The FAT TRUCK® Ice Odyssey: Experience the Columbia Icefield Like Never Before

We utilized a new tactic we showcased a couple weeks ago with one drone searching for the patient and providing a general overview of the incident, and a second drone operating from within the FAT Truck providing pathfinding and "halo" operations. Through coordinated teamwork HAVFD, Tribal PD and AMA successfully removed the patient from the wooded area and got them off to the hospital for recovery.

Zeal Motor Inc., the manufacturer of the renowned FAT TRUCK®, is highlighting a new innovation developed by one of its dealers, Sudbury-based RufDiamond, in partnership with Cambrian College. The two organizations have developed a deployable lifting platform for the FAT TRUCK® that is now supporting wildfire response efforts in Northwestern Ontario. The platform allows a FAT TRUCK® to carry a payload of up to 2,200 pounds into locations with no road access, lift the platform off the vehicle, drive out from underneath, and lower the load to the ground — solving a persistent challenge in remote deployment: unloading cargo without cranes or other lifting equipment on site. The technology has moved quickly from concept to active field use. As of a July 2026 press conference at Cambrian College, the unit was confirmed for deployment to the wildfire crisis in Northwestern Ontario. "Without Cambrian, this would be factored under a plausible option — potential, maybe one day," said Daryl Adams, president of RufDiamond, of the platform's development. The project recently received $150,000 in funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), supporting further use of advanced materials and structural optimization to make the lifting system lighter and more energy-efficient. The same funding will also support a custom drag-behind toboggan for transporting supplies across Arctic terrain. Including RufDiamond's own cash and in-kind contributions, the total value of the two-year project is $227,500.

Fat Trucks from Zeal Motor go where nothing else can. With 5-ft. by 24-in. tires, they float in water, and with only 3 to 4 psi, they also float over most obstacles. Add spikes, and they chew their way across ice. They carry people, cargo and specialized equipment like cranes, water tanks, material spreaders or firefighting equipment.

Article in French: "Le retour de Donald Trump à la Maison-Blanche ravive le dossier du renforcement de la sécurité de l’immense frontière entre le Canada et les États-Unis. Une tâche colossale qui nécessite des équipements de pointe polyvalents. En plein la cible de Zeal Motor.

While some might lament this season’s deep snow, it proved fertile ground for Canadian Armed Forces members to train in this week. Taking advantage of both the deep snow and slushy conditions, four members of the Canadian Armed Forces from southern Ontario visited the Coniston Industrial Park to engage in Fat Truck off-road utility vehicle training. The eight-wheel, 16-passenger vehicle is 6,350 kg, carries a 1,816 kg payload, a top speed of 40 km/h on land and is designed for all manner of weather and ground conditions, with the amphibious vehicle able to traverse deep snow and marshy swamps. Its on-water top speed is five km/h. The Defense FAT TRUCK® Arctic Mobility Amphibious Vehicle (AMAV) offers even greater payload and top speed options.

Hydro One crews successfully restored power to thousands of customers, thanks in part to the exceptional capabilities of the FAT TRUCK®. This versatile vehicle proved invaluable for navigating through heavy snow and winter storms, ensuring both the safety of the crews and their ability to efficiently perform critical restoration work.