ZIP 68440 (Steele City, NE) truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes around ZIP 68440: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes here and in Jefferson 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
0 of 29 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Jefferson County compares with Nebraska
Jefferson County against Nebraska and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Jefferson County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Jefferson County | Nebraska | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 36.9 | 60.7 | 49.7 | 39% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 13.8 | 4.8 | 3.4 | 2.9× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.83 | 0.57 | 0.49 | 1.5× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 0.0% | 1.8% | 2.3% | 100% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 17.2% | 16.7% | 6.2% | same |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 17.2% | 22.4% | 23.7% | 23% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 31.0% | 20.4% | 13.8% | 1.5× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 58.6% | 42.7% | 41.9% | 1.4× the state |
| After dark | 13.8% | 24.5% | 24.8% | 44% below the state |
Compared with Nebraska, Jefferson County is lower on crashes per 100k residents / yr, garbage-truck share and morning rush (6–10 am). Where it is higher: deaths per 100 crashes, injuries per crash and in rain, sleet or snow.
Jefferson County at a glance: 13.8 deaths for every 100 truck crashes, against 4.8 across Nebraska.
Overview
Jefferson County has recorded 29 truck crashes since 2015, with 24 people injured and 4 killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 138 days.
When crashes happen
The worst month is January with 17.2% of truck crashes; the quietest is June at 0.0%.
November through March accounts for 58.6% of truck crashes here, compared with 42.7% in Nebraska.
More truck crashes happen at 2–3 pm than at any other hour (14.8%).
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 17.2% of truck crashes, compared with 16.7% in Nebraska.
Where crashes happen
Since 2015, fatal crashes with a large truck within 10 miles of ZIP 68440 happened on SR-136 (1); no road leads clearly.
Garbage & waste trucks
Since 2015, no garbage-truck crashes were reported for Jefferson County.
Route planning tips for ZIP 68440 fleets
- Build extra time into January routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Paste your stops into the free Route Planner to see the risk score, safer alternatives and low bridges.
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 Jefferson County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| SR-136 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Jefferson County) |
|---|---|
| 015 /19.130/N15 & 721St Rd-N Of Fairbury | 2 |
| 136 /150.880/14Th St(Us136) & "K" St(N15) | 2 |
| 136 /161.340/Us136 & 578Th Ave-W Of Harbine | 2 |
| SR-41 | 2 |
| 004 /138.540/N4 & 573Rd Ave-W Of Plymouth | 1 |
| 008 /41.160/N8 E Of 561St Ave-E Of Reynolds | 1 |
| 008 /62.600/N8 & S48A-N Of Steele City | 1 |
| 008 /66.910/N8 E Of N103-E Of Steele City | 1 |
ZIP 68440 at a glance
| Population | 109 |
| Density | 2 per sq mi |
| Home ownership | 83% |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Jefferson 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 | 4 | — | 0.3 |
| 2000s | 4 | +2% | 0.3 |
| 2010s | 4 | -2% | 0.3 |
| 2020s | 1 | -75% | 0.2 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 4 to 1. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. Fatal large-truck crashes: 0.8 a year in 2016–19, 0.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby ZIP codes
Questions fleets ask about ZIP 68440
How many truck crashes happen in ZIP 68440?
Since 2015, 29 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Jefferson County (24 injured, 4 killed).
When do most truck crashes happen in ZIP 68440?
Truck crashes in Jefferson County peak in January, with 17.2% of the year's crashes.
Are garbage truck crashes common in ZIP 68440?
Since 2015, Jefferson County has reported 0 garbage-truck crashes, or 0.0% of its truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in ZIP 68440 compared with Nebraska?
Per 100,000 residents, Jefferson County has 36.9 truck crashes a year; Nebraska has 60.7.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in ZIP 68440?
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.