In this fascinating follow-up to the first series of Ice Road Truckers, Alex, Hugh, Drew, Rick, TJ and Jay gather around the table again to go another round off the ice. These guys travel at 15 miles an hour for days on end. They talk about how they stay awake and how they spice it up. Which prompts the question: why not just fly the stuff in? Because these hauls are huge. The bigger the better is Jay’s opinion.

Hugh and Rick confront the issue that everybody wants to know about – the disagreement over the heat in Rick’s truck. Ultimately, Hugh and Rick won’t let a little heat destroy their twelve year friendship, even at temperatures of forty degrees below zero.

Speaking of the cold, how do they prepare to work in such extreme temperatures? The guys explain how they winterise their trucks and how they can bear the freezing air and biting wind.

Karen MacDougall drops by for a visit to talk about being a woman on the ice road. She can do everything that the men can do, she assures them. Surprisingly, both Hugh and Alex think that women work better, harder and safer than men, and each says they would hire a woman.

Diamond mines are something of a mystery. Even Jay, who has worked in the mines for years operating a huge mining shovel, says he has never actually seen a diamond there. It just looks like rock and dirt. And security is so high, that the men are chaperoned everywhere the go on the mine property.

The art of driving on the ice is completely different to driving on the Highway. TJ and Drew speak about some of the differences in driving techniques and they impart a few tips and tricks.

The ice roads make their way through a landscape of unspoiled wilderness. Even these tough guys are astounded by its unrivalled beauty. Alex is a resident of Yellowknife and loves the life that prospecting and truck driving afford him. He has some political aspirations too. The big guy is much more than a dumb driver.

Finally, the men talk about the real reason that they bust their asses on the ice road – their families. Each of them talk about the ones they love, and Jay reveals that his workaholic tendencies have put a big strain on his relationship with his fiancée. Everyone at the table agrees that you have to know where to draw the line between work and family.