“Ice Road Truckers Returns: Season 12 Brings Veteran Drivers, Deadly Ice Roads, and Life-or-Death Missions Across Northern Canada ❄️🚚❓”

Eight years after the show went off the air, Ice Road Truckers is making a dramatic return to the History Channel, premiering on October 1, 2025, at 9:30 PM ET.

For longtime fans, this is more than a comeback: it’s a resurrection of one of the most dangerous, high‑stakes reality series ever made.

Veteran ice‑road legends Lisa Kelly and Todd Dewey are back behind the wheels, joined for the first time by drivers from the Harris family and newcomer Scott “Scooter” Yuil, as the crew embarks on a mission more critical than ever: hauling vital relief supplies across the perilous, shifting ice in remote northern Canada.

In a recent interview conducted just outside Yellowknife, where much of Season 12 will be filmed, Lisa Kelly leaned against her rig—a familiar yellow-certified heavy-duty truck—and said quietly, “It feels like coming home, but everything will be different.

” She paused for a long moment, scanning the white horizon.

“The ice is thinner now.

The seasons change.

Our job isn’t just hauling; it’s about survival—for us and for the communities that depend on those loads.”

Todd Dewey nodded in agreement, standing nearby with his arms crossed against the Arctic chill.

Dewey, who hasn’t lost his trademark grin, added: “Back in the day, we did this to prove we could.

Now, we do this because people need what we carry.

Fuel, food, medical supplies—this isn’t just a road trip.

These are lives.”

The inclusion of the Harris family, new to the series, brings fresh dynamics but also a legacy of ice-road hauling.

The eldest Harris sibling, Cameron “Cam” Harris, explained that his family has been working on these ice roads for decades.

“Our uncles were hauling on the same routes you see in the old episodes,” he said.

“When production called, it wasn’t a question.

This is our heritage—and it’s not just for show.”

His younger sister, Avery Harris, chimed in: “I want to prove that this life isn’t just for the old-timers.

I can handle these roads just as well as anyone.”

But the most surprising addition might be Scott “Scooter” Yuil, the rookie whose nickname fits—small in stature, but daring in spirit.

Yuil’s journey to the ice-road world started when he volunteered for a remote first-responder job in the Northwest Territories.

“One winter, the community needed a resupply run,” he recalled.

“I helped drive a relief load, and I felt alive in a way I never did before.

When Truckers offered me a shot, I didn’t hesitate.”

Producers behind the reboot say the mission for Season 12 is more than the typical ice-road drama.

According to them, historical shifts in climate, shorter winter windows, and increased demand for northern supply runs have raised the stakes.

A source close to the production team told reporters, “This season, the crews aren’t just racing time—they’re racing for survival.”

Filming began in early August 2025, when temperatures in the Canadian North were still blistering—not cold enough for reliable ice, but too dangerous for thin roads.

As the ice finally thickened in September, the rigs rolled out, cameras running day and night, capturing the life-or-death decisions that these drivers must make when the mercury drops and the ice groans under thousands of pounds of cargo.

One particularly harrowing day, the team attempted a crossing over a river known locally as “The Crack”—a notoriously unstable stretch where ice can fracture in minutes.

Todd Dewey oversaw the crossing, radioing to Lisa Kelly: “Lisa, keep the momentum—you’re our anchor.”

Kelly answered back, her voice steady but tense, “Got it.

Just lean into the ice, keep her steady.”

Cameras recorded every trembling moment as their rigs crept across the fragile sheet, carrying crucial medical equipment and winter staples.

Beyond the physical danger, there’s an emotional dimension: the communities the truckers serve are themselves extremely remote.

Many lack winter road access most of the year, relying on these seasonal hauls for everything from insulin to building materials.

The Harris truckers know these roads are literally a lifeline.

“We’re not just out here for a paycheck,” Cam Harris said.

“Our family, our friends—some of us grew up in these places.

When we deliver, we’re delivering hope.”

Meanwhile, Scooter Yuil has emerged as a fan favorite.

Despite his inexperience, he’s earned respect for his calm-headedness and willingness to learn.

In one scene filmed at a staging camp, he shows unexpected grit when he notices unusual cracks forming around a frozen lake.

“Ice doesn’t lie,” he tells his co-driver.

“If it’s whispering, you better listen.

” He calls in his concerns, and the crew reroutes at the last minute, possibly averting disaster.

Behind the scenes, the production team says they took extra precautions.

Engineers were flown in to measure ice thickness at multiple points, and drivers participated in risk‑assessment briefings daily.

“When those rigs move, even a small miscalculation can be catastrophic,” noted the show’s safety director, who asked to remain anonymous.

“We’re not just filming entertainment—we’re documenting a real, dangerous mission.”

For fans of the original series, the return is bittersweet.

Many remember the late Alex Debogorski, Rick Yemm, Jack Jessee, and others who made the early years legendary.

Lisa Kelly has said publicly that she carries their memory into the cab each time she climbs in.

“They laid the foundation for what this show stands for,” she said.

“Now, we’re honoring that by driving with purpose.”

The production’s return also signals that Ice Road Truckers still has cultural relevance.

In recent years, coverage of climate change, northern infrastructure, and indigenous communities has grown.

According to showrunners, they saw an opportunity to highlight these issues through the drama of seasonal hauling.

“People think of this as a wild reality show,” said an executive producer.

“But it’s also a story about resilience, climate, and the people who keep remote Canada alive in winter.”

When asked about the pressure of returning, Todd Dewey smiled.

“It’s like getting back on the road after a long break,” he said.

“But it’s not a nostalgia trip.

We’re not just doing this for the cameras—we’re doing this for our families, for the communities that rely on us.

It’s bigger than TV.”

Season 12 of Ice Road Truckers promises not only the classic ice-road thrills—harsh weather, frozen rivers, massive rigs—but a renewed sense of purpose.

It’s about the people behind the wheels, the cargo they carry, and why, even in an era of drones and remote delivery, a trucker’s grit still matters more than ever.

On October 1, 2025, when the first episode airs at 9:30 PM ET, fans old and new will finally see what it takes to drive across one of the planet’s most dangerous highways—and why this mission means more than ever before.

The roads are ice, the stakes are high, and for the drivers of Ice Road Truckers, one mistake could cost everything.