# When to salt?



## JMHConstruction (Aug 22, 2011)

The title is more to just get your attention. I have a slightly dumb question, that I've been thinking about. Being knew to salting, I thought I'd ask you guys.

Do you guys do your plow route, then go back and start salting? Or do you salt each lot after it's plowed?

What I'm debating here is, I don't plow most of the lots I'm salting, and some are larger lots that will require multiple loads. So I thought it would be better to get the snow completely removed, then go back and get the salt down. This would also give the other plow gets time to get the other lots cleared.

However, one lot I'm plowing will take me about ~4ish hours to complete. What is too long to wait to put salt down, and keep everyone happy? I'm sure if I'm wrong the contractor will *****, and I'll be able to correct it. I'll also be overloaded with a full hopper, so it would be better on the truck to only fill the spreader when I'm able to empty it pretty quickly.

Just curious how you guys that don't have dedicated salt trucks do it.


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## Mr.Markus (Jan 7, 2010)

I'm just a 1 man operation, I do everything in one trip.Plow, then salt. Onto the next site...backtracking cost time,fuel,wear and tear. Every minute counts, Ive always done it this way and it works for me.


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## JMHConstruction (Aug 22, 2011)

Mr.Markus said:


> I'm just a 1 man operation, I do everything in one trip.Plow, then salt. Onto the next site...backtracking cost time,fuel,wear and tear. Every minute counts, Ive always done it this way and it works for me.


Do you just fill up as needed before driving to plow the next site?


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## leolkfrm (Mar 11, 2010)

salt after plowing, it can be slippery after the snow is removed, also salt will help hold the lot if it flurries


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## Mr.Markus (Jan 7, 2010)

JMHConstruction said:


> Do you just fill up as needed before driving to plow the next site?


Yes, and again part way through, and back to the shed at the end to empty out any extra.


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## iceyman (Mar 1, 2007)

Unless its a bigger storm and were plowing multiple times we usually salt after clearing the lot.


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## Randall Ave (Oct 29, 2014)

Could depend on the site. If it's closed, wait. Here the little food, and liquor stores are open. And there's always someone out.


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## John_DeereGreen (Jan 2, 2011)

If it's a night time plow, we try to get salt down as soon after plowing as possible. Helps get as clean as possible, and helps hold the lot from re covering if anow starts back up. Daytime events, we just spread enough to keep hard pack from forming.


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## rick W (Dec 17, 2015)

Boss makes a great new cube product you should consider. 

Funny. Anyway we have several pieces of equip out and it really depends on the timing, and weather. Where we live there are times after plowing...the lot starts to melt on its own, when colder and just plowed it flash freezes and is a skating rink in minutes and you cant even walk across without wiping out. The salter truck plows some smaller lots and salts right after so they are done, and we talk on radios and when we are 3/4 done the bigger lots he is advised so he can line up a full load of salt and the timing. Works for us but every site is diff due to weather, timing of their shifts coming in and unique things..like one of out sites is huge with a large flat roof and fields around. We can plow it perfectly but if 4 hours till plant start...we wait as the wind blows a lot off roof and in an hour the front parking lot will have 1 inch of snow just from the blowing. We wait so we can clear that part off just before open and then poor the salt down. Live and learn and adapt. Kind of fun making the battle plans and calling in the salt strikes.


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## framer1901 (Dec 18, 2005)

Salt right after plowing, unless the air temp is rising, right after plowing is the warmest the pavement will be - salt will work faster. 

The four hour to plow parking lot is the one I'd be scared of, I'd salt as you go as long as the weather worked with you and you know it won't more than once this year.

Most of us at some point have been that one man do it all show - it sucks. It's very hard to get to the next level for a few reasons - one being your service will suffer and customers will only remember the bad nights.

I don't care who you are, a truck with a bed spreader will never plow as effectively as one without - buy a piece of junk truck and put the spreader in it, maybe even put a plow on it for those bad nights - you'll be money ahead three years from now.


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## Mr.Markus (Jan 7, 2010)

Wait... There's another level?


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## JMHConstruction (Aug 22, 2011)

Thanks guys.

I couldn't for the life of me remember if the guys with spreaders in their plow trucks hit the lots right after, or came back. Sounds like right after is definitely the better way.

The big lot I'm plowing is 24 hrs, but only has employees, so no foot traffic until shift changes. I'm sure if I need to I can open drive lanes, then salt one of the lots I'm not plowing when it's done (they're all real close to one another). 

Snow is so hard to plan for anyway, so I'm sure I'll just figure it out as I go. And if the temps stay in the 70s, I won't have to worry about snow:realmad:


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## MSsnowplowing (Nov 1, 2012)

framer1901 said:


> I don't care who you are, a truck with a bed spreader will never plow as effectively as one without - buy a piece of junk truck and put the spreader in it, maybe even put a plow on it for those bad nights - you'll be money ahead three years from now.


I'm curious as to why you think a truck plows better without a sander.

As for the OP's question, 
I have 3 trucks with sanders and 4 without.
If the storm is done and the place is cleared by the truck with the sander, it gets sanded.

