Ice Road Truckers

2007 Running History ★ 6.9/10

Drama Action

Ice Road Truckers charts the lives of extraordinary men who haul vital supplies to diamond mines over frozen lakes that double as roads. The livelihood of many depends on these tenuous roads, which through the years have been responsible for the deaths of dozens of men. With one hand on the wheel and one on the door at all times, always prepared for the ice to give way under the weight of their trucks, these drivers put their lives and financial security of their families on the line in an exhilarating dash for cash. This adrenaline packed series reveals the raw, gripping quest of ice road truckers. The desolate white landscape stretches as far as the eye can see in a world where the land meets the sky at an invisible horizon, just miles from the Arctic Circle. The fascinating, yet little-known ice road trucking industry, stationed just outside of Yellowknife in Canada's Northwest Territory, is responsible for supporting the diamond mines there. Each year, the many lakes of this region completely freeze over and engineers build an ice road over them that can withstand the weight of tractor trailers, hopefully. Jackknifing, breakdowns and accidents are commonplace. Since the terrain in this region is virtually impenetrable, and there are so few paved roads, the only way for supplies to reach the mines is by traveling over the ice road. The entire industry depends on the weather and the courage of the ice road truckers, who go 48-hour stretches with no sleep and who constantly hear the cracking of the ice right beneath their wheels.