Ice Road Truckers (2007) s05e04 Episode Script
Fire on Ice
Watch out, Hugh! Tonight on Ice Road Truckers Oh, that ice.
Alex tests the limits of a newly frozen lake.
They just-- Boof, and they go through, and they hit the bottom.
Two rookies take their first crack at the Haul road.
Big truck, big truck.
Watch out, watch out.
And Hugh and Rick tow the biggest loads Aw, man! Ever to cross the Canadian ice.
I didn't sign up for this [Bleep.]
stupid [Bleep.]
.
At the polar industries truck yard in winnipeg, Canada Whoa! Tighten her up now.
Hugh Rowland and Rick Yemm are gearing up for their biggest load of the season An entire airport terminal.
What we're doin' is loading up a three-part building.
It all bolts together when we get to St.
Theresa.
It's actually for the new airport up in St.
Theresa point.
Each of the three modular structures is 12 feet wide and 62 feet long.
Loads this size will pose a serious challenge on the unforgiving terrain.
Okay, you got a cross chain? That's all that needs.
We can probably do something from the back I think, too, eh? Should cross-chain it at the back.
We'll bring it in, like, over the top, just straps.
But this has to be cross-chained, for sure, across there.
Oh, yeah, you'll lose the back end.
Weighing 86,000 pounds each, a convoy this size has never been attempted on the manitoba ice roads.
Uh, we've got Hugh and Rick Hauling.
We're gonna guide this thing through real safely and real slow and, uh, make sure it gets to its destination.
The future of mark's business is riding on Hugh's ability to get the job done.
He's gonna be the best guy I know for the-- Advise us for the job.
Biggest, most important run that polar industries has ever done.
We can throw five straps on there.
Okay.
That'd be good.
It's a reputation maker, this one.
I mean, if, uh-- If we don't get it up there, I'm done.
Piece of cake? Piece of cake.
Yeah? No problem.
I'm glad you got confidence.
The heavy-haul team heads out on the 500-mile trek to the isolated village of St.
Theresa point.
So, mark, how long you figure it's gonna take us to get in? Uh, it could take us as long as 30 hours.
That's a big 10-4 on the 30 hours, boss.
I figured you'd like that.
Mark is out front in the pilot car.
I don't know about you guys.
And driver Vlad Pleskot rounds out the convoy with the third module.
None of these guys have Hauled them before.
I'm the veteran at this.
Well, when I heard these were the biggest loads to ever have been on these ice roads, I jumped right at the chance.
I volunteered Rick, too.
They just opened that one new bridge.
Well, it'll be interesting.
Just take her nice and cool.
We don't want no [Bleep.]
-ups.
Is everybody through? That's a big 10-4.
With the narrow bridge crossing behind them, Hugh, Rick, and the rest of the convoy have bigger challenges ahead 500 miles of Canada's most dangerous roads.
2,700 miles west, in Fairbanks Dave Redmon is three weeks into his season with no loads to show for it.
All right.
Have a seat.
I know you and Tony had a few personality issues.
Right.
I feel like I'm [Bleep.]
eight years old over here, drivin' a [Bleep.]
big wheel.
You are talkin' so much bull[Bleep.]
, it's starting to really bug me.
I drive the truck safe.
I just don't like being pushed around, you know.
Well, talkin' to Phil, it sounds like, uh, he's ready to let you get out there and do it in your own in that truck.
Okay.
So you'll be in 1158.
That's the truck you're gonna be drivin'.
Okay.
That is the same truck that our, uh, furry, little friend, Hugh Rowland, drove last year.
Come on, baby! The attitude didn't come with the truck, so don't bring another one into it, I guess.
You don't have to worry about that.
All right? I appreciate you giving me a chance.
All right, man.
Don't make me regret it.
I won't.
Thanks, buddy.
Thank you.
1158.
This is it, I guess.
Man, I've scrapped better trucks than this.
I don't know about this piece of [Bleep.]
.
Trashed on the inside.
I hope they don't expect me to drive this son of a bitch all the way to the Prudhoe and back.
What do you need? Uh, it don't look good.
Looks like a fleet of monkeys have been livin' in it.
New drivers do not start with new trucks in this company.
You work your way up.
Okay.
Hugh drove the wheels off that thing almost and, uh, never had a problem with it.
The truck isn't pretty, but the money's not rolling in until Dave's rolling out.
Yeah, once I get this thing started, I'm just gonna have to take it and, you know, ride it around town or, you know, take it for a test drive, you know, to feel if I feel safe to drive up there.
I'm not gonna drive an unsafe truck out into the wilderness.
It just ain't gonna happen.
I didn't come here to die.
Back in Canada Hugh and Rick battle their rough frozen tundra.
Yeah, they just opened this section of road up for us there, so, uh, it's either gonna be in really good shape, or it's gonna be in really [Bleep.]
bad shape.
They might have just said, "[Bleep.]
it, it's good enough.
" Yeah, you wait till today.
She's supposed to warm up here in a little bit, and she's gonna be rougher.
As the convoy picks up speed Rick and Hugh, you copy? Yes, sir.
Mark sends a warning.
We got a pretty good roller up here at, uh, kilometer ten.
That's a 10-4.
10-4.
Aw, man! Is my trailer still on there? Just.
I seen some shrapnel come out from under my trailer.
Ricky, Ricky, Ricky.
You're goin' too fast over these hummocks.
He bounced the trailer out of the hummocks, and then he just gets in a rush.
He knows better, but he gets in a rush, and They can say everybody's in a hurry, and we're not.
Hey, mark.
You blew a tire and bent a rim, too.
