Buckley, WA truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Buckley: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Buckley 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 |
Pierce County has lower values than Washington for garbage-truck share and on snow, slush or ice.
What stands out in Pierce County: 2.0% share of truck crashes on snow, slush or ice (Washington: 9.7%).
Overview
Police reported 2,807 crashes involving commercial trucks in Pierce County since 2015: 514 people were injured and 87 were killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 2 days in fully reported years.
With 15 truck crashes reported in Buckley since 2015, this page uses Pierce County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
When crashes happen
January has the most truck crashes, 9.2% of the yearly total, while April has the fewest (7.8%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 44.0% of truck crashes, vs 43.8% for Washington.
More truck crashes happen at 2–3 pm than at any other hour (6.9%).
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 2.0% of truck crashes, compared with 9.7% in Washington.
Where crashes happen
Fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of Buckley since 2015 were spread across roads: SR-162 (1), SR-164 (1) and SR-169 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 44 of the truck crashes here, or 1.6%, compared with 2.2% in Washington.
Their busiest month is June, with 14% of garbage-truck crashes.
Deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes: 4.9, vs 3.2 for all truck crashes.
Route planning tips for Buckley fleets
- Review driver schedules for January, the month with the most truck crashes.
- 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-162 | 1 |
| SR-164 | 1 |
| SR-169 | 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 |
Buckley at a glance
| Population | 5,641 |
| Land area | 3.9 sq mi |
| Density | 1,461 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 98321) | $127,411 |
| Median home value (ZIP 98321) | $573,259 |
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 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 100 to 246. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. NHTSA counts 7.0 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 8.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Buckley
How common are truck crashes in Buckley?
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 Buckley?
January has the most truck crashes in Pierce County, 9.2% of the yearly total.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Buckley?
Since 2015, Pierce County has reported 44 garbage-truck crashes, or 1.6% of its truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in Buckley compared with Washington?
The yearly rate is 25.4 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Pierce County, vs 25.8 for Washington.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in Buckley?
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.