Ice Road Trucking Jobs: Everything You Need To Know

Living life on the edge, staring out at the open road, and earning a dollar (or a lot of dollars) while you do it. For some, that’s the dream. A life of danger and high reward.

What is this job? It’s ice road trucking. It’s a job so intense and interesting that there’s a television series all about it, but what is it really, how do you become an ice road trucker, and is it really that exciting?

1. West Express Jobs (Overview)

Top 5 Companies Hiring Ice Road Truckers

Still interested in becoming an ice road trucker? In addition to getting your CDL, your first step should be to research a potential future employer.

These companies each have their own nuances that dictate the training you take, the experience you get, and the pay and danger you can look forward to. These are some of the ice road trucking companies:

1. Alaska West Express

   Alaska West Express promotes itself as a leader in transporting liquid and dry-bulk products, hazardous and non-hazardous chemicals, fuel, and other petroleum products to and from Alaska. They do offer training for their employees and round-the-year employment.

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2. Westcan Bulk Transport Ltd.

   Westcan Bulk Transport is one of the largest niche bulk commodity haulers in western Canada. They’ve been in business since 1964 and have grown considerably since then.

   The company is the Canadian service group for Kenan Advantage Group, Inc., North America’s largest tank truck transporter and logistics provider.

3. RTL Robinson Enterprises, Ltd.

   Headquartered in the heart of ice road trucking terrain, RTL Construction is a division of Westcan Bulk Transport and has been a leading contractor to government and private sectors for decades. They specialize in winter road construction and help keep the truckers on track.

4. Superior Propane

   With a focus on hauling propane, Superior Propane has been Canada’s leading propane supplier for 70 years. They pride themselves on bringing fuel to every part of the country.

5. Grimshaw Trucking

   Grimshaw Trucking began in the early 1950s and now considers itself the gateway to the north. Not only have they delivered to far outlying regions in the frigid north, but they’ve also helped develop access into areas that were not opened up previously.

   They’re experts in managing the harsh climates and accessing far-reaching zones.

What Are Ice Road Trucking Jobs?

Ice road truckers are specialized truck drivers who drive over roads made of ice during the coldest months of the year to deliver supplies.

The majority of all ice road trucking jobs are in Canada and Alaska, most specifically residing in Canada’s Northwest Territories. Once rivers and lakes freeze, ice roads are created so trucks can haul supplies out into regions that would be too difficult to reach otherwise. And yes, the roads are literally made of ice.

Once you know that the ice roads are made of ice, it’s easy to see that ice road trucking jobs are literally trucking over those very treacherous roads. But it’s not the threat of breaking through the ice that makes these roads dangerous.

The Department of Transportation keeps a close eye on their thickness, and the roads are constantly groomed and maintained. The real dangers are sheer cliffs, steep roads, and frigid temperatures.

How to Get Into Ice Road Trucking

Not everyone who has a commercial driver’s license (CDL) can simply decide to be an ice road trucker and apply for the job. It takes skill, experience, specialty training, and a spotless driving record.

Each company that hires ice road truckers has different requirements, so it’s best to look specifically at the company you’re interested in working for to see what they require.

You’ll find that many of them prefer to hire Canadian citizens because the work is done in Canada, so it’s easier for them when it comes to employment laws for that country and taxes. But that’s not to say someone from another country can’t get the job; they’ll just have to obtain the proper work permits.

Experience is also important for ice road truckers. You don’t necessarily have to have experience on the ice road, but being a trucker in icy and frigid climates will help. If you’ve only worked in tropical zones or places that get a mere dusting of snow annually, you’re not going to have the chops necessary to cut it in this field.

Something else that will work for or against you is how well you’re known in the community of ice road truckers. It’s one of those jobs done by a select few people who, most often, know each other. Basically, having a referral from another ice road trucker will go a long way toward earning you this job.

Ice Road Trucking Pay

Let’s get to the question everyone wants to know, how much do ice road truckers get paid. You’ll hear reports from ice road trucking professionals that they make between $20,000 and $80,000 when in reality, the average rate is about $40,000.