What's that? You blew a tire and bent a rim, too.
Oh, [Bleep.]
.
That's what I heard pop there.
Just now? Just now, just over there.
With no spare rims Better hop in there and get Joe on the horn, tell him to get Vlad to stop.
The crew will have to come up with a quick fix, or the $180,000 Megahaul ends here.
[Bleep.]
.
Yeah, [Bleep.]
is right.
We're not even halfway up.
Aw, [Bleep.]
, man.
Why me? The oversized convoy has come to a halt.
None of these trailers has spares on 'em? Rick slammed into a hummock Aw, man! Denting a rim and crippling his massive load.
That's not-- Not good for some of the rough stuff we got to hit soon.
I guess this is why mark wanted to bring a mechanic along.
You never know what the [Bleep.]
gonna happen.
But it happened.
Bring me that sledge on the back of our truck.
What we're gonna try to do is hammer those rims straight and try to reseat the bead and get 'em aired up and get 'em back on, and we'll get 'em goin'.
Once a seal is broken between tire and rim, it becomes very difficult to inflate the tire.
Got an air line set up here for a supply line from the tractor.
I don't think they're gonna make it, uh I mean, the rim is "bended.
" Uh, they got no Jack, so I don't think we're gonna put the tire back on the rim.
Ah! Well, if we can't get it with air, we just-- If we can find some ether, we'll just Both the insides are still sealed.
We'll be able to get it.
Ether! I'm on it.
Hugh tries an old trucker's trick Spraying ether on the inside of the tire.
Once the tire is full of fumes, Hugh will ignite the ether.
The heat will cause the air to expand and hopefully pop the tire back onto the rim.
The danger is that using too much ether will cause the tire to explode.
Ready? Keep pullin'.
Aah.
Put the whole [Bleep.]
can of it in there.
But everybody's got to be ready.
Watch out, Hugh! There it goes! Yes! Get the air to it! Yeah, here, buddy.
Stop within [Bleep.]
inches.
Hugh's old-school fix Lookin' pretty good there.
That's perfect.
Gets the convoy back on the ice.
But Rick's mistake has cost them the whole afternoon.
Well, he'll have to go [Bleep.]
slow down.
We can't be [Bleep.]
around like we were.
[Bleep.]
.
A strong convoy requires top performances from every driver.
But now Rick looks like the weakest link in the chain.
At the Carlile truck yard in Fairbanks Hey, how you doin'? After weeks of training, top New York driver Maya Sieber is finally ready to test her skills on the Haul road.
Today's gonna be my first day driving.
It's something I couldn't wait for, and it's finally here, so I'm really excited.
This is something I'm used to, definitely-- Hooking up to the load.
After years of experience driving small trucks, this will be Maya's first time Hauling a flatbed.
Drop your suspension.
Just give it a second for your suspension gauge to drop to zero, and then you can back under.
Carlile trainer Phil Krom will be riding along to evaluate her skills.
But Maya's goal is to drive all 500 miles herself.
Tires? Tires are good.
We call those knuckle busters.
Yeah, I've done that before.
I've lost a fingernail.
Okay.
There you go.
I feel good.
I'm ready to go.
What do you think about that? Oh, [Bleep.]
, I didn't see that.
I didn't notice that door open up there.
I was just focusing on the straps gettin' tight.
There's a lot of stuff to check on a flatbed.
Ready or not The Dalton has a new driver.
I'm Hauling lumber and these big funnel-type things.
What are they called again? Hoppers.
Hoppers, that's it.
We're gonna work on a lot of things today, uh Truck position in the road, and, most certainly, I will tell you what gear to be in before we drop off the hill.
We don't need you droppin' off in too high of gear.
No, that wouldn't be fun for anybody.
Right.
Get down into sixth over.
We're gonna drop into 20 for a mile.
Damn.
That's all right.
You're gonna have a A pretty sharp corner at the bottom.
Just, uh, concentrate.
You want to be glancin' to the other side of the corner to make sure nobody's comin'.
If somebody is, you just have to get to your side.
Now, when you can look across there and see nobody's comin', use a little more of the road, but you have to be ready for that to change.
Make sure you stay to your side 'Cause we can't see anybody comin' yet.
There's one gettin' ready to come up.
Big truck, big truck.
Watch out, watch out.
Just 30 miles into her first trip up the Haul road Big truck, big truck.
Watch out, watch out.
Oh, my God.
He was Hauling ass.
Oh, my God.
The close call has Maya on edge, and with bigger challenges ahead, Phil is having second thoughts about keeping the rookie behind the wheel.
Why don't we get up here, and we'll pull into the pull-out? Maybe let your nerves calm down a little bit.
Go ahead and turn in.
Turn.
[Bleep.]
.
Okay, I'll drive for a little while, let you enjoy the scenery, take a little break.
We'll continue on, then.
At this point, um, I'm still trying to get Maya to become familiar with the truck, and the first 56 miles are pretty serious.
There's a lot of major hills.
He's gonna take the more serious hills.
I'm gonna pay more attention, see how he shifts and what gear he's gonna take.
It's a little bit of a ride-along, but that's okay.
I get to see the road from a different perspective.
Back in Canada, Alex Debogorski is looking to cash in on his fourth run of the season.
We're gonna make sure the people up north got their fuel and their groceries and their new underwear and whatever else we're gonna Haul up there-- Pillows, construction materials, parts for the drills that are out there looking for gold and silver and uranium.
The flour and the icing for the wedding cakes this summer.
Today Alex is carrying a forklift bound for St.
Theresa point and six boats for the isolated town of garden hill.
If you got it, the truck brought it.
