Application Rates: Calibrating Equipment

Calibration is the act of determining how much material (deicer) is applied per unit area at each setting of a spreader. Calibration is the best way to apply and to know if you are applying the right amount for the conditions. Almost all equipment can be calibrated, from the walk-behind spreader to a plow truck sander/spreader. Equipment for liquids application should also be calibrated. Even a hand seeder can be calibrated. Calibrate equipment so it applies deicer evenly and distributes the correct amount based on pavement temperature and weather conditions. In many cases, organizations discovered through equipment calibration that they had been applying two to three times more product than they thought(!).