Ice Road Truckers (2007) s05e06 Episode Script

The Braking Point

Tonight on Ice Road Truckers the biggest load of the Season hits the Alaskan ice.
It'll either damage the bridge or take the top right off the building.
Putting the pressure on Lisa.
Damn.
And a mission to The deepest reaches of the Canadian wilderness Yee-haw! Ignites the old Rivalry between Hugh and Alex.
Is that Alex right there? Yeah, there he is.
Let him go.
Let him [Bleep.]
Go.
5 A.
M.
at the Carlile truck yard in Fairbanks, Dave Redmon reports For duty.
Maybe we can get an early start today.
Dave, what's going on, man? How are you doing? I'm doing all right.
Perfect load for you.
All right.
Gonna run you with a little Oversized load.
It's not extremely heavy, but it's wide.
Okay.
So, you've got it up to 10'6" wide.
Today, the 25-year Veteran will get his first shot at an oversized load.
Now I imagine, since you Haven't been in that truck very long, you're gonna need some Lights and some oversized signs.
Okay.
Dave will be hauling 12,000 pounds of spool Pipe, custom-built metal tubes used for plumbing.
It's pretty expensive to Build, so we damn sure don't want to tear it up or bend it.
So, you know, I'll get this load delivered, you know, and they'll see that eventually I'm Not a screw-off, and we'll just Start moving farther up the chain here.
You know, I'd really like to haul some fuel.
Yeah, I heard a South bender say the Yukon was shut down.
This is Dave.
Somebody said something about the Yukon river bridge was closed? Redmon.
Oh.
I guess he ain't gonna [bleep.]
Tell me.
Somebody said something on the radio about the Yukon river bridge was closed, and then I Tried to ask about it and, you know, they're like, "well, [Bleep.]
You, I'm not gonna tell You, but I'll tell my buddy.
Where's my buddy?" you know, I'm like, "aw, [Bleep.]
Off.
" Dave's been proving his skills behind the wheel, but His attitude hasn't won him any Friends.
All I have to learn is how You do this [Bleep.]
Job.
Aw, it don't look good.
It's like a fleet of monkeys have been living in it.
New drivers do not start with New trucks in this company.
You work your way up.
[Bleep.]
Bastard! If I need to get [Bleep.]
Done around here, I gotta do it myself.
The reality is, they're messing With my safety.
You know, I don't know why they Just don't want to tell me and, uh, you know, I'm no different Than any other driver up here that needs to know.
With his load locked down, Dave's ready to hit the road.
There's just one problem.
Damn brakes are locking up.
I'm sliding.
The brakes are froze to the Brake drums.
I gotta get a hammer to get the Brakes knocked loose, but I don't think I have a hammer in This truck.
It don't look that way.
Either of you guys got a small Hammer? A short sledgehammer? All right, [Bleep.]
It.
Aw, you just can't get any [Bleep.]
Help out of these.
You know, I just asked for a [Bleep.]
Hammer.
I ain't got time to mess with Him.
Play these I ain't got time for it.
I'm gonna go in here and see if somebody will loan me a [Bleep.]
Hammer.
There ain't nobody in here.
It's in my own hands, but there Ain't a hammer in this building.
You got a hammer I can borrow, Phil? Yeah.
What's happening? Aw, there's just too many Children walking around this Parking lot.
You know, I asked to borrow a Hammer, and they just [Bleep.]
ignored me like a bunch of 12-year-olds.
Well, they might not have a Hammer.
Well, then that's all he had to say was, "I don't have a Hammer.
" Take that one.
Appreciate it.
Keep it with you.
All right.
You definitely need a hammer.
Maybe I can get this damn Show on the road.
[Bleep.]
Bunch of children.
That one's loose.
Let me see if this [Bleep.]
'S gonna roll.
All right, let's go.
Me an oversized load, I mean, This soon, but, uh, I almost did cartwheels in the parking Lot.
I came up here to haul as many Loads as I safely can to Complete the whole season and then turn around and go Home.
Home.
I'm sure I'll win this thing.