It's just-- Down South, you know, it's just like the heart beating.
The trucks just keep goin' round and round.
It's like blood flow, you know.
They just keep the nation goin', whereas up here, the weather and the seasons-- All of a sudden, the trucks go, and then they stop.
That's it.
No more trucks.
You got to wait till next year.
So you have to plan ahead, or else you aren't gonna have it.
Turn to the left and then back up.
Is it okay like that? In the bush, good equipment is hard to come by, and these pallets are the closest thing to a loading ramp.
Okay, you think you can just lift her up, or you gonna lift it up and pull it back and just sort of bounce her up? I'll lift it off and Carry it? Carry it over maybe.
Best thing is to stay out of the way.
I don't think I want to be responsible for this performance.
Don't let nothin' but fear and common sense stop you.
It's gonna tip! It's gonna tip! Went better than I thought it would.
It's gonna be a whole new meaning to dropping your load off.
In Alaska, 200 miles up the Haul road Dave Redmon is finally in the game.
This is the big learning process right here.
You know, I'm in the truck by myself.
I'm doing everything on my own now.
Now I can concentrate on figuring out what works for me and not what works for somebody else sittin' in the passenger seat.
Just as Dave is getting comfortable in the cab And you might want to try that.
It has a special screw in it.
Who is that, Tony? He hears a familiar voice on the radio.
Think your attitude might have something to do with that? I have not had one-- Every time that I said these things, it's been legit-- All of 'em! Go ahead.
How you doin', Tony? Is that Dave? Yes, sir.
How's this? Is this better? Yeah, yeah, he kicked me out of his truck, so I had to get something else, so I'm just tryin' to get up the road.
Appreciate all your help.
You do? Really? I do, you know.
I'm not a total [Bleep.]
.
Oh, man.
Well, as long as you appreciated my help, then that makes me feel a little better.
All right, buddy.
That was Tony My Nemesis.
You can have one pit bull chained to one tree and one pit bill chained to another tree-- They'll get along just fine.
Don't chain 'em to the same tree.
Somethin' bad's gonna happen.
While Dave puts the bad blood with Tony behind him, an even bigger challenge lies ahead The steep, slippery grade of Koyukuk.
You know, down in the lower in Iowa and you miss a gear, I mean, you got all day to find another one.
Up here, you miss a gear, the truck comes to a complete stop.
Second.
Oh, [Bleep.]
.
All right, stop.
Brakes, brakes, brakes, brakes! His last attempt at the Koyukuk was a blow to this Boy, I [Bleep.]
that up, didn't I? You did.
Now Dave gets a second chance.
We got here.
The pass was clear.
I'm not gonna chain up for Koyukuk.
I'm just gonna make a run for it.
Yeah, the first time I went up it, I just missed a gear.
It had nothin' to do with the-- You know, the hill or anything.
It was just-- It came up on me too quick.
I didn't think the gear through, and I missed it.
But that ain't gonna happen this time.
Locked both my lockers in, and I'm fixin' to get on this bitch.
Here we go.
Just [Bleep.]
with us.
Slow down [Bleep.]
quick, too, buddy.
That's it.
We're goin' up just like this.
It's a challenge really to get up that hill.
I mean, these guys that do it every day, they-- They fly up this hill like it's a speed bump in a parking lot.
You know, for me, it was, uh It was my first embarrassing moment here-- Was that hill.
Coming up, the Dalton highway strikes.
Oh, my God.
What the [Bleep.]
was that? And the Canadian ice gives way.
Halfway up Alaska's Dalton highway Rookie Maya Sieber is supposed to be Hauling her first load.
But a close call on a blind corner Big truck.
Oh, my God.
Has trainer Phil Krom back behind the wheel.
I struggled.
You're gonna struggle.
Any new driver on this road is gonna struggle.
Oh, my God.
What the [Bleep.]
was that? Blew a tire or an airbag or somethin', so we'll stop on top and see what's goin' on.
Oh, this is not a place to get stuck.
Wow.
Well, here A little more of the cap come off, but not so much that it tore anything up, so we did good.
With 17 good tires left, Phil decides it's safe to finish the trip.
And he gives Maya another chance to get behind the wheel.
Oh, my God.
[Bleep.]
owl scared the [Bleep.]
out of me.
Oh, my God, did you [Bleep.]
see that? I didn't know what it was.
I was like, "wait a minute.
" Oh, that was good.
I didn't want to hit it.
As the sun rises, Rick and Hugh are on day two of the biggest Haul ever to hit the manitoba ice roads.
It's time to get back to my roots.
The winter roads, the ice roads, the bush drivin'.
That's what I like.
That's where I shine.
Anybody can drive up and down a [Bleep.]
highway.
This load here is worth about ten trips up the Dalton.
The convoy is approaching the tightest section of the trip-- hairpin turns.
Oh, man.
Maneuvering the leaves no margin for error.
Oh, I'm gettin' a bunch of [Bleep.]
marks here.
That turn just keeps goin' all the way to the right, Rick? Yeah.
It is.
I can't even steer in this [Bleep.]
soft [Bleep.]
.
I'll just push the [Bleep.]
front end around here.
What the [Bleep.]
! They don't even [Bleep.]
bring shacks on this [Bleep.]
road.
The turn is pushing Rick to his limit.
I didn't sign up for this [Bleep.]
stupid [Bleep.]
.
And knowing mark and Hugh are watching every move Adds to the humiliation.
What the [Bleep.]
hell? How we makin' out there, gentlemen? After 22 failed attempts Rick has one option left brute force.
Did you make it? Yeah, I did.
I'm [Bleep.]
sick of this [Bleep.]
