Ice Road Truckers (2007) s07e08 Episode Script
Art of War
Male narrator: Tonight on Ice Road Truckers [Horn honks.]
At least them two could treat someone like a fucking human being.
Narrator: Fire I might burn the fucking crow's nest right to the ground, boy.
[Ice cracking.]
Narrator: thin ice It's makin' so much noise.
I'm bobtail! Narrator: and boiling tempers You know what, buddy? Here You like little notes? Send you a little note.
Narrator: change the war on the winter roads.
Fix the motherfucker! That's your fucking job.
Get the fuck out of my fucking shop.
If you don't want to work here and you're pissed off, you can go.
[Blues rock.]
[Horn honks.]
Narrator: In a battle to take over Winnipeg, Polar Industries and VP Express are in a dead heat.
And already heading north, Lisa Kelly's fighting to keep Polar in the lead.
Sun is out.
I just turned on the winter roads towards Pauingassi.
Going to Pauingassi to get that second trailer that I didn't get the other day.
Narrator: She's on a mission to recover two trailers that have been stuck on the winter roads for a year.
This is fucked.
Narrator: On her last trip to to the remote village, she managed to dig out one trailer but there's still one more to go before Polar can call the job done.
I've tried to replay all the scenarios in my head that I could possibly think that could go wrong with this thing, as far as not being able to get it out, is if I can't find where the problem is.
But it's gotta get done.
Still a little ways away, but I think we're coming up to the lake.
Narrator: Fishing Lake has over a hundred miles of shoreline and is one of longest crossings on the winter roads.
And after hours under the sun, the ice is primed for disaster.
A truck went through the ice a couple days ago.
So the possibility is extremely real and very there.
Yeah, there's a pretty deep crack here.
I keep thinking, "Oh, it'll never happen to me.
It'll never happen to me.
" But it happened to someone.
Just thinking about other trucks going through, it just makes it so possible.
Reality kicks you in the butt.
[Ice cracking.]
It's makin' so much noise.
It's, like, popping.
Freakin' scary.
This doesn't look like it should be making noises like that.
Like, I'm seein' the cracks that I'm making.
I'm makin' those cracks.
[Ice cracking.]
Maybe the warm weather finally got to it.
Oh, shit.
[Chuckles.]
I'm not even gonna look.
I don't think I've ever heard ice cracking so far make this much noise.
There might actually be a possibility of going through.
[Ice cracking.]
Oh, yeah, she's a'cracking.
That reminds me of, like, gunshots.
You can hear it crack, and then you can hear it go up the ice.
[Ice cracking.]
[Loud crack.]
I'm bobtail! Narrator: She hasn't even made it across, and she's still got to come back hauling 15 tons.
- 200 miles west - Fucking gonna get 'em up and get 'em back.
Narrator: Hugh Rowland is on his way back to VP Express.
Fucking make some cash.
That's what it's all about.
Narrator: He's finally got loads and drivers moving and money flowing into the new company.
Art's the only problem we've had on the road this year, is Art, so far.
The first trip was basically self-inflicted, and then that was the beginning of all end right there.
Narrator: Since joining VP Express, art Burke's been struggling.
- Okay, buddy? - You must be fucking kidding me.
Did you pull the pin? Yes, of course I pulled the pin.
Well, the truck won't start.
Well, this is a damn dandy situation now, ain't it? Narrator: - And before his latest trip - Can you read this? Narrator: the bosses warned him it might be his last.
Last chance.
He's a wreckin' machine, man.
I'm not givin' him another chance.
We had a meeting, and we told him right out, "This is your last chance.
" We wrote it in letters so he just didn't hear that, he had to read it for himself.
It said, "Last chance.
" I don't want anybody out there that can't look after themselves.
I mean, if I got to babysit the old brain Fart all the way up there and all the way back, takes us four days to make a trip.
I can make one in two days.
I may as well be doin' that myself.
I don't like that.
I figure, if you can't do it on your own, you shouldn't be out there.
I'm a little hard-ass, or hard-nosed, I guess, sometimes, but I don't ask nobody to do nothin' I won't fucking do, and he can't do anything that I can do.
That's all there is to it.
Narrator: - Only 50 miles back - I'll tell you the truth, I'll be somethin' fucking glad to get home.
Narrator: Art's also headed to Winnipeg on a collision course with his bosses.
This ice road season has been harder than heck.
The bullshit that I'm getting from that clown there and that other goon, like, that-- I wasn't expecting that, eh? Then they called me to the office with that stupid fucking touch-up.
What the fuck kind of a touch-up was that? Take me in there and lay that shit on me, two of them sitting across the fucking table.
That big, fat prick sitting back there, for fucks sake, you'd think he was a-a-- some big mafia dude or something.
I'm surprised he wasn't smokin' a cigar.
At least them two clowns, Hugh and Vlad, would treat someone like a fucking human being.
Hasn't even got enough respect to call me by my fucking name.
Good old brain Fart here.
Hey, Fart, can you hear us way up here? There he is.
Hey, Fart.
