Watching a recent episode of the TV show "Ice Road Truckers," Ed Leach was excited to hear an Alaskan female trucker say "it was time to put on the TRYGG chains."

That's because Leach, owner of White Mountain Chain, is the distributor for TRYGG chains in the western United States, including a dealership in Fairbanks, Alaska.

"That was an awesome plug for them and on international TV," Leach said.

Since 1989, Leach has been a distributor of the Norwegian-made tire chains used for the mining, oil, logging and trucking industries. He provides the chains to dealerships.

The woman featured on the History channel's episode of "Ice Road Truckers" received a "thank-you" from Leach. He sent her a TRYGG chain hat and jacket.

"I saw her wearing the jacket the other day," said Lane Keator, terminal manager for Carlile Transportation Systems in Fairbanks, where she works. "She told me the story about receiving it."

The female trucker typically hauls pipe between Fairbanks and Prudhoe Bay on Alaska's North Slope, where North America's largest oil field is located.

Keator has been using TRYGG chains for about 8 years.

"They have a couple different sizes," he said. "We like the 8 mm. They grip a little better. They dig really well."

Truckers use the chains when there's 6 to 10 inches of fresh snow on the ground and for really icy conditions, when a driver would have a hard time keeping the truck on the road, Keator said.

The main purpose of chains is to help trucks climb hills, he added.