, man.
I'm gonna un-[Bleep.]
-pin this thing in a minute.
Now it's Hugh's turn.
Good job, Mr.
Rowland.
Must be comin' around there quick.
Holy [Bleep.]
.
Two hairpins, and I did all the damage to the [Bleep.]
trailer.
But it's not a lot of damage, just the siding on the thing, so Not much I can do about it now.
garden hill to make his second delivery yeah, the people drivin' by are all slowin' down and lookin' at the boats.
The lakes are used-- The waterways are used for travel.
Not having a boat in this country for a lot of people is the same thing, or worse, than not having a car.
But in the dead of winter, it's semis that rule these waterways.
And Alex is the first loaded truck to cross this eight-mile-long newly frozen lake.
Can't see the other side of the lake.
It's a huge lake.
This load of boats is the heaviest load they've had yet this year.
Trucks are only allowed to come through here totally empty.
Oh, that ice there's nice.
Boy, isn't that somethin', that ice, eh? So clear.
Those cracks-- You look at those cracks That's a little-- See, that's a little pressure crack right there.
The first trip on a newly opened ice crossing is always the most dangerous.
Well, if you fall in the hole, I mean, it's just-- Your truck's gonna get wet.
You're gonna end up down on the bottom of the lake if it's wide enough.
And transportation department tests have shown if a big rig cracks through the ice, the driver has almost no chance to get out in time.
They just boof, and they go through and they hit the bottom.
Most of the time, you've got a-- You've got a You got a few seconds to get out of a truck.
Anyway, if it goes through, I got boats.
Just across the lake Another one bites the dust.
Well, around here, boats are quite a big thing.
Oh, no, they're just like cars in the winter-- In the summertime.
Everybody has to have one.
It's always nice to see our customers are happy.
The store manager was happy.
Just have to tidy up the straps, and, uh, clean the deck off, and we're ready to head home.
Coming up, the biggest load in winter roads history Hits the ice.
Make sure we got enough spacing here, or somebody could drown.
Prudhoe bay, Alaska, Dave Redmon is rolling north with his first load of the season.
So we're just kind of slowin' down a little bit, just to be a little bit more careful.
We got some drifting snow, and the road's blowing from the east to the west probably 20, 25 miles an hour, and it's It's makin' for some pretty crappy visibility.
Not only is this road, you know, dangerous, I mean, it's just a sheet of ice.
You need to just take your time.
If it takes you two days to get there, it takes you two days to get there.
At least you got there.
Finally, Dave rolls his load into the Prudhoe bay truck yard.
I'm gonna drop the trailer at the carlile yard, little extra cash in your pocket.
It'll add one more load to the load count, and Maybe I can catch up to some of these yahoos runnin' up and down this road.
And with one trip under his belt, the Alabama slammer is one his way to earning his place as an ice road trucker.
There's a lot of truck drivers in the United States and in the world.
And there's only a handful of 'em that can say with proof, you know, that they have driven this Dalton highway and delivered freight, and I'm one of 'em.
Dave's first load of the season finally gets him on the board, while Alex jumps one load ahead of his Canadian rivals.
Four hours after Dave, rookie Maya Sieber brings her first load of the season into the yard.
It's a little difficult-- It's a little more difficult in the dark, isn't it? It's more difficult in the dark, absolutely.
Yeah.
I thought I did good.
I need to be a little smoother on my shifting, but I'm still getting used to the truck.
More confidence with every mile.
That's right.
That's good.
The Haul may be over Roll this over there.
We're gonna put this on the outside.
But there's more work to do before Maya can call it a night.
After gettin' to know Maya a little bit yesterday, I think she can step up to the challenge, help me change this tire.
Have you ever used a one-inch air Ratchet before? No.
Go ahead and buzz those off if you would.
Get a firm grip and pull the trigger.
Keep a hold of it.
All right.
And the bad one.
Course, it has to be the inside tire.
Well, yeah.
Okay, let's put our original back on the inside.
I want to make sure that surface is clean.
Gotcha.
Get a nice, flat connection between the two wheels.
Just gotta pry it-- Good job.
Oh, man! So much for my shower.
I got a mouthful of dirt.
Holy [Bleep.]
, I'm sweating.
Get this crap off of me.
Okay, that should do us.
Yay, back on the road.
in Canada, Hugh and Rick are on day three of their heavy Haul convoy.
Just gonna be [Bleep.]
happy when this [Bleep.]
load's over and done with.
It's been a grueling trip.
Aw, man! Watch out, Hugh.
Especially for Rick.
[Bleep.]
sick of this [Bleep.]
, man.
It's a frustrating job, but it's gotta get done.
As much as I want to turn back, you can't, so But their toughest challenge lies ahead.
Now, boys, uh, just keep your eyes and your feet planted-- We got a nice crossing comin' up here.
As the trucks reach the shore of Slemon lake, which will be the longest ice crossing of the trip, Hugh spots a problem.
We're a little bit heavier than what we're supposed to be here.
Each loaded tractor trailer weighs 43 tons.
But the lake's weight limit is only 40 tons.
All right, put your life jacket on, Rick.
We're actually overweight for these lakes, so we gotta go really slow.
Make sure we get our [Bleep.]
spacing here.
Or somebody could drown.
Next week Now, this is ice road trucking.
The trouble is just getting started.
The ice is goin' down a foot.
As Rick and Hugh roll their monster load deeper into the Canadian wilds.
He can't get out of his truck.
Isn't that somethin'? Lisa has oversized problems of her own.
Dang it.
Lisa ended up droppin' back, way back.
And Dave cuts loose.
