Merkel, TX truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Merkel: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Merkel and Taylor County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Taylor County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
13 of 1,384 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Taylor County compares with Texas
Taylor County against Texas and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Taylor County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Taylor County | Texas | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 79.0 | 62.9 | 49.7 | 1.3× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 4.0 | 4.1 | 3.4 | same |
| Injuries per crash | 0.54 | 0.58 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.0% | 1.1% | 2.3% | 8% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 3.6% | 1.7% | 6.2% | 2.2× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 19.9% | 22.6% | 23.7% | 12% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 20.0% | 11.3% | 13.8% | 1.8× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 42.7% | 40.8% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 26.3% | 27.0% | 24.8% | same |
Taylor County sits below Texas on garbage-truck share and morning rush (6–10 am). It stands out for higher crashes per 100k residents / yr, on snow, slush or ice and in rain, sleet or snow.
The headline for Taylor County: 3.6% share of truck crashes on snow, slush or ice (Texas: 1.7%).
Overview
Taylor County has recorded 1,384 truck crashes since 2015, with 742 people injured and 56 killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 3 days.
Only 51 truck crashes were reported in Merkel since 2015; patterns below come from Taylor County as a whole.
When crashes happen
August has the most truck crashes, 10.2% of the yearly total, while June has the fewest (5.7%).
November through March accounts for 42.7% of truck crashes here, compared with 40.8% in Texas.
More truck crashes happen at 3–4 pm than at any other hour (7.7%).
Road surface: 3.6% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Texas: 1.7%).
Where crashes happen
The deadliest road for trucks within 10 miles of Merkel is I-20, with 12 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. It is followed by Fm 605 (1) and Fm 707 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 13 crashes, 0.9% of the total, against 1.1% across Texas.
Route planning tips for Merkel fleets
- Build extra time into August routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Look at alternatives to I-20 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- Icy and snowy roads show up in 3.6% of truck crashes here, more than Texas; schedule winter checks early.
- 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 Taylor County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-20 | 12 |
| Fm 605 | 1 |
| Fm 707 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Taylor County) |
|---|---|
| I-20 | 70 |
| Buffalo Gap Rd | 16 |
| S 1St St | 15 |
| Pine St | 12 |
| US-83 | 7 |
| Loop 322 | 7 |
| Ambler Ave | 6 |
| Grape St | 5 |
Merkel at a glance
| Population | 2,494 |
| Land area | 2.8 sq mi |
| Density | 891 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 79536) | $71,131 |
| Median home value (ZIP 79536) | $117,319 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Taylor 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 | 63 | — | 1.4 |
| 2000s | 80 | +26% | 2.7 |
| 2010s | 105 | +32% | 2.3 |
| 2020s | 118 | +11% | 3.4 |
In the 1990s about 63 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 118. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 2.8 a year in 2016–19 and 3.4 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Merkel
How many truck accidents are there in Merkel?
Since 2015, 1,384 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Taylor County (742 injured, 56 killed).
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in Merkel?
I-20 had 12 fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Merkel since 2015, more than any other road.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Merkel?
The worst month is August: 10.2% of truck crashes in Taylor County happen then.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Merkel?
Garbage trucks were involved in 13 reported crashes in Taylor County since 2015 (0.9% of truck crashes).
What is the truck crash rate in Merkel compared with Texas?
Taylor County records 79.0 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 62.9 across Texas.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Merkel?
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.