Carlile headquarters in Anchorage, the biggest loads of The season are ready to roll North.
Heavy haul expert Tony Molesky Will lead the convoy, and Lisa Kelly will step up to haul the Second unit.
I'm going into dispatch to Get my dispatch in Anchorage here.
You're both about You've got BCI shacks, camp units for eni.
12 wide 60-footers, right? Yeah.
Cool.
So your overall length apiece, you'll both be about 100 feet.
How tall are we? Uh, you're 17'6".
17'6"? What about that first bridge? The first--there's no up and Over.
Oh, it's probably tall enough.
I'll hook up to it.
The massive modular building will be the biggest load Lisa's ever hauled.
Everyone else had to earn the Respect of people up here.
It doesn't matter if you're male Or female.
You have to make it.
And moments before departure, the stakes get even Higher.
I got a little bit of news.
What? Harry said that when you get done with your, uh, your next Adventure that he's gonna Transfer you into heavy haul.
[Bleep.]
.
I'm serious.
[Bleep.]
, [Bleep.]
.
That's what he said.
So, what do you think about that? Huh? That's what I thought you'd think.
Yeah.
That is so cool.
Yeah.
Well, [Bleep.]
, I figured that'd brighten up your day a little bit, so we'll, uh--yeah.
That is so cool.
And I didn't say anything to Him about it.
He was like, "just keep an eye On her.
I think she's gonna do fine in this stuff.
" and, uh, said, "if she keeps it Up," he was gonna transfer you, Because--yeah.
There you go, man.
Think that would be awesome, Huh? Damn.
The elite heavy Haul team is trusted to handle The biggest and most dangerous loads on the road.
I've been working for five years to do this.
Yeah.
Well, maybe they'll take you Seriously now, you know? That is so cool.
Well, do a good job, man.
Basically, if I get into Heavy haul and I get to drive All the big stuff, I will have done everything in trucking-- Besides tankers--I'll have done Everything in trucking that there is to do.
Let's get this trip done.
With pleasure.
It's the break Lisa's been working for her Entire career.
But first, she'll have to make It to Prudhoe bay.
And the last thing I want to do is screw something up.
Especially this.
This is important.
It's important to me.
Hang to the right when you get into that corner there.
It's pretty tight, so make sure You're way over to the right coming out of that corner there.
Corner.
It's good to never let your Focus off the road because that's when the road'll get you.
2,600 miles east, in winnipeg, Canada, Alex Debogorski rolls into first nations transport.
Hey, Alex, how's it going? Pretty good, thanks.
Yeah? Good.
So we've got this load here.
We've got to get it there right Away.
It's going to Tadoule lake.
I'll just show you where Tadoule Is over here.
Give me a rough idea.
I guess it would be north, for sure.
Yeah, it's north, yeah.
Alex will make a Three-day, 800-mile trip to deliver critical food supplies to the remote outpost of Tadoule Lake.
The road to Lynn lake is--is Pretty bad, with the ice and That, so it's pretty slippery and there are some curves in there, so you've got to be Careful.
And there's big, like, hummucks In there, so if you get Airborne when you're coming down there, that's usually where They--a lot of guys are breaking Springs going over that.
For this marathon Run, Alex is gonna have some Company on the road.
So it's good that you're here Early, 'cause you can get a jump On Hugh and Rick there.
They'll be coming up behind you There, so you'll--you'll be ahead of them.
So I'll have to put up with them, uh, parts flying off their Vehicles as they pass me, maybe.
Well Do you need me to throw you a rope or what? I'm gaining on him, so I'm gonna get him.
There's two pickups between Him and me.
I'm not sure why Hugh and I, Why we're so competitive or why He's so irritating.
I just passed Alex at the Stop sign.
He went the wrong way.
I'm not sure whether he works At it or it's just natural.
The brakes on the trailer won't release.
There doesn't seem to be an air Leak or a valve that's leaking.
It's really getting me stressed Out here.
Right now, I need an aspirin.
That's what I need.
I don't think he wants to run today.
I thought you already left.
, we'll be passing you before we get started.
