ZIP 69138 (Gothenburg, NE) truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes around ZIP 69138: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes here and in Dawson 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
2 of 501 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Dawson County compares with Nebraska
Dawson County against Nebraska and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Dawson County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Dawson County | Nebraska | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 168.1 | 60.7 | 49.7 | 2.8× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 4.4 | 4.8 | 3.4 | 8% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.60 | 0.57 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 0.4% | 1.8% | 2.3% | 76% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 20.0% | 16.7% | 6.2% | 1.2× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 18.7% | 22.4% | 23.7% | 17% below the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 15.4% | 20.4% | 13.8% | 24% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 42.5% | 42.7% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 29.5% | 24.5% | 24.8% | 1.2× the state |
Dawson County has lower values than Nebraska for deaths per 100 crashes, garbage-truck share and morning rush (6–10 am). Where it is higher: crashes per 100k residents / yr, on snow, slush or ice and after dark.
What stands out in Dawson County: 1 in 227 of truck crashes here involve garbage trucks: 0.4%, vs 1.8% in Nebraska.
Overview
Police reported 501 crashes involving commercial trucks in Dawson County since 2015: 298 people were injured and 21 were killed.
That averages about one truck crash every 9 days in fully reported years.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in July (10.8% of the year) and are lowest in April (5.6%).
November through March accounts for 42.5% of truck crashes here, compared with 42.7% in Nebraska.
The busiest hour is 10–11 am, with 7.9% of truck crashes.
20.0% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 16.7% across Nebraska.
Where crashes happen
Since 2015, fatal crashes with a large truck within 10 miles of ZIP 69138 happened on I-80 (2); no road leads clearly.
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 2 crashes, 0.4% of the total, against 1.8% across Nebraska.
Route planning tips for ZIP 69138 fleets
- Build extra time into July routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Icy and snowy roads show up in 20.0% of truck crashes here, more than Nebraska; schedule winter checks early.
- Use the free Route Planner to score your route and spot low bridges before drivers head out.
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 Dawson County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-80 | 2 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Dawson County) |
|---|---|
| I-80 | 168 |
| US-283 | 8 |
| US-30 | 5 |
| 080 /237.020/I80 W Of Us283-S Of Lexington | 4 |
| 080 /252.320/I80 E Of Cr 446-Se Of Overton | 4 |
| 080 /254.980/I80 E Of Cr 450-Se Of Overton | 4 |
| Marker 233, I- 80 | 4 |
| Plum Creek Pkwy | 4 |
ZIP 69138 at a glance
| Population | 4,316 |
| Density | 5 per sq mi |
| Median household income | $77,604 |
| Median home value | $197,510 |
| Home ownership | 74% |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Dawson 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 | 40 | — | 1.7 |
| 2000s | 35 | -12% | 0.9 |
| 2010s | 36 | +3% | 1.5 |
| 2020s | 45 | +25% | 1.0 |
In the 1990s about 40 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 45. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 1.2 a year in 2016–19 and 1.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby ZIP codes
Questions fleets ask about ZIP 69138
How common are truck crashes in ZIP 69138?
Since 2015, 501 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Dawson County (298 injured, 21 killed).
When do most truck crashes happen in ZIP 69138?
The worst month is July: 10.8% of truck crashes in Dawson County happen then.
Are garbage truck crashes common in ZIP 69138?
Garbage trucks were involved in 2 reported crashes in Dawson County since 2015 (0.4% of truck crashes).
What is the truck crash rate in ZIP 69138 compared with Nebraska?
Per 100,000 residents, Dawson County has 168.1 truck crashes a year; Nebraska has 60.7.
How can I plan a safer truck route in ZIP 69138?
Use the free Route Planner: enter your stops to get a risk score, safer alternatives and the low bridges on your route.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.