An interesting look at a dangerous, lonely and very, very cold job.
Whatever you do for a living, it has to be more pleasant than the job chosen by the people in Ice Road Truckers, a reality series premiering on The History Channel on June 17 (10PM Eastern, 9PM Central). The show's title says it all: to bring heavy equipment and supplies to diamond mines in Canada's Northwest Territories, truck drivers have to guide their massive machines hundreds of miles over roads made of snow and ice. The ice roads are only usable in the winter, obviously, so the truckers work in temperatures that can reach -50 degrees Fahrenheit.…








Article comments
26 - Kevin "Big Country" Dougherty
Great show!!! What a motivated and extremely dedicated grouup of "double-tough" drivers.
I spent twenty-two years in the Navy, 8 years onboard Aircraft Carriers and 14 years in the Navy Seabees. After retiring in May 2005, I am now trucking with a Springfield, MO. based company. My girl friend turned me on to the Ice Road Trucker show last month. I told Janine that I'd like to apply for an "I R T" job, she said if I did, I'd better apply for a new girl friend too! I guess I'd better stay down here in the lower 48 states. Love the show! Please continue the series. "I R T" Fans, Kevin & Janine.
27 - Joe Benham
wolfslowrider go back to sleep huey boy IS an asshole i dont no what kind of work you do but how would you like huey boy for a boss think about it huey boy is nothing more than a selfish PUSSY and a big one at that
28 - Lars
God, I thought my boss was a selfish asshole, but damn Hugh, you take the cake. I agree with Rick, starving is preferreable than employment with you.
You can't give your employees sub standard equiptment and expect them to perform for you. It
seems they were all pretty gun ho for doing the best possible job for you at the start of the season. Its easy to be know as the best (Polar Bear) when
you don't have a shit truck. The accident at the end was poetic justic in my book. maybe if you slept alttle more you wounldn't be so grumpy.
29 - EllieMae
Wow, can't believe the season is over already, can't believe how addicted I was to it. Watched the last episode just yesterday and it absolutely rocked. At first I thought that anyone that survived a whole season up there was just lucky but now I see that it requires a lot of finese to get those machines up and down those roads over and over again. Yes there is blood, sweat and tears as well as cold and ice but there is also magic. Wasn't it strange how that crow came to Jay? It was almost as if it was a sign he would be one of those to make it through the season, almost as if he were chosen.
30 - Bob
I found the series to be an interesting look at a job with a unique set of challenges. Having said that, I think they could have made a better show if they would have toned down the hype. It's dangerous job for sure but the way they portrayed it you would think it was death waiting around every corner every moment. The constant background soundtrack of cracking ice along with shaking the camera for dramatic effect got a little tiring. You would think that stopping your running truck on the lake would be a guaranteed trip to the bottom. I thought it was ironic when they showed several rigs along with a crane sitting near the hole where the tanker trailer went in. No one seemed concerned that it might give way at any moment. I agree with the person who said that more time spent talking about the drivers and the mines would have added to the show.
31 - StarDancer
I absolutely loved that series. Even better than Trick My Truck. Alex and Jay are true class acts. I think Drew doesn't have a clue. How could anyone lose their whole battery box, 4 batteries, cables, and not even know it? He knew, he just didn't have a clue. And Polar Bear was the total comedy relief. Every time he talked, i laughed. It was so funny and alot of fun to watch. I can't wait till next season. Keep up the good work up there men. God Bless
32 - Mama
I LOVE this show but I think they are all CRAZY!!Just hearing the ice cracking sends chills up and down....to me its not worth the money and I hope no one I care for ever attempts doing this.
I'm pulling for TJ all the way just the same.
33 - MICHAEL
IF YOURE GONNA CRY AND GRIPE........GET ANOTHER JOB........LIKE THE KING CRAB GUYS NEED TO DO ALSO.
34 - stump
Yeah,Sneaky Pete,tell us who you work for,give us a chance to see the shiny wheels.
35 - Daisy May in WV
I Love the show and so doesn't my TRUCK DRIVING husband. Now he wants to try it and he has been getting a lil closer all the time. I'm not sure I like the idea of him doing this but I am also assured he can do it well. Hard To make a dime these days but I think I would rather be a few dimes short. I'll keep my driver where the road doesn't give away as much.
36 - Maggie
Can't Get enough Ice Road Truckers?
Check out Big O and Dukes on WJFK-FM (www.wjfk.com) talking about the show and don't miss Ice Road Truckers’ Executive Producer and Narrator, Thom Beers’ upcoming appearance on the show at 8 PM (EST) on Friday, August 31st.
37 - john
The show is great,as
trucker we all know that there is a lot more than what we see on tv.The work we need to do before we roll, is hard enough.butwith the temperature at below and counting it just doesnt give us the edge,but thats why we do what we do, we get her done...I would like to put my foot in there and just haul help me out and lets Roll. KEEP ON ROLLING GUYS..
38 - jessica
TJ TILCOX IS SEXY
39 - Hugh G. Ahole
Hugh is a child. A slow minded simpleton that wants all the respect but none of the responsibility. You don't give your employee's faulty equipment and then blame them when it fails. You don't put your people at risk of sever hypothermia and then blame them.
Be a man Hugh, get off you ass and do your job, be the boss you claim you are, not the child your actions show you to be.
40 - roger lydford
were can i get a dvd cover. pleeeeeeeee
41 - jane and Tony
Hi, Tony and I love the shows but unfortunately missed the first few shows!
The show is probably one of the sadest but also one of the bravest shows to come to europe!
My Family has nothing but the widest respect for all of truckers. Many writers of the message boards say they only do this for the money! Well maybe they do but they are still utterly brave and courageous. Tony and myself are hoping that they have created a magazine about this and if they do could we ask if we could buy it in the UK?
Many thanks
Jane and Tony
42 - tammi
$70,000 is if you're an owner/operator ~ no hired drivers make more than about $20,000. Still good pay for two months of work but not quite as sensational as the article says. My hubby has done the Tibbitt-Contwoyto road the last two winters and he and all the drivers he knows are a little unimpressed with the series.
43 - The kid
i am an irish international artic driver and all i want to say is the job ye do is easy compared to what i do driving to italy for last ten years every week with anything up to ten drops on the trailer week after week with not much sleep try that for pure hardship
44 - Mick
It's actually a very safe job the dangerous job is in making the ice road. There have been 3 deaths in making the ice road there was never any trucker killed and no truck went under. It is all hyped up for the tv series. I know someone that drove the ice road in the eighties and he said that it is as safe as driving on the highway. So I guess we should be calling Hugh polar bear puppy.
45 - diesel jockey!
season 2, episode 1. Hugh is working for someone else and not himself, lets hope his new boss screws him over the way he screwed his drivers over last year.
46 - zero
Can anybody help me how to get job as a ice truck driver? I been driving tankers for teen years.