[Bleep.]
bastard! How am I supposed to drive on the most dangerous road in the world and no damn seatbelt!
Alex tests the limits of a newly frozen lake.
They just-- Boof, and they go through, and they hit the bottom.
Two rookies take their first crack at the Haul road.
Big truck, big truck.
Watch out, watch out.
And Hugh and Rick tow the biggest loads Aw, man! Ever to cross the Canadian ice.
I didn't sign up for this [Bleep.]
stupid [Bleep.]
.
At the polar industries truck yard in winnipeg, Canada Whoa! Tighten her up now.
Hugh Rowland and Rick Yemm are gearing up for their biggest load of the season An entire airport terminal.
What we're doin' is loading up a three-part building.
It all bolts together when we get to St.
Theresa.
It's actually for the new airport up in St.
Theresa point.
Each of the three modular structures is 12 feet wide and 62 feet long.
Loads this size will pose a serious challenge on the unforgiving terrain.
Okay, you got a cross chain? That's all that needs.
We can probably do something from the back I think, too, eh? Should cross-chain it at the back.
We'll bring it in, like, over the top, just straps.
But this has to be cross-chained, for sure, across there.
Oh, yeah, you'll lose the back end.
Weighing 86,000 pounds each, a convoy this size has never been attempted on the manitoba ice roads.
Uh, we've got Hugh and Rick Hauling.
We're gonna guide this thing through real safely and real slow and, uh, make sure it gets to its destination.
The future of mark's business is riding on Hugh's ability to get the job done.
He's gonna be the best guy I know for the-- Advise us for the job.
Biggest, most important run that polar industries has ever done.
We can throw five straps on there.
Okay.
That'd be good.
It's a reputation maker, this one.
I mean, if, uh-- If we don't get it up there, I'm done.
Piece of cake? Piece of cake.
Yeah? No problem.
I'm glad you got confidence.
The heavy-haul team heads out on the 500-mile trek to the isolated village of St.
Theresa point.
So, mark, how long you figure it's gonna take us to get in? Uh, it could take us as long as 30 hours.
That's a big 10-4 on the 30 hours, boss.
I figured you'd like that.
Mark is out front in the pilot car.
I don't know about you guys.
And driver Vlad Pleskot rounds out the convoy with the third module.
None of these guys have Hauled them before.
I'm the veteran at this.
Well, when I heard these were the biggest loads to ever have been on these ice roads, I jumped right at the chance.
I volunteered Rick, too.
They just opened that one new bridge.
Well, it'll be interesting.
Just take her nice and cool.
We don't want no [Bleep.]
-ups.
Is everybody through? That's a big 10-4.
With the narrow bridge crossing behind them, Hugh, Rick, and the rest of the convoy have bigger challenges ahead 500 miles of Canada's most dangerous roads.
2,700 miles west, in Fairbanks Dave Redmon is three weeks into his season with no loads to show for it.
All right.
Have a seat.
I know you and Tony had a few personality issues.
Right.
I feel like I'm [Bleep.]
eight years old over here, drivin' a [Bleep.]
big wheel.
You are talkin' so much bull[Bleep.]
, it's starting to really bug me.
I drive the truck safe.
I just don't like being pushed around, you know.
Well, talkin' to Phil, it sounds like, uh, he's ready to let you get out there and do it in your own in that truck.
Okay.
So you'll be in 1158.
That's the truck you're gonna be drivin'.
Okay.
That is the same truck that our, uh, furry, little friend, Hugh Rowland, drove last year.
Come on, baby! The attitude didn't come with the truck, so don't bring another one into it, I guess.
You don't have to worry about that.
All right? I appreciate you giving me a chance.
All right, man.
Don't make me regret it.
I won't.
Thanks, buddy.
Thank you.
1158.
This is it, I guess.
Man, I've scrapped better trucks than this.
I don't know about this piece of [Bleep.]
.
Trashed on the inside.
I hope they don't expect me to drive this son of a bitch all the way to the Prudhoe and back.
What do you need? Uh, it don't look good.
Looks like a fleet of monkeys have been livin' in it.
New drivers do not start with new trucks in this company.
You work your way up.
Okay.
Hugh drove the wheels off that thing almost and, uh, never had a problem with it.
The truck isn't pretty, but the money's not rolling in until Dave's rolling out.
Yeah, once I get this thing started, I'm just gonna have to take it and, you know, ride it around town or, you know, take it for a test drive, you know, to feel if I feel safe to drive up there.
I'm not gonna drive an unsafe truck out into the wilderness.
It just ain't gonna happen.
I didn't come here to die.
Back in Canada Hugh and Rick battle their rough frozen tundra.
Yeah, they just opened this section of road up for us there, so, uh, it's either gonna be in really good shape, or it's gonna be in really [Bleep.]
bad shape.
They might have just said, "[Bleep.]
it, it's good enough.
" Yeah, you wait till today.
She's supposed to warm up here in a little bit, and she's gonna be rougher.
As the convoy picks up speed Rick and Hugh, you copy? Yes, sir.
Mark sends a warning.
We got a pretty good roller up here at, uh, kilometer ten.
That's a 10-4.
10-4.
Aw, man! Is my trailer still on there? Just.
I seen some shrapnel come out from under my trailer.
Ricky, Ricky, Ricky.
You're goin' too fast over these hummocks.
He bounced the trailer out of the hummocks, and then he just gets in a rush.
He knows better, but he gets in a rush, and They can say everybody's in a hurry, and we're not.
Hey, mark.
You blew a tire and bent a rim, too.
What's that? You blew a tire and bent a rim, too.
Oh, [Bleep.]
.
That's what I heard pop there.
