Ice Road Truckers came of nowhere to be a smash hit. I am sure when it first aired on the History Channel, a lot of people thought this show would bomb and have a really short run, but it turned out that a show about a bunch of talented truck drivers who were equal parts brave and insane cruising along in their massive 18 wheelers hauling cargo across frozen lakes in the most dangerous conditions imaginable, was something that millions of people wanted to watch.

Before long these truck drivers became stars. Some of them were stars because they were so cool that we all wanted to be just like them, and others became famous because they were so totally nuts that we couldn't resist watching them. These guys were out there risking their lives, or at least they looked like they were, and we just couldn't stop watching.

The thing is though if you're going to cast a reality show that features a bunch of truck drivers that are crazy enough to drive under these conditions, well a lot of them are going to be crazy, you get what you ask for in this life after all. And the Ice Road Truckers that weren't crazy? Well, maybe they were just a tiny bit fake and propped up by the producers to look like more than they were. Other drivers just led the kind of wild lives you would expect from someone that chose this profession.

Here are 18 things about the drivers of Ice Road Truckers that might surprise you, and that most of them wouldn't want fans to know.

18 Rick Yemm: Says His Portrayal Is Fake

If you're a producer of a show like Ice Road Truckers or any reality show for that matter, you tend to pigeonhole all of the cast members into certain characters and then edit their film to make them appear a certain way. If you ever watch Survivor, for example, you know that you can often tell who is going to win just by the "edit" that the show gives them. In the early seasons of the show, Rick Yemm was always sort of portrayed as the bad guy, the one that messed up all the time. Yemm has said that the producers just put all the drivers in a role, and they can't do anything about it.

17 Alex Debogorski: Used To Be A Diamond Prospector

Alex Deborgski has led just as much of a colourful life as you might imagine. He has had numerous jobs over the years, ranging from a taxi driver, a club bouncer, oil rigger, coal miner, and as a coal and diamond prospector, before he finally bought his first truck way back in 1980.

Fans might not know this, but he also has 11 kids.

That sort of explains all of the different jobs. For one thing, you have to make a lot of cash if you want to support 11 children, and for another, we imagine Alex was always trying to figure out ways to get out of the house, no wonder he started driving trucks.

16 Drew Sherwood: Thought Of As Overly Confident

Whenever you're doing something that is difficult to do then a lot of times a certain amount of arrogance comes along with that and being a truck driver is no different. A case in point is Drew Sherwood. He was a truck driver with a ton of experience, but none on the ice roads. Hugh Rowland thought that he was an arrogant rookie, and that became more obvious when Sherwood told him on the very first episode "I have no intention of going in a ditch, bro." Of course, you know what happened, Sherwood wound up in a ditch. Talk about self-sabotage!

15 Dave Redmon: Says Show Tried To Make Him Look Bad

Just about everyone that is on a reality TV show has to worry about how they are going to look while on the show. Sometimes you can come off looking great, and other times you look awful.

Trucker Dave Redmon didn't come off looking all that great, and he blames it all on the show.

He told the website Trucker News “They really, really spent a lot of effort making me look terrible in Alaska. The stuff you see on TV is totally so far from the truth it’s just unreal.” He claims that even when he was fired from the show on the air that it was scripted.

14 Eric Dufresne: Says He Can Be Comfortable At 30 Below

We all know that guy. No matter how bad the conditions are, it doesn't bother them at all, they can handle it. And they can not only handle it, but they really want to let you know that it doesn't bother them, even if you feel like you are going to die. Trucker Eric Dufresne, who before he was on the show had been working on the ice roads for more than two decades, claims that he can be outside at minus 30 degrees wearing nothing but a jean jacket and he is fine. 'So you know when I said don't be that guy? Eric Dufresne is that guy.

13 Bear Swenson: Is A Bear Guide In His Spare Time

Bear Swenson got his nickname for two reasons, according to The History Channel's website. One was because he actually looks like a bear, and the other reason is that when he isn't driving trucks he is a professional bear hunting guide. I have to say that sounds kind of dangerous. How can you possibly be good at leading people to hunt bear when you look exactly like a bear. Doesn't that sound really dangerous? He only lasted for one season on the show, and then presumably Bear went back to hunting for bears. A little confusing, Right? Maybe he went to find himself!

12 Lisa Kelly: Gave Away Her Dog

Lisa Kelly became a huge star because of her role on Ice Road Truckers, so much so that she also was on the spinoff of the show, which was called IRT: Dangerous Roads. Before she even started on IRT: Dangerous Roads she decided she would find a puppy and bring it along with her while she was being filmed. She did, but the puppy was basically taken care of by one of her helpers.

As soon as the show was over, she gave the puppy away.

This is what is known as taking on a big responsibility without having the time to actually care for it.

11 Darrell Ward: Involved In A Plane Crash

One of the saddest things that happened to any of the stars of Ice Road Truckers was the untimely passing of Darrell Ward. He was one of the most popular cast members on the show, and fans were heartbroken by the news. He was known as a skilled and fearless driver and also for how he helped drivers in need of assistance, even if they were his rivals. He lost his life in a plane crash while on the way to film the pilot for a documentary show involving the recovery of plane wrecks. That sounds like some sort of bad joke but it actually is true. He was 52 years old.

