Texas truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Texas: 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
4.5 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 4.1 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Texas compares with United States
Texas against United States, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Texas stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Texas | United States | vs US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 62.9 | 49.7 | 1.3× the US |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 4.1 | 3.4 | 1.2× the US |
| Injuries per crash | 0.58 | 0.49 | 1.2× the US |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.1% | 2.3% | 53% below the US |
| On snow, slush or ice | 1.7% | 6.2% | 73% below the US |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 22.6% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 11.3% | 13.8% | 18% below the US |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 40.8% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 27.0% | 24.8% | 1.1× the US |
Texas has lower values than the US for garbage-truck share, on snow, slush or ice and in rain, sleet or snow. It stands out for higher crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and injuries per crash.
The headline for Texas: 1 in 91 of truck crashes here involve garbage trucks: 1.1%, vs 2.3% in the US.
Overview
Since 2015, 230,092 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Texas. They injured 134,789 people and killed 9,464.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly 54 truck crashes every day.
When crashes happen
The worst month is March with 8.8% of truck crashes; the quietest is December at 7.6%.
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 40.8% of truck crashes, vs 41.9% for the US.
More truck crashes happen at 2–3 pm than at any other hour (6.6%).
1.7% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 6.2% across the US.
Where crashes happen
The deadliest road for trucks in Texas is I-10, with 371 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. Next come I-20 (350), I-35 (305) and I-45 (157).
Garbage & waste trucks
2,499 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 1.1% share (the US: 2.3%).
Garbage-truck crashes peak in May (10% of them).
Deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes: 4.5, vs 4.1 for all truck crashes.
Route planning tips for Texas fleets
- Review driver schedules for March, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Look at alternatives to I-10 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- Garbage-truck crashes here peak in May; review collection routes for that month.
- Paste your stops into the free Route Planner to see the risk score, safer alternatives and low bridges.
About the data
This report uses the FMCSA crash file (reported crashes of trucks over 10,000 lb) and NHTSA FARS (fatal crashes). It reports the numbers without guessing at reasons.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Texas
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (in Texas) |
|---|---|
| I-10 | 371 |
| I-20 | 350 |
| I-35 | 305 |
| I-45 | 157 |
| US-59 | 155 |
| I-30 | 123 |
| US-287 | 99 |
| US-281 | 78 |
| US-87 | 70 |
| US-290 | 65 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Texas) |
|---|---|
| I-10 | 1,511 |
| I-35 | 1,270 |
| Lyndon B Johnson Fwy | 902 |
| I-20 | 885 |
| North Fwy | 580 |
| South Fwy | 475 |
| President George Bush Turnpike | 470 |
| Dallas North Tollway | 383 |
Texas at a glance
| Population | 31,290,831 |
| Land area | 261,258.6 sq mi |
| Density | 120 per sq mi |
Historical data: truck crashes in Texas 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 | 12,934 | — | 340.9 |
| 2000s | 13,873 | +7% | 399.8 |
| 2010s | 16,834 | +21% | 492.5 |
| 2020s | 20,842 | +24% | 657.2 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 12,934 to 20,842. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 567.8 a year in 2016–19 and 657.2 a year in 2020–24.
Counties in Texas
Largest places in Texas
Nearby states
Questions fleets ask about Texas
How many truck crashes happen in Texas?
Since 2015, 230,092 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Texas (134,789 injured, 9,464 killed).
Where do fatal truck crashes happen most in Texas?
NHTSA data shows I-10 with 371 fatal large-truck crashes in Texas since 2015, the highest of any road.
When do most truck crashes happen in Texas?
The worst month is March: 8.8% of truck crashes in Texas happen then.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Texas?
2,499 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Texas since 2015, 1.1% of all truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Texas compare with the US?
Per 100,000 residents, Texas has 62.9 truck crashes a year; the US has 49.7.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Texas?
Paste your stops into the free CurbWaste Route Planner: it scores your route against fatal-crash locations, suggests safer alternatives and flags low bridges.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.