# Bulk loading in the bed?



## mrwolf (Aug 4, 2011)

I can get bulk here in Indy for about 1/3 the price of bags and I am a one man show. I thought about getting one of those poly water tanks that is about 4x4' square to put in the bed and load my snowex 1075 from that with a shovel? I can get through an event with one ton and the one ton would easily fit in the 275gal poly tank.

I was just gonna cut the top off and make a lid. I have never bought bulk but I assume they can load it with a front end loader? If my source has a 1yd bucket available this should work.

What do you guys think? This would take my salt profit from about $300 to $450 per event.

Z


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## peterng (Apr 13, 2006)

Wolf,

They would have to have a pretty narrow bucket or a side dump bucket to load with otherwise it'd be messy wouldn't it ?

Great notion though.
Pete


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## dlocke (Jan 27, 2010)

I have a guy that comes in with a tote a few times a year. We just load the corner of the bucket and dump in multiple times. No problem. We r in Bargersville.


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## mrwolf (Aug 4, 2011)

What is your price per ton? Shoot me some contact info, would love to give my business to you. Thanks for the tip!

Z


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## peterng (Apr 13, 2006)

yessir, glad I followed this thread that's a good notion indeed.
Thanks,
Pete


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## Tbrothers (Dec 30, 2009)

you could have them load it on the ground and then use a fork lift to put it back in your truck. Or load the corner of the bucket but you will get some in your truck. I've loaded square tubs to heavy cardboard boxes for customers. This year it seem everyone wants salt in a big super sack.


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## JD Dave (Mar 20, 2007)

Why not just buy a V box.


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## EdNewman (Jan 27, 2004)

Played around with that last year. Bought some 1 yard poly tubs. Need to load on ground then put in with a forklift. Not a huge fan. Switched bag to blend in a bag by the end of season.


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## greywynd (Dec 13, 2008)

I'd either be getting a v-box, or consider the big supersacks instead, I would think that digging out of a large tote would be a pain reaching over the sides all the time.


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## V_Scapes (Jan 1, 2011)

Do you know anyone with a mason dump? why not have them go get it for you and dump it off at your yard.


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## forbidden (Dec 22, 2010)

Go get yourself a whole pile of 5 gallon pails. Load them up at the yard and no spilled material to pay for. Load the pails into the truck and you have ballast and product to refill the spreader. Pails are a cheap one time investment that would work great in this application. No point in paying for spillage that you may not recover out of the back of the truck or paying for totes too heavy to lift.


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## Philbilly2 (Aug 25, 2007)

JD Dave;1385603 said:


> Why not just buy a V box.


couldn't have said it better myself.


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## mrwolf (Aug 4, 2011)

Good thoughts all around. I would love to buy a Vbox and probably will after this season (my first one 

I had not thought of reaching over the sides of the container, that will get old! A ton of salt would be like 35 buckets I think?That is an awful lot of work.

think I will use a big container and shift to a Vbox next year. I assume the bulk loads right into the Vbox??

Thanks all!

Z


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## Tbrothers (Dec 30, 2009)

$35 a ton is really cheap! Maybe 6 years ago.


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## forbidden (Dec 22, 2010)

It is less work to pick up the bucket once to put it in the back of the truck and then again to dump it into the spreader vs. sitting in the back shovelling it into the hopper. Especially if it is snowing or sleeting. You would be done in far shorter a period of time. Bulk will indeed load into a v-box.


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## xtreem3d (Nov 26, 2005)

forbidden;1389240 said:


> Go get yourself a whole pile of 5 gallon pails. Load them up at the yard and no spilled material to pay for. Load the pails into the truck and you have ballast and product to refill the spreader. Pails are a cheap one time investment that would work great in this application. No point in paying for spillage that you may not recover out of the back of the truck or paying for totes too heavy to lift.


That' what some guys around here do who can't justify a v-box


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## terrapro (Oct 21, 2006)

mrwolf;1389751 said:


> Good thoughts all around. I would love to buy a Vbox and probably will after this season (my first one
> 
> I had not thought of reaching over the sides of the container, that will get old! A ton of salt would be like *35 buckets *I think?That is an awful lot of work.
> 
> ...





Tbrothers;1389758 said:


> $35 a ton is really cheap! Maybe 6 years ago.


LOL he said 35 buckets not 35 bucks :waving:


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## monson770 (Dec 18, 2010)

you could also build a box, within your bed, out of wood, or fiberglass.. unless of course you don't have anything to covor your bed with.. i suppose you could build a top with maybe a hinge so you can flip it open when you need access and flip it closed when your driving.. make it sturdy enough to lift off of your truck when your getting filled up though if you go that route..


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## Kwise (Sep 24, 2009)

I recently had the same thoughts. I just finished building a plywood box about 6ft long, 4ft wide, and 2ft tall. The back has two removable panels to take out as the salt level lowers as to make it easier to shovel into my tailgate spreader. The top is double hinged so I can open only the back half if needed, then both halves fold up against the truck to divert salt in when a loader dumps it. To avoid spillage, I hold a scoop shovel against the back of the box as the salt is dumped in, as the loader bucket is just over 6ft wide. I crowned the top of the box with a curved piece of aluminum screwed underneath so water runs off the top and not between the splice. It also makes it stronger so the weight of snow sitting on top doesn't make it sag.

