Ice Road Truckers’ Alex Debogorski is quick to tell you reality TV is pretty close to reality. “I’ve had people tell me, ‘oh that’s all B.S.,’ but when there’s 100 feet of tractor-trailer going down the road, and there’s nowhere to turn around, it’s pretty hard to script,” he says.
Debogorski has been with the History Channel’s Ice Road Truckers series since season one. The eighth season is slated to premiere this summer, according to the History Channel.
“I had some pretty interesting things happen,” Debogorski says, referring to the footage filmed for season eight. “A lot of our characters went on some pretty big adventures.”
Debogorski says that the freezing point is usually the most dangerous temperature, as it can lead to slippery roads and uncertainty. “If we’re on ice and snow at 30 below, it’s about the same as pavement.” He says that he believes the winters will continue to get harsher as a result of changes in worldwide climate.
As far as the show, Debogorski says the most challenging part is the pressure to do something new. Ice Road Truckers usually calls its characters to haul in different areas during different seasons, such as the season the main characters hauled in Alaska. Debogorski said he had not taken a CDL test for about 40 years until he hauled in Alaska. He’s now done many drive tests, mostly for the show to drive in different areas. “It’s a little harder to deal with change now,” he says, “It’s always a little stressful.”