You got 550 horses there, Fart, may as well pick it up a little.
See? I'm not used to workin' with people like that With people that go around with their nose in the air and think their shit don't stink.
Their fucking company's a fucking run fucking thing.
The trucks are fucking junk.
So, to cover their fucking ass, they need a fall guy, right? I don't like when people fuck me around, man.
That thing in the office, when they were laughin' at me there, I'll fucking well tell you, it's been like a week, right? And my guts still fucking roll when I fucking think about it.
I got a hard time lettin' something go, man A fucking hard time.
On like, the last day, I might sneak back and set this afire.
Burn the crow's nest right to the ground.
Do I stoop to that fucking level and fucking smash that in the fucking teeth when this is all over? I'm still thinking about it.
Maybe they'll kick my ass, but I'll fucking tell you, you best be on the fucking ball Right on the ball.
Narrator: While tempers are running high with Team VP over at Polar, it's not looking any better.
If I don't make enough fucking money around here, I'm gonna quit.
Narrator: Darrell Ward's blaming the company for a broken truck and broken promises.
Everything around here's fucked up, and nobody seems to fix it.
Narrator: - Throughout the season - Holy fuck.
Narrator: the winter roads have taken a toll on Darrell's rig Ooh, rodeo.
Narrator: and now his truck is down for repairs, putting the brakes on earning paychecks.
About got me ready to go, Joe? Find my problem? Yeah, you broke an axle.
Or the axle was already fractured, 'cause the thing's a '94 with 1 1/2 million miles on it.
You're just too fucking hard on it, Darrell.
Hey, hey, I don't give a fuck about that.
I'm making sure the fucking drivers are not fucking abusing the trucks.
Get me an axle and get this fucker put back together.
- I don't have time to wait on you.
- You know what? Fuck it-- Get out of my fucking shop.
I'll call you when it's ready, and then we'll go from there.
Fix the motherfucker! That's your fucking job.
Get the fuck out of my fucking shop.
I'm tired of this fucking bullshit.
I don't give a fuck, Joe.
No, fuck you, Joe.
I will find another job.
I don't need this bullshit.
Narrator: - Coming up - I'm not happy here at all.
I don't feel there's any sense in me being here.
Narrator: The art of war.
Narrator: In the sub-zero temperatures of Manitoba lies Lake Winnipeg, covered in a thin sheet of ice.
[Horn honking.]
At over 900 square miles and 118 feet deep, Lake Winnipeg is one of the biggest lakes in the world.
Its newly opened ice crossing is a crucial route that hasn't been tested by drivers from either company.
Holy "shamoly.
" We're off to our next adventure.
Ya-hoo! Narrator: Alex Debogorski is picking up a 35-ton mobile cement plant, and on his way back, he'll be the first to cross the lake.
Oh, it'll be an interesting trip.
I'm not sure how wide the lake crossing is.
Don't want to be fooling around on the ice.
I don't like cold water.
I'm not real good in warm water.
I can't swim.
Narrator: Valued at over $1/2 million, it's one of Polar's highest-priced hauls of the season.
Oh, Lord.
Look at that.
I don't know how we're gonna get it out of there.
Narrator: But first, he has to get it out of the yard.
[Metal groaning.]
[Scoffs.]
The tires are hitting right on it.
The problem is the trailer was dropped in the snow.
One side is down too low.
Well, we got to come up with a way of getting under here.
I'm gonna try to come from this corner here.
I'm hopin' to get the fifth wheel under the corner without shovin' it sideways.
Might not be the smartest thing, but we're gonna try a little bit of play with it.
Narrator: One miscalculation could damage the $1/2 million haul.
[Metal rattling, creaking.]
Okay, that looks better.
I need a shovel and some blocks.
Narrator: Alex's plans to prop up the landing gear, to create enough space to hook up.
I'm hopin' that rock will do the job.
We're gonna back under it and hook it up, I guess.
See what happens next.
Looks like we might have her.
Okay, let's go break some ice, I guess.
I need some more excitement in my life.
That was so much fun, I can't stand it.
So we're off, like a hurdle of turtles.
[Laughing.]
Narrator: While Alex prepares to hit the ice with 35 tons, back in Winnipeg, another Polar driver may be hitting the road for good.
Hey, Mark, how's it going? Good, good.
You're here to see me? Yeah, I just got a few-- few little issues.
All right.
Narrator: Darrell Ward needs to make enough cash to spend the summer with his family, but his workload and wallet have been lighter than expected.
When I came into this, I didn't know Mark.
Came up here, went to work for him.
You know, I-I expected a little bit more than he delivered to begin with.
Little frustrated with a few things, you know.
Few things on my truck that need to be repaired that have been in here.
I come in here, and my dash is tore apart, everybody knows my load is gone.
Truck ain't ready.
Have to put it back together myself to get your load delivered on time.
Fuck, half these backhauls I'm pullin' a highboy flatbed.
I can't haul a bus back on that.
Okay, slow down.
We're in the business here to take loads up on the winter roads.
