Ice-road run: how we prep cargo and crew

Ice roads stretch for hundreds of kilometres where the actual load class of the road shifts every week: overflow ice, wind exposure, drifting sections. In this note we show how TK VSR preps cargo and crew for a winter-season run.

Dispatch window

In the peak season we run one to two trips a week on northern corridors. In March the flow quiets down: the ice on crossings degrades and the day-night temperature swing starts melting the surface. The key planning driver is overflow-ice behaviour and bridge condition along the corridor.

Pre-run checklist

• Pre-heater tested in the shop — five error-free starts.
• Arctic lubricants per the PM card, engine-oil reserve for the run.
• Fuel reserve for 1,500 km + autonomous pump on tankers.
• Chains, shovel, hose heater.
• Comms: two radios, satellite phone, two charged power banks.

Risks we burn down ahead of time

1. Road closure

The ice road is closed on a weather call by the regional road authority. Our contract caps the delay at 48 hours and we build that buffer into schedules. If the run is urgent we switch to a backup truck on the parallel leg via Severobaikalsk.

2. Equipment failure

Starter, injection pump and heater pump life tank at sub-zero. So 48 hours before a run the truck goes to the shop: defect check, swap units, shop run. On the road we run in pairs — if one truck stops, the second pulls up and couples.

3. Live axle-load check

The ice road doesn't always hold the rated mass: thin snow pad in one spot, overflow ice in another. The driver matches actual loads against the road's passport and local restrictions. Sometimes we decouple at a transfer point and run in two trips.

«The ice road only forgives two people: the dispatcher who keeps slack in the schedule, and the driver who doesn't push their truck.»

— TK VSR lead mechanic

The outcome

In the 2024/25 season we ran dozens of trips on northern corridors with zero accidents and zero carrier-side downtime. No magic — a procedure where every role knows its checklist and its decision point. If you need northern supply, drop us a line and we'll build the project end to end.