Just now? Just now, just over there.
With no spare rims Better hop in there and get Joe on the horn, tell him to get Vlad to stop.
The crew will have to come up with a quick fix, or the $180,000 Megahaul ends here.
[Bleep.]
.
Yeah, [Bleep.]
is right.
We're not even halfway up.
Aw, [Bleep.]
, man.
Why me? The oversized convoy has come to a halt.
None of these trailers has spares on 'em? Rick slammed into a hummock Aw, man! Denting a rim and crippling his massive load.
That's not-- Not good for some of the rough stuff we got to hit soon.
I guess this is why mark wanted to bring a mechanic along.
You never know what the [Bleep.]
gonna happen.
But it happened.
Bring me that sledge on the back of our truck.
What we're gonna try to do is hammer those rims straight and try to reseat the bead and get 'em aired up and get 'em back on, and we'll get 'em goin'.
Once a seal is broken between tire and rim, it becomes very difficult to inflate the tire.
Got an air line set up here for a supply line from the tractor.
I don't think they're gonna make it, uh I mean, the rim is "bended.
" Uh, they got no Jack, so I don't think we're gonna put the tire back on the rim.
Ah! Well, if we can't get it with air, we just-- If we can find some ether, we'll just Both the insides are still sealed.
We'll be able to get it.
Ether! I'm on it.
Hugh tries an old trucker's trick Spraying ether on the inside of the tire.
Once the tire is full of fumes, Hugh will ignite the ether.
The heat will cause the air to expand and hopefully pop the tire back onto the rim.
The danger is that using too much ether will cause the tire to explode.
Ready? Keep pullin'.
Aah.
Put the whole [Bleep.]
can of it in there.
But everybody's got to be ready.
Watch out, Hugh! There it goes! Yes! Get the air to it! Yeah, here, buddy.
Stop within [Bleep.]
inches.
Hugh's old-school fix Lookin' pretty good there.
That's perfect.
Gets the convoy back on the ice.
But Rick's mistake has cost them the whole afternoon.
Well, he'll have to go [Bleep.]
slow down.
We can't be [Bleep.]
around like we were.
[Bleep.]
.
A strong convoy requires top performances from every driver.
But now Rick looks like the weakest link in the chain.
At the Carlile truck yard in Fairbanks Hey, how you doin'? After weeks of training, top New York driver Maya Sieber is finally ready to test her skills on the Haul road.
Today's gonna be my first day driving.
It's something I couldn't wait for, and it's finally here, so I'm really excited.
This is something I'm used to, definitely-- Hooking up to the load.
After years of experience driving small trucks, this will be Maya's first time Hauling a flatbed.
Drop your suspension.
Just give it a second for your suspension gauge to drop to zero, and then you can back under.
Carlile trainer Phil Krom will be riding along to evaluate her skills.
But Maya's goal is to drive all 500 miles herself.
Tires? Tires are good.
We call those knuckle busters.
Yeah, I've done that before.
I've lost a fingernail.
Okay.
There you go.
I feel good.
I'm ready to go.
What do you think about that? Oh, [Bleep.]
, I didn't see that.
I didn't notice that door open up there.
I was just focusing on the straps gettin' tight.
There's a lot of stuff to check on a flatbed.
Ready or not The Dalton has a new driver.
I'm Hauling lumber and these big funnel-type things.
What are they called again? Hoppers.
Hoppers, that's it.
We're gonna work on a lot of things today, uh Truck position in the road, and, most certainly, I will tell you what gear to be in before we drop off the hill.
We don't need you droppin' off in too high of gear.
No, that wouldn't be fun for anybody.
Right.
Get down into sixth over.
We're gonna drop into 20 for a mile.
Damn.
That's all right.
You're gonna have a A pretty sharp corner at the bottom.
Just, uh, concentrate.
You want to be glancin' to the other side of the corner to make sure nobody's comin'.
If somebody is, you just have to get to your side.
Now, when you can look across there and see nobody's comin', use a little more of the road, but you have to be ready for that to change.
Make sure you stay to your side 'Cause we can't see anybody comin' yet.
There's one gettin' ready to come up.
Big truck, big truck.
Watch out, watch out.
Just 30 miles into her first trip up the Haul road Big truck, big truck.
Watch out, watch out.
Oh, my God.
He was Hauling ass.
Oh, my God.
The close call has Maya on edge, and with bigger challenges ahead, Phil is having second thoughts about keeping the rookie behind the wheel.
Why don't we get up here, and we'll pull into the pull-out? Maybe let your nerves calm down a little bit.
Go ahead and turn in.
Turn.
[Bleep.]
.
Okay, I'll drive for a little while, let you enjoy the scenery, take a little break.
We'll continue on, then.
At this point, um, I'm still trying to get Maya to become familiar with the truck, and the first 56 miles are pretty serious.
There's a lot of major hills.
He's gonna take the more serious hills.
I'm gonna pay more attention, see how he shifts and what gear he's gonna take.
It's a little bit of a ride-along, but that's okay.
I get to see the road from a different perspective.
Back in Canada, Alex Debogorski is looking to cash in on his fourth run of the season.
We're gonna make sure the people up north got their fuel and their groceries and their new underwear and whatever else we're gonna Haul up there-- Pillows, construction materials, parts for the drills that are out there looking for gold and silver and uranium.
The flour and the icing for the wedding cakes this summer.
Today Alex is carrying a forklift bound for St.
Theresa point and six boats for the isolated town of garden hill.
If you got it, the truck brought it.
It's just-- Down South, you know, it's just like the heart beating.
The trucks just keep goin' round and round.
