Montana transportation officials have drawn the ire of truckers for their decision to use a chemical deicer that’s been linked to damage in trucks.

Officials say they will use magnesium chloride on roads instead of salt, sand or a mixture of the two to thaw snow and ice from state roadways. They say the chemical is cheaper, more effective and less polluting than traditional deicing methods, but truckers say the risks outweigh the benefits.
Use of magnesium chloride as a deicer has been linked to damage to trucks There have been reports the chemical eats into aluminum and stainless steel, pitting and scarring surfaces. More worrisome is that wiring systems exposed to magnesium chloride have been deteriorating at an alarming rate. Even more alarming is the corrosion damage fleets have seen in structural elements and brakes.
Montana officials say they have been using the chemical since the late 1980s, mainly when temperatures are below 20 degrees, and are aware of the problems with its use, but they say it’s a tradeoff when the public’s health and safety are concerned.
The dangers of magnesium chloride were the focus of a Heavy Duty Trucking magazine cover story last September. Its authors have been named finalists for a Jesse H. Neal journalism award to be presented in March by the American Business Press in New York City.