 pm, with 7.0% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 1.2% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Tennessee: 2.3%).
Where crashes happen
Within this area, US-78 had the most fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015 (17). It is followed by I-40 (15), I-240 (8) and SR-175 (4).
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%).
Deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes: 2.2, vs 4.5 for all truck crashes.
Route planning tips for Germantown fleets
- Build extra time into May routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Check whether your routes use US-78, 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
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 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-78 | 17 |
| I-40 | 15 |
| I-240 | 8 |
| SR-175 | 4 |
| I-269 | 3 |
| SR-385 | 2 |
| US-64 | 2 |
| Winchester Rd | 2 |
| Berclair Rd | 1 |
| CR-HOLMES Rd | 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 |
Germantown at a glance
| Population | 40,128 |
| Land area | 20.0 sq mi |
| Density | 2,007 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 38138) | $136,297 |
| Median home value (ZIP 38138) | $429,062 |
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.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Germantown
How common are truck crashes in Germantown?
Shelby County has had 5,377 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 3,109 people and killing 238.
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in Germantown?
NHTSA data shows US-78 with 17 fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Germantown since 2015, the highest of any road.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Germantown?
The worst month is May: 9.1% of truck crashes in Shelby County happen then.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Germantown?
Since 2015, Shelby County has reported 139 garbage-truck crashes, or 2.6% of its truck crashes.
How does Germantown compare with Tennessee for truck crashes?
The yearly rate is 50.8 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Shelby County, vs 60.1 for Tennessee.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Germantown?
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.