ZIP 36272 (Piedmont, AL) truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes around ZIP 36272: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes here and in Cherokee 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
7 of 372 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Cherokee County compares with Alabama
Cherokee County against Alabama and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Cherokee County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Cherokee County | Alabama | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 128.2 | 80.8 | 49.7 | 1.6× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 5.1 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 1.5× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.46 | 0.46 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.2% | 2.3% | 2.3% | 47% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 0.0% | 0.8% | 6.2% | 100% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 23.3% | 22.5% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 8.7% | 12.3% | 13.8% | 30% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 45.7% | 40.8% | 41.9% | 1.1× the state |
| After dark | 25.1% | 23.7% | 24.8% | same |
Cherokee County sits below Alabama on garbage-truck share, on snow, slush or ice and in rain, sleet or snow. Where it is higher: crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and winter months (nov–mar).
What stands out in Cherokee County: 0.0% share of truck crashes on snow, slush or ice (Alabama: 0.8%).
Overview
Police reported 372 crashes involving commercial trucks in Cherokee County since 2015: 167 people were injured and 18 were killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 11 days.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in March (11.0% of the year) and are lowest in July (5.1%).
November through March accounts for 45.7% of truck crashes here, compared with 40.8% in Alabama.
The busiest hour is 12–1 pm, with 8.1% of truck crashes.
0.0% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 0.8% across Alabama.
Where crashes happen
Us-Sr 74 leads within 10 miles of ZIP 36272 with 3 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. Next come CR-OLD Piedmont Hwy (1), SR-74 (1) and US-278 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage trucks account for 7 of the truck crashes here, or 1.9%, compared with 2.3% in Alabama.
Route planning tips for ZIP 36272 fleets
- Build extra time into March routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Check whether your routes use Us-Sr 74, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- 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.
Reporting to FMCSA was incomplete in 2024; rates and comparisons skip those years.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Cherokee County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| Us-Sr 74 | 3 |
| CR-OLD Piedmont Hwy | 1 |
| SR-74 | 1 |
| US-278 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Cherokee County) |
|---|---|
| Al-9 | 75 |
| US-411 | 52 |
| Al-35 | 33 |
| Al-68 | 26 |
| Chestnut Bypass | 16 |
| US-278 | 16 |
| Cr-29 | 8 |
| Cedar Bluff Road | 6 |
ZIP 36272 at a glance
| Population | 12,954 |
| Density | 16 per sq mi |
| Median household income | $51,635 |
| Median home value | $141,005 |
| Home ownership | 77% |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Cherokee 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 | 17 | — | 1.6 |
| 2000s | 24 | +45% | 0.8 |
| 2010s | 30 | +22% | 1.7 |
| 2020s | 33 | +10% | 1.6 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 17 a year in the 1990s and 33 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. NHTSA counts 1.2 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 1.6 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby ZIP codes
Questions fleets ask about ZIP 36272
How many truck accidents are there in ZIP 36272?
372 truck crashes have been reported in Cherokee County since 2015, with 18 deaths and 167 injuries.
Where do fatal truck crashes happen most in ZIP 36272?
NHTSA data shows Us-Sr 74 with 3 fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of ZIP 36272 since 2015, the highest of any road.
Which month has the most truck crashes in ZIP 36272?
March has the most truck crashes in Cherokee County, 11.0% of the yearly total.
Are garbage truck crashes common in ZIP 36272?
Garbage trucks were involved in 7 reported crashes in Cherokee County since 2015 (1.9% of truck crashes).
How do truck crashes in ZIP 36272 compare with Alabama?
Cherokee County records 128.2 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 80.8 across Alabama.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in ZIP 36272?
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.