Bluff City, TN truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Bluff City: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Bluff City and Sullivan County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Sullivan County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
15 of 644 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Sullivan County compares with Tennessee
Sullivan County against Tennessee and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Sullivan County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Sullivan County | Tennessee | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 32.6 | 60.1 | 49.7 | 46% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 4.5 | 3.9 | 3.4 | 1.2× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.52 | 0.48 | 0.49 | 1.1× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 2.4% | 1.9% | 2.3% | 1.2× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 2.7% | 2.3% | 6.2% | 1.2× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 20.2% | 21.8% | 23.7% | 7% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 12.0% | 14.9% | 13.8% | 20% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 38.2% | 40.5% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 24.9% | 25.9% | 24.8% | same |
Compared with Tennessee, Sullivan County is lower on crashes per 100k residents / yr, morning rush (6–10 am) and in rain, sleet or snow. Where it is higher: deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and garbage-truck share.
Bluff City at a glance: I-81 3 fatal truck crashes since 2015, more than any other road within 10 miles of Bluff City.
Overview
Since 2015, 644 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Sullivan County. They injured 342 people and killed 26.
That averages about one truck crash every 7 days in fully reported years.
With 12 truck crashes reported in Bluff City since 2015, this page uses Sullivan County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
22% of truck crash reports in Sullivan County since 2015 leave the city field blank; place counts include only reports that name the place.
When crashes happen
The worst month is August with 10.9% of truck crashes; the quietest is January at 6.7%.
November through March accounts for 38.2% of truck crashes here, compared with 40.5% in Tennessee.
The busiest hour is 10–11 am, with 7.9% of truck crashes.
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 2.7% of truck crashes, compared with 2.3% in Tennessee.
Where crashes happen
Within this area, I-81 had the most fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015 (3). Next come US-11E (2), US-11W (2) and CR-MOUNTAIN View Dr (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 15 of the truck crashes here, or 2.3%, compared with 1.9% in Tennessee.
Route planning tips for Bluff City fleets
- Build extra time into August routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Check whether your routes use I-81, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- 2.7% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice, above Tennessee; plan winter equipment checks before the season.
- 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 Sullivan County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-81 | 3 |
| US-11E | 2 |
| US-11W | 2 |
| CR-MOUNTAIN View Dr | 1 |
| SR-36 | 1 |
| SR-381 | 1 |
| SR-394 | 1 |
| US-19E | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Sullivan County) |
|---|---|
| I-81 | 227 |
| I-26 | 55 |
| E Stone Dr | 25 |
| SR-11W | 19 |
| Interstate 81 Hwy | 15 |
| SR-394 | 14 |
| I-81 Hwy | 12 |
| W Stone Dr | 12 |
Bluff City at a glance
| Population | 1,838 |
| Land area | 1.7 sq mi |
| Density | 1,052 per sq mi |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Sullivan 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 | 8 | — | 1.5 |
| 2000s | 40 | +375% | 2.0 |
| 2010s | 49 | +24% | 2.0 |
| 2020s | 56 | +15% | 2.2 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 8 a year in the 1990s and 56 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. NHTSA counts 1.2 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 2.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Bluff City
How common are truck crashes in Bluff City?
Since 2015, 644 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Sullivan County (342 injured, 26 killed).
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Bluff City?
I-81 had 3 fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Bluff City since 2015, more than any other road.
When do most truck crashes happen in Bluff City?
The worst month is August: 10.9% of truck crashes in Sullivan County happen then.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Bluff City?
Since 2015, Sullivan County has reported 15 garbage-truck crashes, or 2.3% of its truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Bluff City compared with Tennessee?
Sullivan County records 32.6 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 60.1 across Tennessee.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Bluff City?
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.