You're not supposed to put your brakes on on the trailer in the wintertime.
Yep.
I'm not really very worried About Rick and Hugh.
I'm more worried about the wheels turning on the trailer.
Well, it looks like old slack Alex is ready to rock and roll.
It's gonna get dark pretty Soon.
I'd kind of like to get going.
So you guys are going to lac Brochet.
Lac Brochet.
Uh, that's yours, and that's yours.
Hugh and Rick will Roll 750 miles with Alex before Splitting off to deliver their Loads to the town of lac Brochet.
And you guys are going up to Brochet, so this part of the Road here is really bad.
There's a lot of rock and Streams and creeks in there, So it's really bouncy, so the truck'll be flying.
And that's where a lot of guys are breaking Springs, so you Gotta take it easy.
Well, we heard--we heard that, uh, this is probably the Roughest road in ice road, so-- Yeah.
Yeah.
Okay.
Okay, let's rock and roll.
Alex there? Yeah, poor old slack.
Yeah, well, we'll probably go up and back and we'll probably have Two loads--two loads up here Before he even gets his first One delivered.
Everything I'm touching here Is going to heck.
I'm gonna get fired before I Even leave.
Coming up, Dave Redmon is driving on ice I gotta get this damn thing Stopped.
Facing a 200-foot drop.
And later he's still gaining on me.
Lisa gets too close For comfort.
What is she doing? Just a few miles north of Fairbanks, Dalton Rookie Maya Sieber is back on The road.
Uh-uh.
I don't know how that one was-- I was just gonna say about finesse instead of force.
Five weeks into the season, Maya has yet to do an Entire run to Prudhoe bay in the Driver's seat.
I really want to do the whole I'm excited.
I know what I have to do.
She may have Conquered the city streets of New York Go, driver, go! But on the icy Slopes of the Dalton Whoa! Even gear shifting Uh-oh, whoa, whoa, whoa, Whoa, whoa! Can be a challenge.
I spun out.
I spun out my [Bleep.]
Tail.
What else can you say? It's icy.
This is a good place to Practice your split down.
Do it, do it.
That was it? No, step on it.
Oh.
Now the jaws'll go.
You're lucky it didn't slam in.
Oh, I thought, like, I shifted so damn smooth that it Didn't even do anything.
No, you didn't.
Oh, man.
Ooh, you hear that? That's all right.
Go ahead and slow down.
And when we'll get around the corner, slow down and get it back into sixth gear.
Six, uh, over? Over, that's fine, yeah.
Just straight, stick it down.
Okay, and then go along.
Go ahead and gain speed and get Ready to do the next shift.
Okay, go ahead, put your hand on It.
Okay, it's a little hard with another hand, but--okay, keep your foot on the throttle.
Okay, split it.
That's about as much pressure as you need to come out of gear.
Do you see--see what I'm saying? You yanked your hand off the shifter like I had cooties Or something.
No, I--we grinded a gear, and I didn't like that.
Put yourself there, you Pulled it away like "Don't touch me!" no, no, it's not like that at All.
I thought you wanted--I didn't know you wanted my hand there.
No, that's fine.
As they approach 12 mile hill, Maya faces her first Test.
Big truck coming the Opposite direction.
Okay, slow down a bit.
See where he's at.
Oh, there he is.
Okay, you're all right.
Just time it so you're not meeting him right in the very bottom.
Truck is all about timing.
The last thing drivers want is to meet at the bottom of a hill When both trucks are at maximum Speed.
Okay, go ahead, go ahead.
He's directing you to go.
I scratched a gear.
Mmnh! Step on it.
Oh, [Bleep.]
.
It's all right.
You just don't want to meet him In the very bottom.
That's a big old truck.
Just go ahead.
Go.
I know, I'm going.
You're okay, just slack off A little way.
Perfect.
Oh! Move to the center and go up The hill.
It's like--that was fun.
You were like, "go, go, go.
" so, like, "oh, [Bleep.]
.
" Haul road, Dave Redmon rolls North with his first oversized load of the season.
On this road and I'm not having any problems.
