Short answer
Stage salt in October, calibrate spreaders, mark hazards and hydrants, map plow routes and pile locations, and confirm your resupply plan before the first storm — not during it.
Secure the salt early
Prices rise and availability drops after the first real event, every year. Calculate the season's need, stage what you can store dry, and lock in resupply.
Equipment check
Calibrate every spreader, replace worn augers and chains, service plows, and stock the wear parts that always fail at 3 a.m.
- Calibrate walk-behind spreaders
- Replace worn chains, augers and cutting edges
- Stock spare shear pins, hoses and hydraulic fluid
- Test lights and backup alarms
Map the site
Mark hydrants, curbs, islands, drains and irrigation heads before snow hides them. Agree on pile locations that don't block sightlines, ADA spaces or drainage.
Write the plan down
Route order, trigger depths, contact numbers and service-level expectations belong in a document your whole crew has, not in one person's head.
Frequently asked
- When should I order salt for the season?
- October is ideal on Long Island. Waiting until the first forecast means competing with everyone else for the same tonnage.
- How should bulk salt be stored?
- Dry and covered on an impervious surface. Wet salt cakes, bridges in the hopper and spreads unevenly.