Entertainment
ByDamon Rivera/
"Ice Road Truckers" kicked things off with a bang when it first drove on the scene in 2007, becoming one of the most-watched telecasts from the History Channel. After a successful debut, the show aired 11 seasons, showcasing the extreme challenges of hauling cargo in big rigs across dangerous ice roads. Throughout its illustrious journey, the program followed several notable drivers, including Alex Debogorski and Hugh Rowland. But one of the standouts was arguably Lisa Kelly, the first female driver on the reality series to show what she was made of behind the wheel, traversing through some of the harshest environments Canada and Alaska had to offer.
Kelly got her first glimpse of Alaskan life when she moved to Sterling at 6 years old. After finishing high school, she did a semester of college at Cornerstone University in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where she was born, before returning to Alaska to enter the workforce. She told Business and Tech that she quickly realized she loved driving while working at a pizza place, later securing work as a delivery driver for a bakery and a bus driver. Eventually, she landed her first job in the trucking industry at Carlile Transportation — years before she was on the show.
Starting in 2009, Kelly was a series regular in Season 3 and starred in the spinoff "IRT: Deadliest Roads," which lasted two seasons. At that time, Kelly gained a lot of notoriety, appearing on "The Late Show with David Letterman," and at one point, the reality star was designated "The Sexiest Trucker Alive" by Esquire Magazine. She remained on the series until the 5th season, where she opted not to sign on for Season 6 — but that was not the end of her run on "Ice Road Truckers."
She returned to the icy roads in Season 7
When Lisa Kelly wasn't in the lineup for the 6th season of "Ice Road Truckers," many people were wondering why she didn't return. According to journalist Kate O'Hara via her Hot Cuppa TVblog, the mystery was solved when she asked producer Thom Beers, a reality TV powerhouse known for "Deadliest Catch" and "Storage Wars." "We offered her a contract to return, and she chose not to," he said at a roundtable discussion in Washington, D.C. "That's it. We invited her back. Love to have her. She's taking a year off." While he did wish her luck, Beers also did mention that he regretted she wasn't still on the show. In an interview with Hollywood Soapbox, Kelly also made it clear that the workload of filming both" Ice Road Truckers" and "IRT: Deadliest Roads" took its toll on the reality star, and part of her reasoning for taking a hiatus was to get a break from the chaotic lifestyle. Fortunately, she didn't stay away from the action for very long.
When fans tuned into Season 7 of "Ice Road Truckers," they quickly noticed that Kelly was back on the roster and behind the wheel again. She would continue contributing to the series until it ended with Season 11. Altogether, Kelly is credited with over 80 episodes, which is more than half of the series. But just because the show rolled its last of credits didn't mean that was the end of the road for Lisa Kelly.
Life after Ice Road Truckers
Even though "Ice Road Truckers" hasn't released a new entry since November 9, 2017, Lisa Kelly showed little signs of slowing down after her last appearance on the reality series. Since then, she has kept busy, telling Diesel Spec Inc. in an interview in 2018 that she was spending her time rescuing and taking care of horses, something Kelly has been passionate about her whole life. She also mentioned how she was attending trade shows in England, Scotland, and Ireland, where the show has a considerable and devoted fan base.
During her time on the series, she began doing ads and promotional material for Chevron Lubricants. She continued this after "Ice Road Truckers" ended, doing a 16-part video series titled "Destination: Further — Lisa Kelly" that gives viewers a glimpse into her life as a trucker. It shows her doing different jobs as well as overcoming various challenges, from feeding farm animals to using an excavator to bury a water line. It ran from December 18, 2018, to January 6, 2020, and the videos were uploaded to the Chevron Delos YouTube channel.
Kelly's love for trucking remains unwavering. As of 2023, CARHP said she now navigates a Freightliner Coronado 122SD while working as a truck driver for a different company, where she has been known to venture the roads in northern Alaska. Regarding her personal life, she is still married to Travis Kelly, with whom she tied the knot in 2008. Kelly also maintains a presence on social media — she posts videos of her life and her escapades behind the wheel on Facebook and through videos on her YouTube channel.
Would she return to Ice Road Truckers?
Many fans may wonder if "Ice Road Truckers" will ever return to the small screen, and if that were to happen, would Lisa Kelly be in the cast? It's no secret that things on the History Channel series weren't always glamorous for Kelly. In 2018, the reality star said in an eye-opening interview withHeavy Duty Truckingthat she was told she was only hired to be "eye candy" and didn't get paid by the show for the first few years. Even though things got off to a rough start, Kelly and the series both have come a long way since their humble beginnings, and she can't believe it lasted as long as it did. "I don't know how it went so long. I'm just pleasantly surprised," she said in the interview. "'Friends' was on for 10 seasons, you know?"
While the experience has obviously had its ups and downs, Kelly hopes the program hasn't aired its last episode, and it seems she isn't opposed to being a part of it if it returns. In fact, when she was asked about what's going on with "Ice Road Truckers" when talking withOverdrivein 2021, Kelly said, "The show's been on hiatus for a while and I wish it would come back and I know there's been talk of it but I feel like this whole COVID thing kind of put a stop on everything which sucks, so I don't know." So if a new season ever does happen and Kelly gets the call, it's safe to assume she might be back behind the wheel and in front of the cameras again.
Where fans can watch Lisa Kelly on Ice Road Truckers
Those who miss the show and its impactful cast member aren't completely out of luck because, fortunately, there is still a way for fans to get their fix of hauling oversized loads across the ice. Just chill out and relive all of your favorite moments from the show's vast catalog of entries — especially the eight seasons that feature Lisa Kelly. There are plenty of options when it comes to places to stream "Ice Road Truckers."
The first and most affordable means is via The Roku Channel, where the series can be watched for free with ads on your favorite Roku device. You can also access the show if you have a subscription to History Vault, Discovery+, Amazon Prime, and Disney+. But if none of those options seem to be worthwhile, fans can find episodes and seasons of "Ice Road Truckers" available for purchase on Apple TV, Google Play, Vudu, and Amazon Prime.
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