I mean, I've slipped a couple of times.
You know, you learn to feather the gas, you know, get Everything locked in to, you know, get up these hills.
I'm fixing to cross this, uh, Yukon river bridge that they Said was closed or damaged or something.
Somebody said something about The Yukon river bridge was closed.
Closed.
Oh.
This--this looks pretty bad here.
The narrow bridge Hovers Arctic winds have turned the bridge into a half-mile long sheet of ice.
Foot on the brakes, this thing will just jackknife instantly.
Built at a 6% downhill grade and only here, there's no place to go but down to the frozen river below.
This is just--this is crazy Here.
We got no business on this Stuff.
You know, it's dangerous as hell.
This is just a sheet of ice, and I don't know if we're gonna make it down this damn thing.
This is like an ice skating Rink.
Holy [Bleep.]
.
I'm sliding.
Gotta get this damn thing stopped.
Whew! Need to buy a lottery ticket now.
Can do to keep the damn truck Straight.
It's getting, uh, pretty brutal out right now.
Hugh and Rick are headed 800 Miles into the Canadian wilderness.
Poor old slack.
He's just going downhill fast.
Yeah, this is a young guys' Sport and, uh, he ain't no young guy anymore.
Earlier today They left convoy partner Alex Stranded in the yard.
He's sitting there with his--ha ha! --Parking brake Froze up on his trailer.
Well, you don't pull your Parking brakes on in the Wintertime with a trailer.
He knows better than that, but he's got that old-timers disease now and he's forgetting things.
Well, I think it's pretty Much he better hang up his truck driving shoes and get on the Preacher collar.
Yeah.
Well, he was talking trash That he was gonna beat us.
Yeah, right.
Yeah, his trash talk never Worked out for the last 30 Years, so he should give up on it.
But now, their fast start could come to a screeching halt.
Yes, he is.
Aw, come on.
Mother [Bleep.]
.
Wow, he really looks like He's pulling me over here, I Think.
He's coming up pretty [Bleep.]
Quick here.
Aw, come on.
Yeah, he's definitely pulling Me over.
He ain't going around me.
Alaskan mega-haul faces their First test.
I don't like this.
We're taller than this.
That's not the problem.
He hasn't found the problem yet.
And the Canadian convoy may be over before it Begins.
License and registration.
Mother [Bleep.]
.
Get my registration.
Yeah, those cops come and Pulled over Rick there.
Damn it.
I don't know if it's the blue Hair or what, but every time the Cop comes and they see him, they Pull him over.
Morning.
License and registration? Yes, I do.
Canadian Regulations require that truck Drivers take ten hours off After each shift.
If every minute of each run Isn't accounted for in the log Book, there's a $500 fine or worse, the driver could be Pulled off the road.
All right, there you go.
All right, all right.
Just doing some checks out Here today, so-- Okay.
Make sure you drive safe.
Have a good day.
Thank you.
Thanks.
Okay, Hugh, it was just a logbook check.
Thank God it was right.
Yep, I'm rolling again.
Okay.
Don't have a lot of scales, so the rcmp members will pull you Over to check your--check your Logbook so, uh, I'm not big on the logbook thing, so every time They ask for a logbook, my heart Skips a couple beats and I hope It's right.
It's a big fine if you screw up on your logbook.
It's a dash for the cash.
Nothing's gonna stop this guy From making money.
Back in winnipeg Alex is still stuck in the yard.
Alex is still stuck in the yard.
Try it again.
Get Alex on the road.
They're under there, beating It with a hammer, but it's Look--it's--that's not the Problem.
How many different ways can we Do this? Now it's moving slowly.
But they're just not releasing enough.
That's not the problem.
He hasn't found the problem yet.
It shouldn't be hissing like that.
Try it.
If the throttle isn't on, I'm Losing all my air, so-- With nothing working, one mechanic notices Something's off with the air Valve.
Okay, try that.
The gear's off.
There, it just let go.
The brake's releasing.
There you go.
So what happened now? Switched the lines.
They were backwards.
I gotta--I need to go and look at that.