It's like blood flow, you know.
They just keep the nation goin', whereas up here, the weather and the seasons-- All of a sudden, the trucks go, and then they stop.
That's it.
No more trucks.
You got to wait till next year.
So you have to plan ahead, or else you aren't gonna have it.
Turn to the left and then back up.
Is it okay like that? In the bush, good equipment is hard to come by, and these pallets are the closest thing to a loading ramp.
Okay, you think you can just lift her up, or you gonna lift it up and pull it back and just sort of bounce her up? I'll lift it off and Carry it? Carry it over maybe.
Best thing is to stay out of the way.
I don't think I want to be responsible for this performance.
Don't let nothin' but fear and common sense stop you.
It's gonna tip! It's gonna tip! Went better than I thought it would.
It's gonna be a whole new meaning to dropping your load off.
In Alaska, 200 miles up the Haul road Dave Redmon is finally in the game.
This is the big learning process right here.
You know, I'm in the truck by myself.
I'm doing everything on my own now.
Now I can concentrate on figuring out what works for me and not what works for somebody else sittin' in the passenger seat.
Just as Dave is getting comfortable in the cab And you might want to try that.
It has a special screw in it.
Who is that, Tony? He hears a familiar voice on the radio.
Think your attitude might have something to do with that? I have not had one-- Every time that I said these things, it's been legit-- All of 'em! Go ahead.
How you doin', Tony? Is that Dave? Yes, sir.
How's this? Is this better? Yeah, yeah, he kicked me out of his truck, so I had to get something else, so I'm just tryin' to get up the road.
Appreciate all your help.
You do? Really? I do, you know.
I'm not a total [Bleep.]
.
Oh, man.
Well, as long as you appreciated my help, then that makes me feel a little better.
All right, buddy.
That was Tony My Nemesis.
You can have one pit bull chained to one tree and one pit bill chained to another tree-- They'll get along just fine.
Don't chain 'em to the same tree.
Somethin' bad's gonna happen.
While Dave puts the bad blood with Tony behind him, an even bigger challenge lies ahead The steep, slippery grade of Koyukuk.
You know, down in the lower in Iowa and you miss a gear, I mean, you got all day to find another one.
Up here, you miss a gear, the truck comes to a complete stop.
Second.
Oh, [Bleep.]
.
All right, stop.
Brakes, brakes, brakes, brakes! His last attempt at the Koyukuk was a blow to this Boy, I [Bleep.]
that up, didn't I? You did.
Now Dave gets a second chance.
We got here.
The pass was clear.
I'm not gonna chain up for Koyukuk.
I'm just gonna make a run for it.
Yeah, the first time I went up it, I just missed a gear.
It had nothin' to do with the-- You know, the hill or anything.
It was just-- It came up on me too quick.
I didn't think the gear through, and I missed it.
But that ain't gonna happen this time.
Locked both my lockers in, and I'm fixin' to get on this bitch.
Here we go.
Just [Bleep.]
with us.
Slow down [Bleep.]
quick, too, buddy.
That's it.
We're goin' up just like this.
It's a challenge really to get up that hill.
I mean, these guys that do it every day, they-- They fly up this hill like it's a speed bump in a parking lot.
You know, for me, it was, uh It was my first embarrassing moment here-- Was that hill.
Coming up, the Dalton highway strikes.
Oh, my God.
What the [Bleep.]
was that? And the Canadian ice gives way.
Halfway up Alaska's Dalton highway Rookie Maya Sieber is supposed to be Hauling her first load.
But a close call on a blind corner Big truck.
Oh, my God.
Has trainer Phil Krom back behind the wheel.
I struggled.
You're gonna struggle.
Any new driver on this road is gonna struggle.
Oh, my God.
What the [Bleep.]
was that? Blew a tire or an airbag or somethin', so we'll stop on top and see what's goin' on.
Oh, this is not a place to get stuck.
Wow.
Well, here A little more of the cap come off, but not so much that it tore anything up, so we did good.
With 17 good tires left, Phil decides it's safe to finish the trip.
And he gives Maya another chance to get behind the wheel.
Oh, my God.
[Bleep.]
owl scared the [Bleep.]
out of me.
Oh, my God, did you [Bleep.]
see that? I didn't know what it was.
I was like, "wait a minute.
" Oh, that was good.
I didn't want to hit it.
As the sun rises, Rick and Hugh are on day two of the biggest Haul ever to hit the manitoba ice roads.
It's time to get back to my roots.
The winter roads, the ice roads, the bush drivin'.
That's what I like.
That's where I shine.
Anybody can drive up and down a [Bleep.]
highway.
This load here is worth about ten trips up the Dalton.
The convoy is approaching the tightest section of the trip-- hairpin turns.
Oh, man.
Maneuvering the leaves no margin for error.
Oh, I'm gettin' a bunch of [Bleep.]
marks here.
That turn just keeps goin' all the way to the right, Rick? Yeah.
It is.
I can't even steer in this [Bleep.]
soft [Bleep.]
.
I'll just push the [Bleep.]
front end around here.
What the [Bleep.]
! They don't even [Bleep.]
bring shacks on this [Bleep.]
road.
The turn is pushing Rick to his limit.
I didn't sign up for this [Bleep.]
stupid [Bleep.]
.
And knowing mark and Hugh are watching every move Adds to the humiliation.
What the [Bleep.]
hell? How we makin' out there, gentlemen? After 22 failed attempts Rick has one option left brute force.
Did you make it? Yeah, I did.
I'm [Bleep.]
sick of this [Bleep.]
, man.
I'm gonna un-[Bleep.]
-pin this thing in a minute.
