Have you thought about adding liquids to your snow operations? It can be a little daunting but the overall benefit far outweighs the learning curve.

A number of years ago, I attended a SnowEx seminar by Daniel Gilliland. He is a pioneer in bringing liquids to the forefront in Ontario. I learned so much through his presentation and I want to share what I learned with you. 

There are four main reasons to use liquid strategies for Snow and Ice Control:

• Improve safety outcomes
• Reduce the environmental impact/property damage and the amount of chlorides going into the environment.
• Drastically reduce your materials, especially if you make your own salt brine.
• Using liquids to anti-ice prevents snow and ice from bonding to the pavement which results in a significant reduction to post-storm labour, equipment, and material clean up costs.

Did You Know?

• Slip & Fall claims related to winter maintenance account for more lawsuits than in any other sector except auto accidents.
• Nationw...

One of the best ways to ensure winter success is to plan ahead regarding your fleet needs.

Your relationship with your suppliers will play a key role in this. You can help them out by getting your equipment ordered early and/or getting your existing equipment scheduled for service before the forecast is calling for snow. Setting up a system where they can call you when they have some time and they know what equipment needs servicing is a small thing that can make a huge impact.

I highly recommend working with local suppliers for ordering and delivery of trucks, equipment and small machinery. I would also choose a supplier that allows you to standardize the equipment you’re using, making it easier for budgeting and repairs. If you’re using all the same equipment (ie, same type of plow), you can order parts that will work for all of the pieces. You can also identify when an issue is a manufacturer’s defect rather than just a one-off. For example, if you use one type of plow and they al...