Ponder, TX truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Ponder: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Ponder and Denton County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Denton County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
1.9 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 2.4 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Denton County compares with Texas
Denton County against Texas and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Denton County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Denton County | Texas | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 37.4 | 62.9 | 49.7 | 41% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 2.4 | 4.1 | 3.4 | 41% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.48 | 0.58 | 0.49 | 17% below the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.2% | 1.1% | 2.3% | 1.1× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 1.1% | 1.7% | 6.2% | 32% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 25.3% | 22.6% | 23.7% | 1.1× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 13.2% | 11.3% | 13.8% | 1.2× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 38.9% | 40.8% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 24.7% | 27.0% | 24.8% | 9% below the state |
Denton County sits below Texas on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and injuries per crash. Where it is higher: garbage-truck share, morning rush (6–10 am) and in rain, sleet or snow.
What stands out in Ponder: 1.5× change in fatal truck crashes a year within 10 miles of Ponder (1.8 → 2.6).
Overview
Denton County has recorded 4,557 truck crashes since 2015, with 2,174 people injured and 105 killed.
That averages about 1 truck crash a day in fully reported years.
Ponder had 11 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Denton County numbers.
When crashes happen
The worst month is October with 9.6% of truck crashes; the quietest is February at 6.5%.
November through March accounts for 38.9% of truck crashes here, compared with 40.8% in Texas.
The busiest hour is 8–9 am, with 7.2% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 1.1% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Texas: 1.7%).
Where crashes happen
Roads with fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Ponder since 2015: I-35 (4), US-380 (4), I-35W (3), Fm 156 (2) and SR-114 (2). No single road stands out.
Garbage & waste trucks
55 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 1.2% share (Texas: 1.1%).
Their busiest month is May, with 15% of garbage-truck crashes.
Per 100 crashes, garbage trucks recorded 1.9 deaths compared with 2.4 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Ponder fleets
- Build extra time into October routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Waste haulers: May is the peak month for garbage-truck crashes in Denton County.
- 25.3% of truck crashes happen between 6 and 10 am, above Texas; consider earlier or later starts where possible.
- Use the free Route Planner to score your route and spot low bridges before drivers head out.
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 Denton County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-35 | 4 |
| US-380 | 4 |
| I-35W | 3 |
| Fm 156 | 2 |
| SR-114 | 2 |
| Fm 1173 | 1 |
| Fm 156 Blue Mound Rd | 1 |
| Fm 407 | 1 |
| I-35E | 1 |
| I35 Frontage | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Denton County) |
|---|---|
| I-35 | 160 |
| Sam Rayburn Tollway | 118 |
| I-35E | 82 |
| SR-114 | 46 |
| Main St | 45 |
| Sh 121 | 42 |
| Sh 114 | 40 |
| President George Bush Turnpike | 31 |
Ponder at a glance
| Population | 2,875 |
| Land area | 3.4 sq mi |
| Density | 853 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 76259) | $101,845 |
| Median home value (ZIP 76259) | $353,004 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Denton 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 | 205 | — | 5.9 |
| 2000s | 256 | +25% | 7.2 |
| 2010s | 292 | +14% | 4.8 |
| 2020s | 414 | +42% | 8.4 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 205 to 414. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal large-truck crashes: 6.5 a year in 2016–19, 8.4 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Ponder
How common are truck crashes in Ponder?
Denton County has had 4,557 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 2,174 people and killing 105.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Ponder?
The worst month is October: 9.6% of truck crashes in Denton County happen then.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Ponder?
Since 2015, Denton County has reported 55 garbage-truck crashes, or 1.2% of its truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Ponder compare with Texas?
The yearly rate is 37.4 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Denton County, vs 62.9 for Texas.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Ponder?
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.