If you think that doesn’t sound like much at first glance, remember that they’re only working for about three months. Ice roads are only viable from sometime in January into sometime in March.

That means they can earn an entire year’s salary in just three months. Or, they can do other types of trucking in the off months and basically earn a double salary.

Each trucking company that supplies these remote regions during the ice trucking season has its own pay scale and structure, but it’s estimated that the average pay is $2,000 per round trip run.

A single run is typically more than 20 hours of continuous driving. Yes, that’s continuous, but Canadian Hours of Service only allow for a 15 hour driving day, which means you’ll need to time your trips to coincide with a camp where you can rest.

During those 15 hours, the driver cannot stop or rest because the cold conditions are such that it would be a danger to the driver and the truck.

Another consideration when it comes to pay is what you’re hauling. Heavier loads are harder to haul, take more experience and additional training. Imagine stopping on a regular road with a 60,000-pound load of cargo – the truck would need ample time to stop.

Now, put that same truck and cargo on an ice road, and you can see why skill and experience are so very important. You may be hauling lighter loads for years before building up to the big hauls and the really big bucks.

Benefits of Ice Road Trucking

Obviously, there are some benefits to ice road trucking. Typically, the most frequently discussed one is the pay. It’s great compensation for a very short season. Imagine working only three months of the year but earning an entire year’s worth of pay in that time.

That brings us to the second big benefit; the season is short. Work on the ice and non-stop for three months and then head down to a tropical oasis and enjoy the other nine months of the year. Or pick up another job – whatever you want to do with that free time.

For some truckers, it’s a little bit about the adrenaline, too. Those people who thrive on danger and doing a job that’s too difficult for most other people will love being an ice road trucker. There’s a reason the television show is so compelling and popular.

The job often provides training, and this benefit shouldn’t be overlooked. Your safety should be the highest concern for you, so having a company that’s willing to provide regular and quality training can save your life.

Little to no out-of-pocket expenses is another benefit during the ice trucking season. Your employer will pay the cost of lodging and often meals at camps set up along the route. They pay for fuel, truck maintenance, and just about any expenses on the road.

It’s a high turnover job that can benefit someone who wants to get in on the business or if they want to advance to a higher paying position. Of course, that can be a downfall because the job is too stressful to maintain for a lifetime.

Ice Road Trucking Hazards

When people think of ice road truckers, they probably think of two things – high pay and dangerous conditions. There are the biggest plusses and minuses right there.

Ice road trucking is very dangerous. As we mentioned before, it’s not the fear of cracking through the ice – the roads are simply too thick and well maintained for that to be a concern. It’s the cold that’s the biggest foe.

Weather is one of the biggest hazards. Not only are the temperatures freezing, but snow and white-outs can make the roads very treacherous.

Equipment failures play hand-in-hand with the weather as the biggest hazards. If something breaks down on a truck in those temperatures and conditions, it’s not a simple inconvenience, and it can be catastrophic.

With average temperatures hovering in the -30°F range, things freeze quickly. Even steel can become brittle and snap.

It’s not just equipment failures at these temperatures that can be dangerous. Even truck components, like steel, can be subject to failure. Fuel gels at very cold temperatures. It’s not an easy haul.

Loneliness is often cited as one of the downfalls, and it can be a hazard, but many trucking companies now work with teams, so any failure of equipment doesn’t leave one driver vulnerable on the side of the road in case of an emergency. But the long driving hours can still be lonely.

It’s dark. During that time of the year, at those latitudes, most of the terrain is in darkness throughout most of the day. It’s like driving at night all the time. This throws off your internal clock and makes it even more dangerous to drive.

Author

Kristin Kizer

Kristin Kizer is an award-winning writer, television and documentary producer, and content specialist who has worked on a wide variety of written, broadcast, and electronic publications. A former writer/producer for The Discovery Channel, she is now a freelance writer and delighted to be sharing her talents and time with the wonderful Zippia audience.