Salt and Ice Control Treatments by Region

Working in the ice control industry requires a keen knowledge of your area. From the streets to commercial parking lots to residential driveways, there are rules to follow regarding the type and amount of ice control treatment that may be applied.

At Arborgold, our job is ensuring seasonal businesses have the tools you need to track your clients, inventory, and location in one place. Our mobile software makes it simple to locate your next job and obtain the proper tools and chemicals for snow removal and de-icing.

Low Salt and No Salt Regions

Throughout the United States, there are states and towns which restrict the use of rock salt on the roads. While it remained the go-to option for ice removal for many years, rock salt has become a danger to wildlife and water quality in some areas.

Salt is used in the following U.S. states:

• Kansas
• Connecticut
• Illinois
• Wisconsin
• Delaware
• Indiana
• West Virginia
• Iowa
• Kentucky
• Virginia
• Missouri
• Minnesota
• Maine
• South Dakota
• Michigan
• Massachusetts
• New York
• Pennsylvania
• Washington, D.C.
• Ohio
• Maryland
• Nebraska
• New Hampshire
• Rhode Island

Some snow removal businesses may find themselves in low salt, or no-salt regions during the winter season. Companies in Oregon, for example, are banned from using rock salt as a de-icer. Fortunately, you can still do your job and keep clients happy by swapping out straight sodium chloride for a brine mixture. Other states using salt alternatives are:

• Colorado
• Idaho
• Montana
• Wyoming
• Utah

Alternatives to salt brine also include beet juice and pickle brine. Whatever your company chooses to work with, it’s important to know your limitations for various treatments.

Brine vs. Salt – What do You Need to Know

The salt vs. brine debate has been ongoing since the realization that rock salt was impacting ecosystems. Road salt doesn’t need to be painted a villain in small quantities, but in high concentrations, sodium chloride has negative effects on aquatic life and other animals.

So, what should you use on the road? This depends on where you live, the size and number of roads your team manages, and your budget.

Brine

Brine has a variety of benefits outside of a reduced chemical consistency. It also remains a liquid state, clinging to surfaces with no concern for the wind blowing it off the asphalt. Brine freezes at a lower temperature than water, reducing snow from sticking to streets, where rock salt does not.

Rock Salt

Sodium Chloride, or salt, works to melt ice more quickly and reduce the sticking of snow to roads. It does this more efficiently as the snow begins to melt, creating a brine to coat the roads. In this way, rock salt becomes brine eventually. However, due to the higher consistency of sodium chloride, a straight rock salt application is more costly and raises red flags in some communities where green ventures are concerned. Still, it is easy to obtain, and easy to apply.

Pre-treating

Brine allows a unique opportunity to pre-treat the ground before the snow arrives. Unlike salt, which is bound to blow away and make a mess before the temperature drops, brine can be applied to the surface prior to a storm day. This allows snow removal businesses to get a head start on inclement weather, reducing reaction time.

Pre-treating the road is only effective with brine, but even brine has its setbacks. Remember that if it should rain, rather than snow, brine solution may be washed away and require a second coat before, during, or after the storm.

Tracking Roads by Region

Know your roads to prepare for salt and ice control in your region. At Arborgold, we offer access to quick and convenient GPS tracking and mapping tools. This makes it simple for you to map your team’s route before they head out and follow their progress on the road. Benefits of using a tracking app include:

• Routing to avoid traffic
• Constant communication across your team
• Knowledge of where equipment is located
• Progress reports
• Safety updates

Having access to your team in motion enhances your ability to determine salt schedules, plow needs, and the type of inventory required for your de-icing schedule. Having all this information in one place, accessible from any mobile device, keeps you in the know and reduces time waste and stress over minor details.

Monitor Inventory for Proper Application

Arborgold’s field business software for salt and ice control keeps you in the know regarding your current inventory on all the products you work with.

Whether you’re looking to see how much salt is on hand, if there is enough brine made to meet your current client’s needs, or if new plow heads need to be ordered, we’ve got you covered. Update inventory in real-time, sharing it across your business through our software. This guarantees that everybody is on the same page for ordering, and product use.

By Region and By Client

It isn’t just state and city laws that may prevent you from using salt in certain regions. You could have a client who prefers one method of ice deterrent over another. Not every de-icing job is the same, which means snow removal companies need to be prepared to cater to the bespoke needs of each customer.

At Arborgold, our streamlined CRM allows you to track customer preferences, schedule applications, and even follow up via e-mail or other correspondence. You can schedule outgoing messages and invoices with ease through an automation process that frees you up for more advanced tasks.

Contact Arborgold to Learn More

Seasonal businesses have unique needs. At Arborgold, we work closely with field-based businesses across North America, including those in ice and snow removal. It’s important to us that our clients feel represented in your business software. From GPS tracking to invoicing to customer service, we’ve got your back.

Interested in learning more about Arborgold and our salt and ice control treatment business software? We invite you to take a tour and see for yourself what we can do for your team.