Portland, TN truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Portland: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Portland and Sumner County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Sumner County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
18 of 864 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Sumner County compares with Tennessee
Sumner County against Tennessee and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Sumner County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Sumner County | Tennessee | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 34.0 | 60.1 | 49.7 | 43% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 2.1 | 3.9 | 3.4 | 46% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.47 | 0.48 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 2.1% | 1.9% | 2.3% | 1.1× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 2.1% | 2.3% | 6.2% | 8% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 26.1% | 21.8% | 23.7% | 1.2× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 13.0% | 14.9% | 13.8% | 13% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 41.2% | 40.5% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 19.8% | 25.9% | 24.8% | 24% below the state |
Sumner County sits below Tennessee on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and on snow, slush or ice. Where it is higher: garbage-truck share and morning rush (6–10 am).
The headline for Portland: I-65 deadliest road: 11 fatal truck crashes within 10 miles of Portland since 2015.
Overview
Since 2015, 864 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Sumner County. They injured 427 people and killed 17.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 5 days.
Only 137 truck crashes were reported in Portland since 2015; patterns below come from Sumner County as a whole.
When crashes happen
November has the most truck crashes, 9.6% of the yearly total, while December has the fewest (6.5%).
November through March accounts for 41.2% of truck crashes here, compared with 40.5% in Tennessee.
More truck crashes happen at 7–8 am than at any other hour (7.9%).
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 2.1% of truck crashes, compared with 2.3% in Tennessee.
Where crashes happen
The deadliest road for trucks within 10 miles of Portland is I-65, with 11 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. After it: US-31W (4), SR-109 (1) and SR-25 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 18 of the truck crashes here, or 2.1%, compared with 1.9% in Tennessee.
Route planning tips for Portland fleets
- Review driver schedules for November, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Check whether your routes use I-65, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- The morning rush (6–10 am) holds 26.1% of truck crashes here, more than Tennessee; adjust start times where you can.
- 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 Sumner County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-65 | 11 |
| US-31W | 4 |
| SR-109 | 1 |
| SR-25 | 1 |
| SR-52 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Sumner County) |
|---|---|
| I-65 | 236 |
| SR-109N | 33 |
| SR-386 | 27 |
| SR-109 | 23 |
| SR-31E | 22 |
| Nashville Pike | 21 |
| Tn-109 | 20 |
| SR-25 | 20 |
Portland at a glance
| Population | 13,651 |
| Land area | 15.1 sq mi |
| Density | 902 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 37148) | $81,633 |
| Median home value (ZIP 37148) | $294,062 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Sumner 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 | 12 | — | 2.2 |
| 2000s | 45 | +262% | 2.7 |
| 2010s | 57 | +27% | 1.1 |
| 2020s | 82 | +42% | 1.8 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 12 a year in the 1990s and 82 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 0.8 a year in 2016–19 and 1.8 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Portland
How many truck accidents are there in Portland?
Since 2015, 864 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Sumner County (427 injured, 17 killed).
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Portland?
I-65 had 11 fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Portland since 2015, more than any other road.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Portland?
The worst month is November: 9.6% of truck crashes in Sumner County happen then.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in Portland?
Garbage trucks were involved in 18 reported crashes in Sumner County since 2015 (2.1% of truck crashes).
How does Portland compare with Tennessee for truck crashes?
Sumner County records 34.0 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 60.1 across Tennessee.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Portland?
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.