Other places we go and sand them after the other trucks have cleared them.

We fill our sanders half way for better traction and spot sanding if needed during the storm -(like a hill location, spot sand it even during a storm to give people a some extraction traction)

I don't like driving around with a full load in the sander while plowing but half a load is great and in most cases don't even have to use 4wd while plowing.


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## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

I love to be able to plow then salt immediately, unfortunately it doesn't work on most of my routes. 

Plow/salt trucks aren't as efficient as a skidsteer/tractor/loader for plowing. Some accounts just aren't possible to plow efficiently with a combo.

When possible, we salt as soon as possible upon finishing plowing operations.


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## LapeerLandscape (Dec 29, 2012)

Mark Oomkes said:


> I love to be able to plow then salt immediately, unfortunately it doesn't work on most of my routes.
> 
> Plow/salt trucks aren't as efficient as a skidsteer/ w/a Boss Cube System
> .


Fixed your spelling error.


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## MSsnowplowing (Nov 1, 2012)

Mark Oomkes said:


> I love to be able to plow then salt immediately, unfortunately it doesn't work on most of my routes.
> 
> Plow/salt trucks aren't as efficient as a skidsteer/tractor/loader for plowing. Some accounts just aren't possible to plow efficiently with a combo.
> 
> When possible, we salt as soon as possible upon finishing plowing operations.


He didn't say anything about skidsteer/tractor or loader.

He said "I don't care who you are, a truck with a bed spreader will never plow as effectively as one without"


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## JMHConstruction (Aug 22, 2011)

I assume he's talking about speed, viability, and maneuverability. Can't plow as quickly with 4k# in the bed, can't see as well with a spreader taking up your back window, and the truck is now a little longer because of the added spreader length.

Just how I took it, i guess


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## MSsnowplowing (Nov 1, 2012)

JMHConstruction said:


> I assume he's talking about speed, viability, and maneuverability. Can't plow as quickly with 4k# in the bed, can't see as well with a spreader taking up your back window, and the truck is now a little longer because of the added spreader length.
> 
> Just how I took it, i guess


I can see the lowering visitiblity because you can't see out your rear window but all the rest I never had any issues with.

Of course I am running a f350 I can see that happening if your trying to use a full size sander with a smaller truck


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## Robinson_Cnst (Jan 4, 2013)

If your only truck with a salter is dedicated to a 4 hr push it may be time to add a piece of equipment or move some things around


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## JMHConstruction (Aug 22, 2011)

Robinson_Cnst said:


> If your only truck with a salter is dedicated to a 4 hr push it may be time to add a piece of equipment or move some things around


I just do what I'm told. I'm a sub, and I completely agree with you. Honestly I can't for the life of me figure out why they don't have something with a pusher at that site.


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## Luther (Oct 31, 2007)

framer1901 said:


> Salt right after plowing, unless the air temp is rising, right after plowing is the warmest the pavement will be - salt will work faster.
> 
> I don't care who you are, a truck with a bed spreader will never plow as effectively as one without - .


Unfortunately a lot of misinformation here.


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## framer1901 (Dec 18, 2005)

MSsnowplowing said:


> I can see the lowering visitiblity because you can't see out your rear window but all the rest I never had any issues with.
> 
> Of course I am running a f350 I can see that happening if your trying to use a full size sander with a smaller truck


Visibility is a huge one - I can back up way faster looking over my shoulder verses in the mirrors. I lose sleep over the thought of light poles and spreader trucks in the same parking lot. Add a back blade and you'll do almost twice the work. The odds of running into something are way less, the stress level is way lower looking over your shoulder.

We only use oversprung F350's and carrying 4k in the bed verses what 1500# back blade I think is huge on the wear and tear on the trucks.

We run one truck with a 1.5 or 2cy spreader - 80% of it's night is driving forward only plowing roads, way more efficient for us. We have a dedicated 7cy truck for lot salting, it does have a plow on it to help out.


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## framer1901 (Dec 18, 2005)

Luther said:


> Unfortunately a lot of misinformation here.


Really?


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## MSsnowplowing (Nov 1, 2012)

framer1901 said:


> Visibility is a huge one - I can back up way faster looking over my shoulder verses in the mirrors. I lose sleep over the thought of light poles and spreader trucks in the same parking lot. Add a back blade and you'll do almost twice the work. The odds of running into something are way less, the stress level is way lower looking over your shoulder.
> 
> We only use oversprung F350's and carrying 4k in the bed verses what 1500# back blade I think is huge on the wear and tear on the trucks.
> 
> We run one truck with a 1.5 or 2cy spreader - 80% of it's night is driving forward only plowing roads, way more efficient for us. We have a dedicated 7cy truck for lot salting, it does have a plow on it to help out.


I back up just as fast using my mirrors as I do looking over my shoulder when there is no sander in the back.

A good back up camera does wonders also, haven't got one yet but I know guys that use them and they work really well.

My wifes suv has one and it even beeps at you if you get too close to something, front and back. That would not be good for plowing, thing would burn out the buzzer stacking snow and drive you crazy.


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