I don't spread enough salt to justify a vbox, but I will save a lot of money on salt, plus I still have good rear visibility. I also installed a 80lb vibrator on my spreader so it would flow.


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## bosworth (Oct 30, 2009)

some good ideas here, thanks for sharing...

bosworth


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## Philbilly2 (Aug 25, 2007)

I just want to prepare you guys for the headaches you are going to indure this season. 


Bulk salt freezes. When you load that bulk salt into that box, the slightest bit of condensation in the air, or snow in the bucket of the skidloader, or snow falling will activate that salt. The salt will start to melt, creating more moisture within that box. 

Then, as all guys who have used bulk salt before can contest to this, the temp will drop fast on you at least a few times in a season. When the temp drops, the salt that has been activated will freeze. At this exact point, I think you will decide why people don't do this.

Maybe I am wrong... I truly hope that I am, but I would advise you guys to keep something besides a shovel in your truck for busting up your salt. Like a homebar, or a pick.


Also have you checked to see if bulk salt will flow through your salter? many tailgate spreaders will get jammed with bulk as it is bigger pellets and it clumps alot!


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## Kwise (Sep 24, 2009)

I have dealt with bulk in a similar way before, I have never had it freeze up. My supplier must keep it drier than others, or the fact the truck is garaged may help, but I'm not concerned with that. Actually I think it is the moisture and the salt fines that is why it doesn't flow through tailgate spreaders, but I have installed a vibrator to remedy that problem.


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## peterng (Apr 13, 2006)

nice looking job kwise


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## Kwise (Sep 24, 2009)

Philbilly2;1390884 said:


> I just want to prepare you guys for the headaches you are going to indure this season.
> 
> Bulk salt freezes. When you load that bulk salt into that box, the slightest bit of condensation in the air, or snow in the bucket of the skidloader, or snow falling will activate that salt. The salt will start to melt, creating more moisture within that box.
> 
> ...


How is that box different from a having it in a vbox? Or do you think salt will also freeze up in a vbox?


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## ohiogreenworks (May 31, 2009)

Salt can and will freeze in vboxes, especially if left overnight or uncovered. Typically you do not want to leave salt in any kind of spreading equipment if there is a chance it will freeze. If you have a heated shop or garage and can control the temp of your salt, you may be ok. Good looking box idea tho, if you can keep it from freezing should work out well and be way cheaper than a vbox


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## Philbilly2 (Aug 25, 2007)

Kwise;1391961 said:


> How is that box different from a having it in a vbox? Or do you think salt will also freeze up in a vbox?


Oh yeah, it freezes in v-boxes too. If you ever talk to somenone who has had a load freeze, they will tell you that it is a b*tch. Be ready with a bosch roatry hammer!


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## Wayne Volz (Mar 1, 2002)

*Use bags until you get a 7550*

I would suggest you use bags until you can get a 7550 or larger V-Maxx spreader.

The time spent utilizing something other than bags, going after the material, shoveling the material out, and then CLOGGING up your discharge due to the varying sizes of bulk salt, USE BAGGED MATERIEL.

The money you save trying to buy and use a cheaper product, is eaten up in all the above overhead. PS your 1075 is not designed for bulk material flow.

That's my .02 worth.


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## Lasher66 (Sep 28, 2002)

Wayne Volz;1393745 said:


> I would suggest you use bags until you can get a 7550 or larger V-Maxx spreader.
> 
> The time spent utilizing something other than bags, going after the material, shoveling the material out, and then CLOGGING up your discharge due to the varying sizes of bulk salt, USE BAGGED MATERIEL.
> 
> ...


If you go to snowex web site, the 1075 is listed to run bulk salt as long as a vibrator is installed. I have the same setup with no probs so far. The vibrator is a must though. If I turn off virbrator, salt stops flowing. Also, so far I had no salt freeze ups yet, but we havent had any real cold weather yet. I think in a box that big, if anything froze it would just be the outer layer. Just like if you have a pile of salt outside, usually the outer layer will form a hard shell over it. I try to watch the weather so I can get my box filled a day or two before an event so its not sitting for to long. Shoveling salt is no big deal. I find it easier than dumping 80 bags per event with less garbage afterwards.


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## Kwise (Sep 24, 2009)

Lasher66;1394287 said:


> If you go to snowex web site, the 1075 is listed to run bulk salt as long as a vibrator is installed. I have the same setup with no probs so far. The vibrator is a must though. If I turn off virbrator, salt stops flowing. Also, so far I had no salt freeze ups yet, but we havent had any real cold weather yet. I think in a box that big, if anything froze it would just be the outer layer. Just like if you have a pile of salt outside, usually the outer layer will form a hard shell over it. I try to watch the weather so I can get my box filled a day or two before an event so its not sitting for to long. Shoveling salt is no big deal. I find it easier than dumping 80 bags per event with less garbage afterwards.


I'm with you. To me it's actually less work than bagged, simply dumped in, scoop shoveled out, without hundreds of bags leftover. No arranging bags all the time. It all depends on how someone is set up. For me it works.


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