In 2000, The History Channel aired a 46-minute episode titled “Ice Road Truckers” as part of the Suicide Missions (later Dangerous Missions) series.
Based on the book Denison’s Ice Road by Edith Iglauer, the episode detailed the treacherous job of driving trucks over frozen lakes, also known as ice roads, in Canada’s Northwest Territories.
After 2000, reruns of the documentary were aired as an episode of the series Modern Marvels instead. Under this banner, the Ice Road Truckers show garnered very good ratings.
In 2006, The History Channel hired Thom Beers, owner of Original Productions and executive producer of Deadliest Catch, to create a series based on the Ice Road book.
Shot in high definition (although the season ended before History HD was launched in the US), the show “charts two months in the lives of six extraordinary men who haul vital supplies to diamond mines and other remote locations over frozen lakes that double as roads”
Now in its 5th season Ice Road Truckers return Sunday, June 5th at 9/8c on the History Channel. This seasons drivers are:
‘The Polar Bear‘
AGE: 48
SEASONS DRIVEN: 1, 2, 3, 4
Known as the “Polar Bear,” Hugh has proven to be the toughest of the tough. In Season 1, he ran his Yellowknife crew so hard that some of his drivers quit. For the past two seasons he’s run the Dalton, and proven himself as one of the best drivers on the ice. Hugh can drive all night, work all day and still have time to spout lots of opinions about those who fall short of his work ethic. This season, Hugh is back on his home turf running Canada’s most dangerous ice roads and ready to take on any challenge.
‘WOUNDED WARRIOR‘
AGE: 57
SEASONS DRIVEN: 1, 2, 3, 4
Alex is a larger-than-life character with over 30 years of driving and hauling under his belt. He is the proud father of 11 children and has seven grandchildren. In Season 2, he was forced to leave the road early because of health problems. In Season 3, he exhibited signs of slowing down and it seemed the strain on his health would take him out of the hunt, but in the end he powered through to prove himself a skilled trucker and even headed to India to tackle riding some of the world’s deadliest roads. Will Alex have the big comeback he’s been looking for, finally overtaking Hugh as the best Canadian on the ice road? Or will his age and health conditions sideline him forever? Can he show us that age is actually an asset on the ice roads?
‘THE TOMBOY‘
AGE: 30
SEASONS DRIVEN: 3, 4, 5
Lisa is a rambunctious tomboy truck driver and motocross-riding daredevil. She has crashed both trucks and motorcycles, but nothing has scared her off from running the Dalton. Lisa mastered the dangerous mountain roads of India, navigating a truck in a country where women aren’t normally seen behind the wheel of any vehicle. In Alaska, she has to battle the big boys daily to keep her job and works hard to prove herself worthy of bigger and tougher loads. She’s no rookie, but some drivers feel she’s a lightweight and can’t be trusted on the road. This season, can she finally get the boys to take her seriously and prove herself as a heavy-haul driver?
‘The Bad Boy of the Ice Roads‘
SEASONS DRIVEN: 1, 2
Rick has been away from the ice roads for a few seasons, but this year he and his blue mohawk are back in business. Fired by Hugh Rowland in Season 1, Rick proved himself in Season 2, working the same Arctic roads as his former boss, but Rick has always been plagued by breakdowns, accidents and other truck troubles that keep him out of the hunt. Confident after tackling the treacherous mountain roads of India, Rick is ready to return to the more familiar terrain of the ice roads, but will his old rivalry with Hugh make or break Rick in this season’s dash for the cash?
‘The Angry Alabama Wild Card‘
AGE: 45
Alabama native Dave is a self-described hothead with 25 of years trucking experience who flies by the seat of his pants. After going to India and driving some of the world’s deadliest roads without any game plan going in, he looks to do the same for his first stab at the North American ice roads. Will this veteran be able to handle the challenge of being an ice-road rookie? How will the other local and more even-tempered drivers receive this son of the South?
Tony Molesky
A single dad and 19-year veteran of the ice road, Tony is gearing up to take a shot at winning the load count this season. Tony thinks he’s got what it takes to make his mark on the Dalton. He’s won plenty of trophies as a former high-school wrestling champion, but there is one accolade not yet in his possession–King of the Haul Road. In the prime of his career, it’s next on his list, but after forcing his truck into a ditch to dodge a head-on collision in the first accident of his career, his confidence is shaken. Will he be able to overcome his fears and get back on the horse? Or will the near-miss, and the new competition, derail him for good?
‘The Rookie‘
AGE: 27
At just 5’4?, Maya doesn’t fit the stereotype of the burly truck driver, but she has an outsized passion for trucking that she wears on her skin -she sports a “Kenworth” tattoo on her neck that advertises her commitment to the job. Maya got her start hauling heavy loads on the crowded streets and highways of New York City, a proving ground for any trucker looking to hone their skills with an 18-wheeler. This season, she is a rookie on the ice roads and one of the few women toughing it out in a man’s game, but her ambition and determination could help make her a contender on the hills and climbs of the frozen Dalton Highway. Maya is used to achieving exactly what she puts her mind to, but will that be enough torque to get her up the Dalton?
Source:
The History Channel
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