History Television continues to see first-rate numbers for the third season of reality Ice Road Truckers, the Canwest-owned specialty’s most popular series.

The show maintains a loyal audience with an average 470,000 viewers tuning in each Wednesday at 9 p.m. — comparable with its high-flying premiere of 597,000 last month. (All numbers 2+.)

The season debut on March 31 broke records for History as the most-watched episode of all time of any series, despite competition from top-rated U.S. fare including Criminal Minds and American Idol. It also surpassed Truckers‘ previous high of 512,000 viewers for the second season debut last year.

The series depicts the lives of a group of professional drivers who brave blizzard conditions and ice roads to deliver supplies to miners in the Canadian tundra. The male-skewing show mirrors History’s Ice Pilots NWT, a similar reality about elite pilots from Yellowknife who fly vintage planes in and out of mining sites in the Far North.