Millions of pounds of salt is wasted every winter because DOTs, local agencies and their operators don’t understand the bounce and scatter problem. In a nutshell, there are three things that work together to make salt bounce and scatter a massive waste:

 

First, salt that bounces onto the shoulder and in the ditch is useless. If it's not in the travel lane, it's a complete waste of time, material, and tax dollars!

 

Second, the performance of the salt that remains in the travel lane is greatly diminished because it dilutes quickly. Less salt on the road means more frequent application and even more waste! 

 

Third, all the extra salt that's put down (twice as much as necessary in some cases!) accelerates vehicle and infrastructure corrosion and increases chlorides in nearby lakes and streams -- forever. The total impact is hard to quantify, but it's huge.

 

Speed Wastes Salt – The Proof is in the Numbers

This training summarizes two years of salt distribution research conducted by the Michigan Department of Transportation and highlights what it means to a single operator of a single salt truck.  At 10 minutes, this training is perfect for everyone at your agency.