No, it's back and forth, back And forth.
Okay.
The dark line goes on that Side.
The right line goes on that.
Okay, so you all took it for Granted this one was red because of that red on there.
Well, I guess.
Good plan.
We're moving now.
Perfect, okay.
A rookie mistake Has put Alex an hour behind his convoy partners.
But he's not out of the race yet.
We're tall, wide, and long, so we have to look out for everything.
Tony and Lisa are headed north with two massive Modular buildings.
With your standard loads, they put six, so we're hanging off each side a foot, foot and a half, something like that.
The first challenge They'll face is getting these Monster loads out of town.
We're basically dealing with A bunch of overpasses.
If your load's too tall for the Bridge, it can--it'll hit the bridge and it'll either damage The bridge or take the top right off the building.
You've got to come to a really Slow crawl just to make sure We're--we're gonna clear.
The posted height Of the next overpass is 16'10", But Tony and Lisa's loads Measure more than half a foot Taller.
You're 17'6".
What about that--that first bridge? It's probably tall enough.
We're taller than this.
That's interesting.
I don't like this.
Here.
You just want to hold that Lane there.
Okay, excellent, thank you.
Yes, ma'am.
You gotta be way over there on The right-hand side.
Damaging this $150,000 load could mean a quick End to Lisa's heavy haul dreams.
There's no room for error, and I'm just trying to be careful with it, you know? Obviously, it's lying 'cause we made it.
The convoy has Cleared their first set of Obstacles, but the slow pace Has cost them precious time.
Well, we're gonna see how far We can make it tonight, see Where we end up tired.
But it was kind of a late start, so I'm thinking not very far.
I like to keep my mind sharp, And I was getting complacent and heavy hauling's a new--a new Challenge for me to conquer, and I'm determined to conquer It.
Coming up, Maia's run goes wrong.
It's an insane knocking sound Under my feet.
And sparks fly on the winter roads.
Aw, man.
Deep in the Canadian wilderness Hugh and Rick are halfway through their run to bring vital Food supplies to the furthest outpost in manitoba.
We're giving the Springs a workout, that's for damn sure.
Civilization Aw, man.
Aw, man.
It's shorting when it was hitting bumps.
Oh, you're [Bleep.]
Kidding Me.
I'm not [Bleep.]
With you, man.
- Rick's electrical >> - System is on the Fritz.
See if your batteries are loose, Maybe.
Can I see that light for a Second? Every time he hits a bump, he Gets a short.
Everything flashes.
His alternator bounces up and Down.
Figure he might have a loose Battery connection, hitting the Lid or something in here.
If the electrical system fails, Rick could lose his heater, his cb radio, even the engine leaving his rig and his load Stranded in 30 below.
Back in Alaska, Dave Redmon hauls his oversized load across the frozen tundra South of Prudhoe bay.
The wind's blowing real bad Across the road.
The visibility's getting pretty Terrible right now.
You know, the roads are Drifting.
Just trying to, uh, make our way to Prudhoe.
Holy [Bleep.]
, that was close.
We about traded mirrors on that one.
I can't even see the road.
You know, the wind's blowing 40 Miles an hour.
The snow's blowing across the Road.
Can't never get a break.
This load up to Prudhoe bay and get it delivered on time.
Know, get it up there to prove that I can do this job and Do it, you know, in a safe and timely manner.
Fights his way to the finish Line.
Just on the outskirts of >> just on the outskirts of town.
Load and chalk another one up.
I don't feel that I'm a rookie up here.
I'm a far cry away from being That.
I've got a lot of common sense.
I can think on my feet.
And that's what it takes to Function in an environment like This.
you--you--you're okay.
Just go ahead and keep pickin' 'em out.
We're gonna go through a couple Dips up the backside of the beaver slide.
Maya is attempting To drive the entire haul road Herself.
I really want to do the whole 500 miles of the road.
I'm looking forward to it.
The white knuckle has the rookie on edge.
But halfway down, she's got a Bigger problem.
I feel something knocking Underneath the floorboard by my feet.
Something rattling right under your feet? And see what may be rattling loose under there.
