WALKER, Mich. — With two-thirds of winter behind us and potentially more cold weather ahead, road authorities and commercial contractors face different realities when it comes to salt supplies across West Michigan.
Kent County Road Commission Managing Director Jerry Byrne says his agency is "comfortable" with current salt levels. He tells me they have about one-third left of supply they started with, and one-third of winter remains. However, he acknowledges a concerning reality: the critical dock in Muskegon is nearly empty.
"There is no back stock," Byrne explained. "Any additional salt we're going to get out of Detroit. So there's more trucking involved." Instead of receiving three truckloads daily from Muskegon, the county will get just one load from Detroit – a significant logistical challenge that could affect response times during severe weather events.
The county has already begun contingency planning by contracting with private liquid applicators who can deliver 9,000 gallons at a time. This liquid capability provides a crucial backup, especially given storage limitations for large quantities of liquid de-icer.
Commercial Contractors Face Severe Shortages
While public agencies maintain adequate supplies, commercial snow contractors tell a dramatically different story. Jon Geer, maintenance and sales director at Alfresco Landscapes, reports that granular salt prices have skyrocketed from $88 per ton in July to as high as $225 per ton now.
"There is none in a five-state radius," Geer said. "If you want it, it would have to come by rail, and I don't know any commercial contractor that's willing to pay the delivery cost."
The shortage has forced some contractors to resort to purchasing bag salt from retail stores like Home Depot and Meijer, emptying the bags into their commercial spreaders – an expensive and inefficient solution.
Public vs. Private: A Tale of Two Systems
The disparity stems from how salt allocation works. Municipalities and road commissions team up to secure large contracts requiring suppliers to guarantee delivery of 80% of contracted amounts, with suppliers committed to serving public safety needs first.
"They have to take care of their biggest customer," Byrne noted. "They're not going to short the Kent County Road commission, a 50,000-ton customer, to somebody that may buy 500."
This system prioritizes public roads – highways, county roads, and municipal streets – leaving commercial contractors to compete for remaining supplies. Geer noted that municipalities have the authority to release salt to commercial contractors but typically haven't done so in recent years.
Looking Ahead
Weather patterns remain the wild card. If winter extends through April instead of ending in March, even public agencies could face challenges. The empty Muskegon dock serves as a reminder that the region's primary supply lifeline has run dry, making everyone more dependent on longer, more expensive supply chains from Detroit.
For property owners relying on commercial contractors, this shortage translates to higher costs and potential service limitations. Some larger commercial operations have adapted by purchasing entire barges of salt from as far away as Egypt, delivered to docks in late summer – a level of advanced planning that smaller contractors cannot match.
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