You remember the blonde hair, the massive Kenworth, and that look of absolute focus while sliding across a sheet of ice that could swallow a house? Most people do. Lisa Kelly wasn't just another reality TV face; she was the one everyone actually rooted for because she felt real. While the guys were posturing and growling at each other, she was just trying to keep eighteen wheels on solid ground at -40 degrees.
But then, the cameras stopped rolling. The show went dark. And the rumors started flying.
Was she done with the road? Did she finally have enough of the "sexist" comments and the pressure of being the only woman in the room? Honestly, the truth is a lot more interesting than the tabloid headlines. Lisa didn't just disappear into the Alaskan wilderness to hide. She was actually building something.
What Really Happened to Lisa from Ice Road Truckers?
For a while, everyone thought the show was just dead. After Season 11, the History Channel went quiet. Fans were basically left hanging, wondering if their favorite truckers had finally pushed their luck too far. But here’s the thing: Lisa never actually quit trucking. She just quit the drama for a minute.
She spent years driving for Carlile Transportation, which is basically the gold standard for Alaskan haulage. But working for a massive company while being a TV star is... weird. You've got people watching your every move. You’ve got producers asking you to "act" more worried. In reality, Lisa was becoming an elite operator. She wasn't just "the girl on the show" anymore. She was a legit heavy-haul specialist.
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She eventually left Carlile to go off on her own. She teamed up with Darrell Ward—the "Montana Legend"—to start their own company. It was a huge move. Then, tragedy hit. Darrell died in a plane crash in 2016, and it absolutely rocked the trucking community. People thought Lisa might pack it in then. She didn't. She kept the company running, showing that grit that made us love her in the first place.
The Return We All Wanted
Fast forward to late 2025 and early 2026. The whispers about an Ice Road Truckers revival turned out to be 100% true. Lisa is back in Season 12, but she isn't the same "rookie" we saw years ago. She's now an owner-operator. She bought her own 2019 Peterbilt 389—a beautiful, classic long-nose truck—and she’s running her own business under the name Arctic Fox Trucking.
The nickname "Arctic Fox" actually came from a producer back in the early days. Lisa hated it at first. She thought it was a joke. But after Esquire labeled her the "sexiest trucker alive" and the fans embraced it, the name stuck. Now, it’s the name on her legal business paperwork. Talk about full circle.
The Reality of the Ice Roads (It Sucks More Than You Think)
People always ask if the show is fake. Look, the "scary music" and the dramatic editing? Yeah, that’s TV. But the cold? That is very real. Lisa has talked about repairing her own rig when it’s -40°F outside. Think about that for a second. Your skin literally freezes to the metal if you aren't careful.
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She's spent weeks driving with no heat in the cab because a blower motor died and she had to choose between stopping (and freezing) or pushing through. She pushed through.
Why she's a "Unicorn" in the Industry:
- She’s one of only about 6% of female truckers in the US.
- She actually finished the IRT: Deadliest Roads Himalayan run. Most of the guys quit.
- She manages a fleet of horses, a miniature horse named Rocky, and a cat named Tanzi between hauls.
- She’s a former state freestyle motocross champion.
Is She Still Married?
This is the big one people Google constantly. Lisa married Traves Kelly back in 2008. He’s a full Aleut Native Alaskan and a massive dirt bike enthusiast. For a long time, they were the "it" couple of the North. However, recent updates from the 2025/2026 season and interviews have confirmed a shift.
Lisa has mentioned going through a divorce and moving on. It’s personal, and she doesn't blast it all over social media, but it’s clear she’s in a new chapter of her life. She’s focused on her business and her animals. She’s also leaned hard into minimalism. She’s basically stripping back the "celebrity" fluff and living a simpler life in Wasilla, Alaska.
Where Can You Find Her Now?
If you want the real Lisa, stay off the gossip sites. She’s actually pretty active on her own terms:
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- YouTube: She has her own channel where she posts behind-the-scenes clips that aren't edited by History Channel producers.
- Instagram: You’ll see more pictures of her horses and dirt bikes than her truck.
- The Haul Road: Honestly, if you're in Alaska on the Dalton Highway, you might just see the Arctic Fox Peterbilt hauling a load to the North Slope.
The biggest takeaway from Lisa's journey isn't that she’s a TV star. It’s that she’s a survivor. She outlasted the show's hiatus, she outlasted the skeptics, and she’s still out there grinding when most people would have retired on the "fame" money.
If you're looking to follow in her footsteps, don't just buy a truck. Start by getting your CDL and working local routes first. Lisa spent years as a courier and a school bus driver before she ever touched an ice road. There are no shortcuts when the ground is frozen.
Check out the latest episodes of the revival to see the Peterbilt in action—it's a far cry from the company trucks she used to pilot. And if you're ever stuck in a snowdrift, just hope it’s a driver with her level of patience that pulls up behind you.