Milwaukee, WI truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Milwaukee: 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
0.0 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 1.4 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Milwaukee compares with Wisconsin
Milwaukee against Wisconsin and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Milwaukee stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Milwaukee | Wisconsin | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 33.4 | 42.6 | 49.7 | 22% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 1.4 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 59% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.47 | 0.46 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 4.2% | 2.7% | 2.3% | 1.5× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 4.4% | 13.4% | 6.2% | 67% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 27.2% | 26.9% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 13.6% | 16.5% | 13.8% | 18% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 42.0% | 44.9% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 20.1% | 20.9% | 24.8% | same |
Milwaukee has lower values than Wisconsin for crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and on snow, slush or ice. It stands out for higher garbage-truck share.
Milwaukee at a glance: 1.7× yearly fatal truck crashes within 15 miles of Milwaukee: 3.2 in 2016–19, 5.4 in 2020–24.
Overview
Police reported 2,177 crashes involving commercial trucks in Milwaukee since 2015: 1,038 people were injured and 29 were killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 2 days.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in October (10.0% of the year) and are lowest in March (6.8%).
November through March accounts for 42.0% of truck crashes here, compared with 44.9% in Wisconsin.
By time of day, 10–11 am stands out with 9.2% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 4.4% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Wisconsin: 13.4%).
Where crashes happen
Since 2015, fatal crashes with a large truck within 15 miles of Milwaukee happened on I-43 (3), I-94 (3), SR-100 (3), SR-145 (3) and I-41 (2); no road leads clearly.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 88 crashes, 4.0% of the total, against 2.7% across Wisconsin.
The most garbage-truck crashes happen in January (14%).
They recorded 0.0 deaths per 100 crashes, against 1.4 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Milwaukee fleets
- Review driver schedules for October, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Garbage-truck crashes here peak in January; review collection routes for that month.
- Use the free Route Planner to score your route and spot low bridges before drivers head out.
About the data
Sources: the FMCSA crash file for all reported truck crashes and NHTSA FARS for fatal crashes with a large truck. Every statement here comes straight from those numbers.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Milwaukee
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 15 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-43 | 3 |
| I-94 | 3 |
| SR-100 | 3 |
| SR-145 | 3 |
| I-41 | 2 |
| SR-175 | 2 |
| SR-181 | 2 |
| SR-190 | 2 |
| 13th St S | 1 |
| CR-G | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Milwaukee) |
|---|---|
| I-043 | 301 |
| I-041 | 266 |
| I-094 | 140 |
| Sth 145 | 59 |
| Sth 190 | 37 |
| N Teutonia Ave | 33 |
| W Silver Spring Dr | 32 |
| Sth 181 | 31 |
Milwaukee at a glance
| Population | 563,531 |
| Land area | 96.2 sq mi |
| Density | 5,860 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 53210) | $48,217 |
| Median home value (ZIP 53210) | $171,857 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Milwaukee 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 | 234 | — | 4.5 |
| 2000s | 243 | +4% | 3.0 |
| 2010s | 177 | -27% | 2.2 |
| 2020s | 174 | -1% | 4.0 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 234 a year in the 1990s and 174 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. NHTSA counts 2.2 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 4.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Milwaukee
How many truck crashes happen in Milwaukee?
Milwaukee has had 2,177 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 1,038 people and killing 29.
When do most truck crashes happen in Milwaukee?
Truck crashes in Milwaukee peak in October, with 10.0% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in Milwaukee?
Since 2015, Milwaukee has reported 88 garbage-truck crashes, or 4.0% of its truck crashes.
How does Milwaukee compare with Wisconsin for truck crashes?
Per 100,000 residents, Milwaukee has 33.4 truck crashes a year; Wisconsin has 42.6.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Milwaukee?
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.