There's something.
It's a faint knocking sound, but I feel it under my feet.
The hill.
I gotta get out and figure out what's falling apart on this Truck.
But Phil doesn't Want to push their luck.
We're going down the beaver slide with a loose front end.
That's some scary [Bleep.]
.
Side.
I'm not seeing anything obvious.
Well, I'm gonna drive for a Little bit and see if I can Feel exactly, from the driver's seat, what might be going on.
Once again, Maya's Plan to drive to Prudhoe bay is on ice.
Come on, baby.
The Canadians' luck Goes from bad Hang on there, Rick.
To worse.
every time he hits a bump, he Gets a short.
Everything flashes.
His alternator bounces up and Down.
Electrical problems Have stopped Rick and Hugh in their tracks.
Anything loose? Oh, there you go, right there.
It's shorting right here.
Yep.
That's what's causing the Flash, so I'll take that up.
It's worn out.
It's broken.
It was bouncing.
Yeah, it did.
You want to go and shut her off, I'll tape that up, I'll be good.
Anyways, you can't really make Your plans.
Anything can happen.
As they trek deeper into the wilderness what the heck? Hard to steer.
The rough roads Only get worse.
Eeh, eeh.
Oh, yeah, it's rough.
If you're not paying attention Out here, you can tear the truck Up pretty quick.
Just dodging the bumps here, Trying to make some time.
Been wanting to step on the gas all day long.
Holy-- Hang on there, Rick.
Okay.
Ah.
Stuck.
The trailer's hitting my tires.
Hugh's 50,000-pound Load has his trailer riding low, Hitting his tires and costing him traction.
I know why I'm spinning out.
The end is dragging on my tires when I hit bumps.
Yeah, way too low.
I didn't know.
We were in the deep snow.
I didn't realize it was that Deep.
There seems to be a rumor afoot That Hugh went in the snow bank with his truck.
Back in winnipeg I thought you already left.
Hugh and Rick Laughed at Alex's truck Problems.
Yeah, they're like girls Going to the bathroom, eh? They go everywhere together.
And now it's payback time.
We caught up to 'em here.
I can't believe it.
Let him go.
Can't believe it.
Let him go.
Let him [Bleep.]
Go.
Give me a break.
Me.
I saw you.
I passed 'em.
Now we're back in front, man.
We're off to the races.
As Alex pushes on, the Canadian truckers are tied With five loads apiece, while in Alaska, Lisa is holding on to the top spot, and she's halfway through the Alaskan mega-haul.
It's a beautiful day.
A beautiful day for truckin'.
Fo' sho' Depending on how She handles the rough, this or break Lisa's heavy haul career.
So far, so good.
I'm kind of glad we have chains On, though.
Tony is leading the charge, but Lisa is right on his tail.
Uh-oh.
What is she doing? I think Tony needs more space.
I'm keeping an eye out for Lisa back there because I think she's got more horsepower than we do.
I can't help it.
I keep running up on you.
I can hang back more.
I've been trying to hang back More.
You know, I don't have a death Wish, and I certainly don't want to slide down backwards.
Somebody like that, 'cause if he Spins out then I'll spin out.
Man, oh, man.
I'm still gaining on him.
The convoy pulls over to unchain.
We'll just get over here, just pull off our iron.
And Tony has a new Plan for Lisa.
Hey, uh, what do you think about taking the lead? Oh, that's fine.
Is that cool? Yeah.
Seeing as how you were kind of pulling me on the hills, You should go first.
Is that cool with you? Yeah.
All right, I'll let you go First.
Blazing the trail Into Prudhoe bay would earn Lisa A top spot on the heavy haul Team.
Be the lead dog today.
Or for now.
I'm here.
But there's still 400 miles left to go.
So yore my lead truck now, Lisa.
Give it a shot, huh? Give it a shot, huh? Road truckers just--let's just be careful.
Lisa's big break May end up breaking her.
[Bleep.]
! Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop! And the Canadians' Marathon haul He's still stuck on the road.
Runs off the rails.
Make it over here?
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