ZIP 28208 (Charlotte, NC) truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes around ZIP 28208: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes here and in Mecklenburg 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
3.0 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 1.5 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Mecklenburg County compares with North Carolina
Mecklenburg County against North Carolina and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Mecklenburg County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Mecklenburg County | North Carolina | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 73.1 | 61.3 | 49.7 | 1.2× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 1.5 | 2.5 | 3.4 | 40% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.66 | 0.66 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.9% | 2.6% | 2.3% | 28% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 0.7% | 1.7% | 6.2% | 59% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 24.6% | 24.0% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 10.3% | 10.5% | 13.8% | same |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 41.0% | 41.0% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 21.4% | 20.4% | 24.8% | same |
Mecklenburg County sits below North Carolina on deaths per 100 crashes, garbage-truck share and on snow, slush or ice. It runs above North Carolina on crashes per 100k residents / yr.
ZIP 28208 at a glance: I-85 deadliest road: 16 fatal truck crashes within 10 miles of ZIP 28208 since 2015.
Overview
Since 2015, 9,717 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Mecklenburg County. They injured 6,305 people and killed 150.
In complete reporting years that works out to about 2 truck crashes a day.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in June (9.3% of the year) and are lowest in December (7.7%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 41.0% of truck crashes, against 41.0% across North Carolina.
More truck crashes happen at 8–9 am than at any other hour (7.6%).
0.7% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 1.7% across North Carolina.
Where crashes happen
The deadliest road for trucks within 10 miles of ZIP 28208 is I-85, with 16 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. Next come I-77 (15), I-485 (11) and SR-16 (4).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 187 of the truck crashes here, or 1.9%, compared with 2.6% in North Carolina.
Their busiest month is April, with 14% of garbage-truck crashes.
Deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes: 3.0, vs 1.5 for all truck crashes.
Route planning tips for ZIP 28208 fleets
- Plan June schedules with more margin; it is the worst month for truck crashes in Mecklenburg County.
- Look at alternatives to I-85 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- Waste haulers: April is the peak month for garbage-truck crashes in Mecklenburg County.
- 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.
Crash reporting for 2024 is incomplete; those years are shown in grey and not used for rates.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Mecklenburg County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-85 | 16 |
| I-77 | 15 |
| I-485 | 11 |
| SR-16 | 4 |
| US-29 | 4 |
| SR-24 | 2 |
| SR-273 | 2 |
| SR-49 | 2 |
| Steele Creek Rd | 2 |
| US-74 | 2 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Mecklenburg County) |
|---|---|
| Brookshire Blvd | 104 |
| N Tryon St | 89 |
| Wilkinson Blvd | 88 |
| Westinghouse Blvd | 79 |
| N Graham St | 77 |
| S Tryon St | 75 |
| Statesville Rd | 70 |
| Albemarle Rd | 69 |
ZIP 28208 at a glance
| Population | 40,197 |
| Density | 767 per sq mi |
| Median household income | $55,431 |
| Median home value | $253,129 |
| Home ownership | 39% |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Mecklenburg 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 | 175 | — | 7.5 |
| 2000s | 486 | +177% | 8.1 |
| 2010s | 839 | +73% | 9.7 |
| 2020s | 765 | -9% | 11.2 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 175 to 765. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 12.0 a year in 2016–19 and 11.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby ZIP codes
Questions fleets ask about ZIP 28208
How common are truck crashes in ZIP 28208?
9,717 truck crashes have been reported in Mecklenburg County since 2015, with 150 deaths and 6,305 injuries.
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in ZIP 28208?
I-85 had 16 fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of ZIP 28208 since 2015, more than any other road.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in ZIP 28208?
Truck crashes in Mecklenburg County peak in June, with 9.3% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in ZIP 28208?
187 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Mecklenburg County since 2015, 1.9% of all truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in ZIP 28208 compare with North Carolina?
Mecklenburg County records 73.1 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 61.3 across North Carolina.
How can I plan a safer truck route in ZIP 28208?
Paste your stops into the free CurbWaste Route Planner: it scores your route against fatal-crash locations, suggests safer alternatives and flags low bridges.
Crash reporting to FMCSA was incomplete in 2024; those years are greyed out and left out of rates. 2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.