ZIP 71280 (Sterlington, LA) truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes around ZIP 71280: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes here and in Union Parish, 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
8 of 242 truck crashes since 2015.
Deadliest roads
How Union Parish compares with Louisiana
Union Parish against Louisiana and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Union Parish stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Union Parish | Louisiana | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 108.6 | 81.5 | 49.7 | 1.3× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 4.0 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 1.3× the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.83 | 0.77 | 0.49 | 1.1× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 3.6% | 2.2% | 2.3% | 1.6× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 0.9% | 0.8% | 6.2% | 1.2× the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 25.0% | 23.6% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 11.6% | 10.5% | 13.8% | 1.1× the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 44.6% | 40.3% | 41.9% | 1.1× the state |
| After dark | 20.5% | 23.9% | 24.8% | 14% below the state |
Union Parish has lower values than Louisiana for after dark. It runs above Louisiana on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and injuries per crash.
Union Parish at a glance: 1 in 28 crashes involve a garbage truck (8 since 2015), vs 2.2% across Louisiana.
Overview
Police reported 242 crashes involving commercial trucks in Union Parish since 2015: 204 people were injured and 10 were killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 16 days.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in January (11.6% of the year) and are lowest in May (5.4%).
The five winter months (November to March) hold 44.6% of truck crashes, against 40.3% across Louisiana.
By time of day, 9–10 am stands out with 9.1% of truck crashes.
0.9% of truck crashes here happened on snow, slush or ice, against 0.8% across Louisiana.
Where crashes happen
Within this area, US-165 had the most fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015 (4). It is followed by SR-134 (1) and SR-2 (1).
Garbage & waste trucks
Garbage and refuse trucks were involved in 8 crashes, 3.3% of the total, against 2.2% across Louisiana.
Route planning tips for ZIP 71280 fleets
- Build extra time into January routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Look at alternatives to US-165 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- Icy and snowy roads show up in 0.9% of truck crashes here, more than Louisiana; 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.
Crash reporting for 2017 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 Union Parish
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| US-165 | 4 |
| SR-134 | 1 |
| SR-2 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Union Parish) |
|---|---|
| La-15 | 58 |
| La-2 | 38 |
| La-33 | 31 |
| US-167 | 19 |
| La-143 | 18 |
| La-549 | 16 |
| US-63 | 7 |
| La-558 | 6 |
ZIP 71280 at a glance
| Population | 5,269 |
| Density | 34 per sq mi |
| Median household income | $78,531 |
| Median home value | $248,604 |
| Home ownership | 75% |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Union Parish 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 | 9 | — | 1.1 |
| 2000s | 14 | +66% | 1.5 |
| 2010s | 20 | +36% | 1.0 |
| 2020s | 21 | +5% | 1.0 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 9 a year in the 1990s and 21 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. Fatal crashes involving a large truck averaged 0.5 a year in 2016–19 and 1.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby ZIP codes
Questions fleets ask about ZIP 71280
How common are truck crashes in ZIP 71280?
242 truck crashes have been reported in Union Parish since 2015, with 10 deaths and 204 injuries.
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in ZIP 71280?
NHTSA data shows US-165 with 4 fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of ZIP 71280 since 2015, the highest of any road.
When do most truck crashes happen in ZIP 71280?
The worst month is January: 11.6% of truck crashes in Union Parish happen then.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in ZIP 71280?
8 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Union Parish since 2015, 3.3% of all truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in ZIP 71280 compare with Louisiana?
Union Parish records 108.6 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 81.5 across Louisiana.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in ZIP 71280?
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 2017; those years are greyed out and left out of rates. 2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.