Ice Road Trucking: Ways to Stay Safe on the Road

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Even if you’ve never seen an episode of the reality TV series Ice Road Truckers, there’s a good chance that you’ve heard about it. The show premiered in 2007 and follows truckers who haul essential supplies across frozen lakes and rivers in remote parts of Canada and Alaska when roads are no longer passable.

Facing extreme cold, mechanical issues, and the potential of thin ice, drivers seek big payouts for their efforts to deliver equipment to diamond mines, oil fields, and communities otherwise cut off from civilization. The show focuses on the personalities of the truckers, their challenges, and the camaraderie or conflicts they have with other drivers that seek high rewards from their high-risk lifestyles.

Ice Road Truckers took an eight-year hiatus after its eleventh season in 2017 but recently returned in October 2025 for its 12th season. In honor of this exciting resurrection, we’re taking a look at the dangers that many long-haul drivers deal with during the winter months while offering some suggestions to stay safe when facing whiteouts and snowy or icy road conditions.

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Challenges for Ice Road Truckers

We looked back at some of the conditions that the drivers of Ice Road Truckers have dealt with on the show. Some of the routes include:

• Dalton Highway (Alaska’s Haul Road)—a 414-mile trek from Fairbanks, Alaska to Deadhorse, which is north of the Arctic Circle. The area around Deadhorse and Prudhoe Bay is known for its oil fields and population of oil workers who rely on supplies that are regularly trucked in. The route can be daunting if you know what to expect when trucking in Alaska.
• Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk (I-T)—a 152-kilometer (95-mile) route that connects the Arctic Coast with Canada’s road system. The road is used primarily for keeping residents supplied with essential commodities in addition to exploration efforts for natural gas.
• Diamond Mine Hauls—Multiple routes from Yellowknife have been featured on the program, which is the capital of Canada’s Northwest Territories (and the only city in NWT), and serves as a hub for reaching remote-area diamond mines that often require drivers to cross frozen lakes and rivers.
• Churchill, Manitoba—Considered to be the polar bear migration capital of the world in October and November, Churchill regularly sees tourists coming in for photo opportunities and unique travel experiences. However, during other parts of the winter, local residents rely on trucks to supply goods because of their isolated location, the difficulty of receiving materials by sea, and the failure of the rail line service in 2017 due to flooding. 

Winter Risks for Truckers

For long-haulers who don’t have to worry about transporting heavy loads over large bodies of frozen water, winter is still a treacherous time to drive. Whiteouts, snow, ice, sleet, and extra traffic on the road during the holidays make a demanding job even more perilous. With that in mind, here are a few ways to promote safety while out on the roads this winter, especially if you’re driving in northern climates where weather conditions can change without notice.

Be Prepared

Part of route planning for bad weather conditions requires drivers to prepare before heading out. If weather conditions demand it, you should have tire chains ready to provide you with extra traction. All of your tractor’s fluids should be topped off and changed over to winter-grade if you’ll be heading into extremely cold conditions. Check that your windshield wipers are in top condition and that you have a full tank of wiper solution. You should also have a backup plan for yourself in the event of a breakdown, including provisions like extra clothing, water, and food in case you get stuck for a longer period of time.

While driving in less-than-optimal conditions, stay alert, slow your roll, keep plenty of distance between you and other vehicles (especially when other drivers are zipping in and out of traffic), turn off your cruise control, and be soft on the brakes when it’s needed. If you know you’ll be heading into poor weather conditions, top off your fuel tank. This can help prevent issues with freezing fuel in the lines, plus you’ll be able to keep the truck running if you do get stranded.

That said, always be aware of what you’re driving into, whether it’s nasty weather or heavy traffic. If there is a way to get around potential messes, knowing about them ahead of time will save you from a lot of stress.

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Many new truck models have a variety of upgraded safety features to make traveling in poor weather conditions more reasonable. If you have an older vehicle and you’re looking to sell it to upgrade to a more modern make, consider your options on the marketplace. There are plenty of new and used vehicles to help you offload your current rig and get into something that fits your needs and the challenges of the route. Stay safe out there this winter, so be prepared and drive with caution on the road.

Barrett Baker

Barrett Baker is a freelance writer with more than 40 years of writing experience. He has worked with the U.S. Department of Energy, Ford Motor Company, General Motors, and a variety of advertising and marketing firms throughout his career. In his spare time, he enjoys photography, cooking, and working with animal rescues.

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