ZIP 98404 (Tacoma, WA) truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes around ZIP 98404: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes here and in Pierce 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
4.9 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 3.2 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Pierce County compares with Washington
Pierce County against Washington and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Pierce County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Pierce County | Washington | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 25.4 | 25.8 | 49.7 | same |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 3.2 | 3.4 | 3.4 | same |
| Injuries per crash | 0.18 | 0.18 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.6% | 2.2% | 2.3% | 29% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 2.0% | 9.7% | 6.2% | 79% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 25.5% | 24.8% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 21.5% | 20.2% | 13.8% | same |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 44.0% | 43.8% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 26.9% | 25.2% | 24.8% | same |
Pierce County sits below Washington on garbage-truck share and on snow, slush or ice.
ZIP 98404 at a glance: I-5 deadliest road: 20 fatal truck crashes within 10 miles of ZIP 98404 since 2015.
Overview
Police reported 2,807 crashes involving commercial trucks in Pierce County since 2015: 514 people were injured and 87 were killed.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly one truck crash every 2 days.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in January (9.2% of the year) and are lowest in April (7.8%).
November through March accounts for 44.0% of truck crashes here, compared with 43.8% in Washington.
By time of day, 2–3 pm stands out with 6.9% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 2.0% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Washington: 9.7%).
Where crashes happen
I-5 leads within 10 miles of ZIP 98404 with 20 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. It is followed by SR-167 (9), SR-99 (6) and SR-7 (3).
Garbage & waste trucks
44 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 1.6% share (Washington: 2.2%).
Their busiest month is June, with 14% of garbage-truck crashes.
They recorded 4.9 deaths per 100 crashes, against 3.2 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for ZIP 98404 fleets
- Review driver schedules for January, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Look at alternatives to I-5 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- For residential and commercial waste routes, look again at June schedules: garbage-truck crashes peak then.
- Check your own stops for crash hotspots and low bridges with the free Route Planner.
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 Pierce County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-5 | 20 |
| SR-167 | 9 |
| SR-99 | 6 |
| SR-7 | 3 |
| 70th Ave E | 2 |
| SR-161 | 2 |
| SR-509 | 2 |
| SR-512 | 2 |
| CR-112TH St S | 1 |
| CR-116TH St S | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Pierce County) |
|---|---|
| Sr-512*001.00 | 30 |
| Sr-167*006.00 | 19 |
| Sr-167*010.00 | 17 |
| Sr-167*007.00 | 16 |
| Sr-509*002.00 | 15 |
| Sr-167*008.00 | 14 |
| Sr-167*009.00 | 13 |
| Sr-16*001.00 | 13 |
ZIP 98404 at a glance
| Population | 35,961 |
| Density | 1,967 per sq mi |
| Median household income | $82,191 |
| Median home value | $412,540 |
| Home ownership | 69% |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Pierce 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 | 100 | — | 4.5 |
| 2000s | 147 | +47% | 5.4 |
| 2010s | 200 | +36% | 4.5 |
| 2020s | 246 | +23% | 8.0 |
From the 1990s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 100 to 246. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. NHTSA counts 7.0 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 8.0 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby ZIP codes
Questions fleets ask about ZIP 98404
How common are truck crashes in ZIP 98404?
Since 2015, 2,807 crashes involving commercial trucks were reported in Pierce County (514 injured, 87 killed).
Which road has the most fatal truck crashes in ZIP 98404?
Since 2015, I-5 has had the most fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of ZIP 98404: 20.
Which month has the most truck crashes in ZIP 98404?
Truck crashes in Pierce County peak in January, with 9.2% of the year's crashes.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in ZIP 98404?
44 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in Pierce County since 2015, 1.6% of all truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in ZIP 98404 compare with Washington?
The yearly rate is 25.4 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Pierce County, vs 25.8 for Washington.
How can I plan a safer truck route in ZIP 98404?
Paste your stops into the free CurbWaste Route Planner: it scores your route against fatal-crash locations, suggests safer alternatives and flags low bridges.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.