Alder, WA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Alder: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Alder and Pierce County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Pierce County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
4.9 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 3.2 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Pierce County compares with Washington
Pierce County against Washington and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Pierce County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Pierce County | Washington | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 25.4 | 25.8 | 49.7 | same |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 3.2 | 3.4 | 3.4 | same |
| Injuries per crash | 0.18 | 0.18 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.6% | 2.2% | 2.3% | 29% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 2.0% | 9.7% | 6.2% | 79% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 25.5% | 24.8% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 21.5% | 20.2% | 13.8% | same |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 44.0% | 43.8% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 26.9% | 25.2% | 24.8% | same |
Compared with Washington, Pierce County is lower on garbage-truck share and on snow, slush or ice.
What stands out in Pierce County: 2.0% of truck crashes happened on snow, slush or ice, vs 9.7% in Washington.
Overview
Since 2015, 2,807 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Pierce County. They injured 514 people and killed 87.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 2 days.
Alder had 0 reported truck crashes since 2015, too few for reliable patterns, so the charts and findings on this page use Pierce County numbers.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in January (9.2% of the year) and are lowest in April (7.8%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 44.0% of truck crashes, vs 43.8% for Washington.
The busiest hour is 2–3 pm, with 6.9% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 2.0% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Washington: 9.7%).
Where crashes happen
Roads with fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Alder since 2015: SR-7 (1). No single road stands out.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 44 crashes, 1.6% of the total, against 2.2% across Washington.
Their busiest month is June, with 14% of garbage-truck crashes.
They recorded 4.9 deaths per 100 crashes, against 3.2 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Alder fleets
- Build extra time into January routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- For residential and commercial waste routes, look again at June schedules: garbage-truck crashes peak then.
- Check your own stops for crash hotspots and low bridges with the free Route Planner.
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 Pierce County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| SR-7 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Pierce County) |
|---|---|
| Sr-512*001.00 | 30 |
| Sr-167*006.00 | 19 |
| Sr-167*010.00 | 17 |
| Sr-167*007.00 | 16 |
| Sr-509*002.00 | 15 |
| Sr-167*008.00 | 14 |
| Sr-167*009.00 | 13 |
| Sr-16*001.00 | 13 |
Alder at a glance
| Land area | 3.2 sq mi |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Pierce 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 | 100 | — | 4.5 |
| 2000s | 147 | +47% | 5.4 |
| 2010s | 200 | +36% | 4.5 |
| 2020s | 246 | +23% | 8.0 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 100 a year in the 1990s and 246 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. Fatal large-truck crashes: 7.0 a year in 2016–19, 8.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Alder
How many truck crashes happen in Alder?
2,807 truck crashes have been reported in Pierce County since 2015, with 87 deaths and 514 injuries.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in Alder?
The worst month is January: 9.2% of truck crashes in Pierce County happen then.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Alder?
Garbage trucks were involved in 44 reported crashes in Pierce County since 2015 (1.6% of truck crashes).
How do truck crashes in Alder compare with Washington?
Pierce County records 25.4 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 25.8 across Washington.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Alder?
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.