Winter Traction Sand

Winter Traction Sand — Grip for Light Snow and Ice Without Burning Through Your Salt

Winter Traction Sand is coarse, washed sand spread on driveways, walkways, lots, and plow routes to keep people and vehicles from slipping. It doesn't melt anything. What it does is give you traction in lighter conditions (a dusting, a glaze, packed snow in the 20s) where throwing down straight salt is overkill and expensive. Use the sand for the light stuff and save the salt for the storms that need it.

It's also the cheapest way to stretch a salt stockpile. Blend it 50/50 with rock salt and you've doubled the yardage you can spread this winter, with melt where you need it and grip that stays put after the salt has dissolved.

At a glance

What it's good for

• Light snow, frost, and glaze where salt would be wasted
• Steep driveways, ramps, and sloped lots where grip matters more than melt
• Blending 50/50 with rock salt to stretch a seasonal stockpile
• Deep-cold days when untreated salt stops melting but surfaces still need traction
• Walkways, steps, and entrances around landscaping and lawns

How much do I need?

Spread alone, a residential driveway (about 600 sq ft) uses roughly 40–60 lbs per application, so one cubic yard covers a homeowner for the whole winter with plenty left for the walkways. For a 10,000 sq ft commercial lot, plan on about 0.3–0.5 cubic yards per application.

For a 50/50 blend, order equal yards of sand and rock salt. Six yards of salt plus six yards of traction sand gives you twelve yards of spreadable material.

How Winter Traction Sand compares

• vs. Rock Salt (Untreated): Salt melts, sand grips. Salt costs roughly three times as much per yard and stops working below about 15–20°F. Use sand on its own for light coverage; use salt when there's real ice to clear.
• vs. Salt & Sand 20/80 or 50/50 pre-mix: The pre-mixes are the same idea with the blending done for you. Buy traction sand on its own when you already have salt on hand or want to control the ratio yourself.
• vs. Coarse Sand: Same material. Winter Traction Sand is our coarse sand, listed with the salt products so it's easy to find and order alongside your winter stockpile.

Frequently asked questions

Does traction sand melt ice?
No. It sits on top of the ice and gives tires and boots something to bite into. That's why it works at any temperature. If you need melt, add salt or use one of our salt & sand mixes.

How do I mix it with salt?
Pile the two side by side and blend with a loader bucket or by hand, or just alternate scoops into the spreader. A 50/50 blend by volume is the standard; go heavier on sand for slopes, heavier on salt for flat lots that ice over.

Will it damage concrete, plants, or pets' paws?
Sand has none of the chemical effects of salt. The only cleanup is a spring sweep of what's left on the pavement.

How long does it store?
Indefinitely. Keep it covered so it doesn't freeze into a block after a wet spell; a tarp over the pile is enough.

Do you deliver in the Boston area?
Yes — bulk dump truck delivery across Suffolk, Middlesex, Norfolk, Essex, Plymouth, Bristol, Barnstable, and Worcester Counties. We sell by the whole cubic yard: 1 yard minimum, up to 6 yards per truckload, and 6 to 300 yards for seasonal stockpiles at campuses, municipalities, HOAs, and contractor yards.

Bulk dump truck delivery, 1 cubic yard minimum. We run winter sand across Norfolk, Middlesex, Plymouth, Suffolk, Essex, Bristol, Barnstable, and Worcester County.

Pair with our untreated rock salt for a do-it-yourself 50/50 blend, or pick up the salt & sand 20/80 if you'd rather have it pre-mixed.

Order today — the cheapest way to keep traction and make your salt last the season.

• Same-day & next-day delivery available — weekends fill fast, order early.
• Curbside or on-property drop — let us know at checkout.
• Up to 6 yds per load for dense materials (gravel, soil, rock, sand) — mulch loads carry up to 10 yds. Delivery is $100 per load within 30 miles of our Dispatch Office, plus $4 per mile beyond. No minimum order.
• Job site delivery available
• Questions? Call (617) 645-0987 or see full delivery info →