10 Ray Veilleux: His Business Failed

Ray Veilleux was a contractor from Montana who was doing okay until the recession hit, then he had to lay everyone off and start all over. That is a pretty sad story.

What makes his story a little less sad is that he found a job working for a trucking company in Alaska.

Soon after that he was asked to be on Ice Road Truckers. What a great feel-good story, even if the work is hard. In an interview with The Flathead Beacon, he said “When you’re out there you can’t call AAA if you break down, you got to be a little bit mechanically inclined to figure it out.

9 Todd White: Banned For Speeding

There are some roads that you really probably shouldn't speed on if you're a trucker on an ice road, that probably goes double. Todd "Chains" White was hired as part of Rowland's crew, one of the reasons he got the job was because he needed 20 grand to repair his own truck. Before long though he got busted for going 39 miles per hour in a 25 mile an hour zone, and he lost his job, even though he appealed by saying that he missed the speed limit sign. Hey Todd, you're a truck driver and you thought you could get away with that excuse?

8 Steph Custance: Was Hired For Her Looks

Let's be honest about something, shall we? Steph Custance did not get hired to be a trucker because she was more skilled than other drivers.

She was only 22 years old and had less than a year's experience driving a truck when she was brought on.

If she looked like a more typical truck driver and had less than a year of experience she would have likely been told to take a hike back up the ice roads. But the thing is, Steph is a very good looking woman who drives a truck, and reality television shows are always on the lookout for good looking women to be on them, and there is no crime in that. She is still a great addition to the show.

7 Art Burke: Fired By Rowland

Art Burke is the real deal, he is a native of Yellowknife and had been driving on ice roads for around 15 years, but that doesn't mean he can't get fired. He originally was hired by Rowland to work for VP Express but Rowland fired him. You might think that would mean he would be off the show, but instead, he ended up driving for Polar. This might seem odd but at the same point, it probably isn't that different than if you had a job up there for real. If you're a decent ice road trucker then I am sure you can always find a well-paying job

6 Joey Barnes: The King Of Obsolete

One might think being called "The King of Obsolete" is an insult, but not to trucker Joey Barnes. According to the History Channels website "In a remote corner of Manitoba, Joey “The King of Obsolete” Barnes has deemed his plot of land “The Kingdom,” and it’s filled with vintage CATs and trucks from the 1930s to the 1970s. Many of the vehicles are rarities, and he’s re-engineered many of them into his own unique pieces of equipment." He has his own website at www.kingofobsolete.ca, but be warned, it's kind of weird. Unless you really like vintage mechanical mutations.

5 Maya Sieber: Totally Unqualified

Maya Sieber, are you kidding me? What was that about? Lisa Kelly lived in Alaska when she was 6 years old. Even though Steph Custance was young she also is from Winnipeg and knows the lifestyle. Maya Sieber is a truck driver from New York City.

She was 27 when she started the show and only had three years experience.

Obviously, the only reason she was put on the show is that she was an attractive young female. Is there anything wrong with that? No, not at all, it just makes the show look pretty fake.

4 Jack Jessee: Turned Into A Bit Of A Bully

Jack Jessee once said on the show "You learn the road really fast… or you end up dead." So you probably have a pretty good idea that he doesn't mess around a whole lot. But did he turn into a bully? Huliq.com thinks so saying" What made him that “ace” for many fans, anyway, was not just how many loads he could carry in a season, but that he carried those loads and himself with style and professionalism. Now, however, he is turning into the bully of the Dalton—not much of an ace." Those are some pretty strong words.

3 Jay Westgard: The Most Talented?

While a lot of these drivers might not have a whole lot of experience driving trucks, let alone under dangerous conditions, or are maybe even people that producers picked because they thought the fans might like them, Jay Westgard is the real deal. Jay is a year-round resident of the town of Yellowknife. He was driving trucks when he was 16 years old, and owned his first truck at the age of 18. Despite being only 25 when he started on the show, he is considered the best driver by most, and he took on jobs that much more experienced drivers shied away from.

2 T.J. Wilcox: Doesn't Enjoy The Cold

I have to say if I hated the cold and snow, and I kind of do, probably the very last thing that I would do would be to sign up to be a trucker on the ice roads, even if that meant I was going to be on television and would be kind of famous. Tell that to driver T.J. Tilcox who was only 21 when he started the show, he spent all sorts of time complaining about the cold and ice and said he just wanted the gig because he needed experience. I don't know T.J. I don't like cold and ice either but when I was 21 I moved to Miami. It isn't cold there at all.

1 Carey Hall: Has A Deep Respect For Mother Nature

Everyone liked Carey "Big Daddy" Hall. Originally from Louisiana, Hall was respected for his skill as a driver and for his friendly personality. But what does Hall respect? Mother nature. According to an interview with Chrome and Steel Radio, "He's spent most of his driving career on the icy roads of Alaska pulling over-sized, over-weight freight across the frozen state.

One of the most important things to remember, he says, is to respect the road and mother nature.

Conditions are often extreme and can change in a matter of minutes. It's no wonder he's built this impeccable reputation as one of the top-heavy haul drivers in the country."

Sources: TMZ.com, IMDB.com, History.co.uk, Wikipedia.org