Now it's Hugh's turn.
Good job, Mr.
Rowland.
Must be comin' around there quick.
Holy [Bleep.]
.
Two hairpins, and I did all the damage to the [Bleep.]
trailer.
But it's not a lot of damage, just the siding on the thing, so Not much I can do about it now.
garden hill to make his second delivery yeah, the people drivin' by are all slowin' down and lookin' at the boats.
The lakes are used-- The waterways are used for travel.
Not having a boat in this country for a lot of people is the same thing, or worse, than not having a car.
But in the dead of winter, it's semis that rule these waterways.
And Alex is the first loaded truck to cross this eight-mile-long newly frozen lake.
Can't see the other side of the lake.
It's a huge lake.
This load of boats is the heaviest load they've had yet this year.
Trucks are only allowed to come through here totally empty.
Oh, that ice there's nice.
Boy, isn't that somethin', that ice, eh? So clear.
Those cracks-- You look at those cracks That's a little-- See, that's a little pressure crack right there.
The first trip on a newly opened ice crossing is always the most dangerous.
Well, if you fall in the hole, I mean, it's just-- Your truck's gonna get wet.
You're gonna end up down on the bottom of the lake if it's wide enough.
And transportation department tests have shown if a big rig cracks through the ice, the driver has almost no chance to get out in time.
They just boof, and they go through and they hit the bottom.
Most of the time, you've got a-- You've got a You got a few seconds to get out of a truck.
Anyway, if it goes through, I got boats.
Just across the lake Another one bites the dust.
Well, around here, boats are quite a big thing.
Oh, no, they're just like cars in the winter-- In the summertime.
Everybody has to have one.
It's always nice to see our customers are happy.
The store manager was happy.
Just have to tidy up the straps, and, uh, clean the deck off, and we're ready to head home.
Coming up, the biggest load in winter roads history Hits the ice.
Make sure we got enough spacing here, or somebody could drown.
Prudhoe bay, Alaska, Dave Redmon is rolling north with his first load of the season.
So we're just kind of slowin' down a little bit, just to be a little bit more careful.
We got some drifting snow, and the road's blowing from the east to the west probably 20, 25 miles an hour, and it's It's makin' for some pretty crappy visibility.
Not only is this road, you know, dangerous, I mean, it's just a sheet of ice.
You need to just take your time.
If it takes you two days to get there, it takes you two days to get there.
At least you got there.
Finally, Dave rolls his load into the Prudhoe bay truck yard.
I'm gonna drop the trailer at the carlile yard, little extra cash in your pocket.
It'll add one more load to the load count, and Maybe I can catch up to some of these yahoos runnin' up and down this road.
And with one trip under his belt, the Alabama slammer is one his way to earning his place as an ice road trucker.
There's a lot of truck drivers in the United States and in the world.
And there's only a handful of 'em that can say with proof, you know, that they have driven this Dalton highway and delivered freight, and I'm one of 'em.
Dave's first load of the season finally gets him on the board, while Alex jumps one load ahead of his Canadian rivals.
Four hours after Dave, rookie Maya Sieber brings her first load of the season into the yard.
It's a little difficult-- It's a little more difficult in the dark, isn't it? It's more difficult in the dark, absolutely.
Yeah.
I thought I did good.
I need to be a little smoother on my shifting, but I'm still getting used to the truck.
More confidence with every mile.
That's right.
That's good.
The Haul may be over Roll this over there.
We're gonna put this on the outside.
But there's more work to do before Maya can call it a night.
After gettin' to know Maya a little bit yesterday, I think she can step up to the challenge, help me change this tire.
Have you ever used a one-inch air Ratchet before? No.
Go ahead and buzz those off if you would.
Get a firm grip and pull the trigger.
Keep a hold of it.
All right.
And the bad one.
Course, it has to be the inside tire.
Well, yeah.
Okay, let's put our original back on the inside.
I want to make sure that surface is clean.
Gotcha.
Get a nice, flat connection between the two wheels.
Just gotta pry it-- Good job.
Oh, man! So much for my shower.
I got a mouthful of dirt.
Holy [Bleep.]
, I'm sweating.
Get this crap off of me.
Okay, that should do us.
Yay, back on the road.
in Canada, Hugh and Rick are on day three of their heavy Haul convoy.
Just gonna be [Bleep.]
happy when this [Bleep.]
load's over and done with.
It's been a grueling trip.
Aw, man! Watch out, Hugh.
Especially for Rick.
[Bleep.]
sick of this [Bleep.]
, man.
It's a frustrating job, but it's gotta get done.
As much as I want to turn back, you can't, so But their toughest challenge lies ahead.
Now, boys, uh, just keep your eyes and your feet planted-- We got a nice crossing comin' up here.
As the trucks reach the shore of Slemon lake, which will be the longest ice crossing of the trip, Hugh spots a problem.
We're a little bit heavier than what we're supposed to be here.
Each loaded tractor trailer weighs 43 tons.
But the lake's weight limit is only 40 tons.
All right, put your life jacket on, Rick.
We're actually overweight for these lakes, so we gotta go really slow.
Make sure we get our [Bleep.]
spacing here.
Or somebody could drown.
Next week Now, this is ice road trucking.
The trouble is just getting started.
The ice is goin' down a foot.
As Rick and Hugh roll their monster load deeper into the Canadian wilds.
He can't get out of his truck.
Isn't that somethin'? Lisa has oversized problems of her own.
Dang it.
Lisa ended up droppin' back, way back.
And Dave cuts loose.
[Bleep.]
bastard! How am I supposed to drive on the most dangerous road in the world and no damn seatbelt!