This episode introduces us to the six ice road truckers, men who haul equipment and supplies to miners in Yellowknife, Canada in eighteen wheelers across a road of ice. Road construction crews begin creating the 350 mile highway of ice. And when the temperature is just right and the ice thick enough, the truckers head up on their way on one of the most dangerous jobs in the world.

The road is stopped due to a traffic jam. Jay hauls a 17-ton water tank, while Hugh and Rick start on a season long competition to see who can get the highest load count.

The road is once again closed due to an Arctic storm. Also, Alex must transport a 44,000-pound diamond-ore crusher.

After eighteen days of hauling the truckers have delivered more than 3,000 loads to the diamond mines. It's getting colder, the loads are getting heavier and they only have three feet of ice between them and disaster. A fuel tanker flips, a rookie driver is sidelined when his truck has its battery box torn out of it, and another rookie is feeling the cold in a truck that is weatherproofed with duct tape.

Traffic is blocked by an overturned fuel tanker, which poses an enviromental threat if the fuel contaminates a river. Also, the truckers begin to have blowouts as a result of speeding.

Jay hauls a 95,000-pound diamond ore scrubber, which the De Beers mine needs in order to start production. T.J. is investigated for negligent driving. Rick continues to hang in there and is still hauling without any heat in his truck. A truck goes through the ice and emergency crews spring into action.

Past the halfway mark into the 2 month ice road season, Alex drives across a new 138-mile ice road to Colomac Gold mine. Hugh picks up his 17th load after he gets an oil and tire change. Drew's truck runs out of gas and freezes up. T.J. begins to suffer from abdominal pain while on the road.

Day 37 and 3,000 loads to go. An arctic storm is building up while a large amount of critical supplies still need to be delivered. A special convoy of five trucks try to get the loads out. TJ gets separated from the convoy. Meanwhile, Hugh struggles with having lost two of his drivers this ice road season.

Day 53 of the ice road season. A large amount of critical loads still need to get up the road and Alex is part of the last great push. His convoy carries the heaviest load ever to cross the ice, a 100 ton electrical unit for the Diavik mine. Rick may be suffering from frostbite and has hit his limit driving a truck in forty below with no heat. T.J. heads out on his 18th load across melting ice and a road that will soon disappear.

The melt begins and the road is almost empty, only the toughest or craziest truckers remain. The race to see who will have the highest load count is close and every last load could spell victory for the remaining ice road truckers.