Lisa Kelly from “Ice Road Truckers” discusses her experiences with trucking and reality television.
On May 1, 2020, John G. Smith of Today’s Trucking covered Kelly Lisa ’s reflections on her time with “Ice Road Truckers” during Trucking HR Canada’s Women with Drive event in Toronto.
Before g her calling behind the wheel while delivering pizzas. This interest led her to earn her CDL and start her career at Carlile Transportation in Alaska.
Kelly faced caining fame on “Ice Road Truckers,” Lisa Kelly was already an accomplished truck driver. Though she didn’t grow up in a trucking family, and medical careers were not her path, Kelly foundhallenges early in her career, feeling she had to work harder than her male colleagues to prove her worth. She discussed this during her presentation at the conference, noting that she often felt scrutinized more closely than others.
The opportunity to join “Ice Road Truckers” came unexpectedly when her boss offered her a chance to appear on TV. Kelly agreed without knowing much about the show, and was soon cast as the first female driver. Initially labeled as “eye candy,” Kelly was determined to demonstrate her skills beyond this stereotype.
Working with a camera crew was a new experience for her, though she expressed a lack of interest in driver-facing cameras due to their impact on her sense of freedom. Despite the unique challenges of being filmed, she adapted and remained a key cast member from Seasons 3 through 11, including two seasons of “IRT Deadliest Roads” in South America and India.
Kelly found the media’s focus on her appearance rather than her driving skills somewhat frustrating but shrugged it off with humor. She recounted unusual fan encounters and noted the impact of TV fame on her personal life.
She also addressed the reality of working on reality TV, explaining the challenges of portraying trucking accurately on screen. Kelly mentioned that while the show was unscripted, producers sometimes staged scenarios to create engaging stories. Despite this, she felt her authentic experiences were crucial and even intervened to ensure accuracy when necessary.
Reflecting on her experiences, Kelly preferred the more stable roads of India over the perilous conditions in Peru and Bolivia, emphasizing the importance of solid infrastructure. She concluded that while reality TV can create compelling narratives, it often does not fully capture the complexity of real-life trucking.
