ZIP 04448 (Howland, ME) truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes around ZIP 04448: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes here and in Penobscot County, 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
6.1 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 1.4 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Penobscot County compares with Maine
Penobscot County against Maine and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Penobscot County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Penobscot County | Maine | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 59.0 | 57.4 | 49.7 | same |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 1.4 | 2.6 | 3.4 | 46% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.73 | 0.58 | 0.49 | 1.3× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 3.2% | 3.4% | 2.3% | same |
| On snow, slush or ice | 24.9% | 20.2% | 6.2% | 1.2× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 25.1% | 26.5% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 23.5% | 20.8% | 13.8% | 1.1× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 51.8% | 48.2% | 41.9% | 1.1× the state |
| After dark | 23.5% | 19.1% | 24.8% | 1.2× the state |
Penobscot County sits below Maine on deaths per 100 crashes. It runs above Maine on injuries per crash, on snow, slush or ice and in rain, sleet or snow.
The headline for Penobscot County: March is the peak month for garbage-truck crashes: 24% of them.
Overview
Police reported 1,066 crashes involving commercial trucks in Penobscot County since 2015: 771 people were injured and 15 were killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 4 days.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in February (12.9% of the year) and are lowest in May (6.3%).
November through March accounts for 51.8% of truck crashes here, compared with 48.2% in Maine.
The busiest hour is 12–1 pm, with 8.6% of truck crashes.
24.9% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 20.2% across Maine.
Where crashes happen
Fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of ZIP 04448 since 2015 were spread across roads: Paddy Hill Rd (1) and SR-116 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 37 of the truck crashes here, or 3.5%, compared with 3.4% in Maine.
Garbage-truck crashes peak in March (24% of them).
Deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes: 6.1, vs 1.4 for all truck crashes.
Route planning tips for ZIP 04448 fleets
- Review driver schedules for February, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Garbage-truck crashes here peak in March; review collection routes for that month.
- 24.9% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice, above Maine; plan winter equipment checks before the season.
- Paste your stops into the free Route Planner to see the risk score, safer alternatives and low bridges.
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 Penobscot County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| Paddy Hill Rd | 1 |
| SR-116 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Penobscot County) |
|---|---|
| I-95 | 417 |
| Main Rd | 49 |
| Broadway | 24 |
| Main St | 23 |
| Hammond St | 16 |
| Parking Lot | 14 |
| Western Av | 14 |
| Airline Rd | 13 |
ZIP 04448 at a glance
| Population | 1,540 |
| Density | 6 per sq mi |
| Median household income | $54,750 |
| Median home value | $136,060 |
| Home ownership | 80% |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Penobscot 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 | 77 | — | 2.4 |
| 2000s | 87 | +13% | 2.3 |
| 2010s | 89 | +2% | 1.3 |
| 2020s | 89 | +1% | 1.0 |
In the 1990s about 77 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 89. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. Fatal large-truck crashes: 1.0 a year in 2016–19, 1.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby ZIP codes
Questions fleets ask about ZIP 04448
How many truck accidents are there in ZIP 04448?
Penobscot County has had 1,066 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 771 people and killing 15.
When do most truck crashes happen in ZIP 04448?
February has the most truck crashes in Penobscot County, 12.9% of the yearly total.
Are garbage truck crashes common in ZIP 04448?
Since 2015, Penobscot County has reported 37 garbage-truck crashes, or 3.5% of its truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in ZIP 04448 compared with Maine?
Penobscot County records 59.0 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 57.4 across Maine.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in ZIP 04448?
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.