Effective strategies for stretching salt supply

Salt availability is scarce and prices are through the roof—what’s your contingency plan? Check out these tips for making the best of a bad situation:

Operational adjustments

• Maximum Mechanical Removal: Don’t get lazy with the blades. The cleaner you scrape, the less chemical you need to burn off the leftovers.

• Beware of the Beach: It’s not ideal but sometimes a reality check means stretching supply by adding sand or grit to the hopper. It won’t help the melting process but it’ll provide traction—just remember there are cleanup costs and environmental concerns involved here.

• Pre-Season (and Mid-Season) Calibration: If you haven’t calibrated your spreaders lately, you could be throwing money away. Ensure your crews know exactly how much product is hitting the ground so nothing is wasted.

• Pre-Wetting: Treating your rock salt with a liquid deicer as it leaves the spreader reduces wasted product from bounce and scatter.

• Anti-Icing: Applying brine before the storm prevents the bond. It’s the most efficient use of chemical possible, often cutting total salt usage by 25% to 60%. It might be too late to make the switch now, but it’s worth a look for the coming season.

Train the team

• The "Why" Matters: Explain the shortage to the crew and why strictly adhering to application rates matters.

• Standard Procedures: Give them a clear playbook for shortage conditions. When does the sand/salt mix come out? When do levels of service and scope of work get dialed back? Make those calls for them so they aren't guessing in the field.

Set client expectations early

• Scope Realities: Sit down with your customers now. Explain that during a supply crunch, you’re going to prioritize high-traffic "must-haves," including emergency access and higher slip-and-fall risk areas. Work with the client to identify areas where scope can be reduced in the short-term (e.g., identifying lesser used parking areas that could be blocked off).

• The "Over-Salting" Myth: Educate them that more salt doesn't always mean more safety. It’s about the right amount at the right time.

• Alternative Plans: Have a signed agreement on what happens when the salt runs out—whether that’s switching to sand for traction or focusing solely on mechanical clearing (plowing and scraping).

Data is your best defense

• Log Everything: When you’re cutting back on salt due to a shortage, your documentation has to be bulletproof. Document every bag, every ton, every site visit. Note the pavement temps and why you applied the amount you did.

• Due Diligence: Solid records show you acted professionally and did the best job possible with the materials available.