Abstract: A method for supplying dry sand for spreading on road surfaces in freezing temperatures in a condition in which the sand remains fluid in freezing temperatures without the addition of salt includes the steps of drying the sand by providing a naturally occurring bed of the sand having an upper surface of the bed exposed to sunlight; planting on the upper surface a covering crop of a type such as alfalfa having deep roots which extend through the whole bed up to thirty feet deep in search of a water table below the bed and growing the crop for a period of time sufficient to allow the roots to penetrate the bed and to extract moisture from the bed to dry the sand in the bed. The dry sand is extracted from the bed and stored temporarily in a closed storage which prevents the re-introduction of moisture for subsequent use on road surfaces without the necessity of salt to keep the sand fluid for spreading.

Abstract: A spill guard at the rear wall of the bucket of a loader is modified by providing a series of plates which are inclined to planes at right angles to the rear wall of the bucket at an angle of 45.degree. to the planes and to the plane of the rear wall of the bucket. The plates allow the driver to view through the spill guard between the plates. The spill guard plates however prevent any material including small particulate material from falling between the plates when the bucket is raised in view of the inclined angle of the plates.