The backhauls are just a bonus, okay? Now, the type of trailer you take is based on the haul up.
We try and find a backhaul that's gonna go with the trailer you already have on.
Okay, what am I to do with these backhauls when I get sent somewhere, and, "Oh, yeah, you got a backhaul possibly"? I talk to the people, and they don't know anything about it.
"Well, you might have to wait around for a couple of days, and we'll have something coming back.
" I can't wait around for a couple days on a load.
No, you can't.
I need these backhauls, you know.
I've gone through a divorce.
I've gone through a whole bunch of financial bullshit, and this is the reason why I'm here To make enough money to get myself out of the jam that I'm in.
I came up here to make the money.
I want the backhauls.
You just need to calm down.
We'll get everything set up.
We've got some big hauls coming up.
We're waiting for a road to open out of Red Sucker Lake.
We got that airport move that I promised you right from the - start, and-- - You need to communicate maybe a little bit more with me on these things that are coming up, because I've been sitting here wonderin', "Where is this shit?" I've been here for quite a while, and it's almost like I'm searchin' for loads.
If you want to sit around and look for loads, like I said, you'd be more than welcome to go down the road and work for VP, 'cause that's all they're doin'.
They're sitting around lookin' for loads.
If you don't want to work here and you're pissed off, you can go.
That's fine.
I've got some big loads for you.
So you gotta tell me, are you in, or are you out? - Keep me busy, and I'm in.
- I'll keep you busy.
Keep me busy.
Don't make me sit.
- Don't make me wait.
- I'll keep you busy.
- I am in.
- Let's make it work.
- All right.
- All right, let's go.
The ice roads don't last long.
I need as many loads as I can get to take care of my problems at home, you know? Keep me loaded, keep me on the road-- That's all I ask.
That's the only way I'm gonna make any money.
You know, once in a while, we get a driver that gets frustrated.
You got to make sure everybody's on the same page.
I'd rather a driver come in here and talk to me, rather than have it all built up, and then I find out, you know, he's out runnin' his mouth on the road or this and that.
We're a team here at Polar.
If you're not a team player, we don't want you here.
Narrator: As the heat simmers down at Polar, outside of town They say, "Last chance.
" They called me in the office, and lay that on me, eh? Fucking tellin' you, boy.
I'm not fucking happy at all.
Narrator: Art Burke's just getting warmed up.
What the fuck is with these people? What am I gonna do about this, man? Am I gonna let this go, or what the fuck? What? What do you want to do? Smash 'em in the fucking mouth.
I'm not makin' no money here Not to mention the bullshit that I'm takin'.
I don't have to tolerate it.
Like I said, I can get a job wherever the fuck I want.
So this mornin', there's a very good chance that I might be tellin' them to go fuck themselves.
So how was the Tadoule ride? Well, the Tadoule ride wasn't bad, buddy.
It was pretty rough.
It was pretty cold.
Are you still surprised about the weather conditions we've got here? [Laughing.]
No, I don't mind the weather conditions at all here.
I don't mind the drivin' here.
I'll tell you what my problem is, yeah.
My problem is I don't feel I'm makin' any money here.
I've been broke down three times, workin' my fucking ass off here, trying to get this to keep going and keep that to keep moving.
I'm not happy here at all.
I don't feel there's any sense in me bein' here.
Narrator: - At VP Express headquarters - I'll tell you what my problem is, yeah.
Narrator: Art Burke's meeting with the bosses.
My problem is I don't feel I'm makin' any money here.
I've been broke down three times, workin' my fucking ass off here, trying to get this to keep going and keep that to keep moving.
I'm not happy here at all.
I don't feel there's any sense in me bein' here, is how I feel.
It sounds like that we've come to a mutual agreement here, because that's why we called you in here, Art.
We feel that it's not in our best interest to keep you on, so we're gonna let you go.
You know what, buddy? Here.
We're all done here.
You like little notes? I got a little note for you lot.
You guys go fuck yourselves.
Here's your little note, and I'll take my little jacket, and I'll depart.
See you around, boy.
Take care.
Apparently he don't like you, Vlad.
[Laughs.]
I want out of here.
Don't go yet.
- Let me get my cameraman.
- Fuck the cameraman.
I want out of here.
Just wait here.
I want out-- I want off the property.
[Laughing.]
I don't feel bad about letting him go at all.
No, it doesn't matter at all.
So I'm glad he's gone.
He's out of our hair, and I don't feel so bad now that you got your little note there.
No, that's a nice love letter, eh? [Laughter.]
Little does he know that nobody'll ever hire him again now.
Fuck them.
I got to quit in a roundabout way.
But as usual, the smiling cocksuckers cut me off and wouldn't let me finish.
Switched it around so they had the ball in their court.
I had all the plans to quit when I went in there.
That's why I had that note made up for the cocksucker, eh? Same thing-- Fucked truck, fucked load, fucked every-fucking-thing, and they tell me I can't go by myself? They're two-faced cocksuckers, man.
They fucking laugh behind-- They're nice as fuck when I'm in there, and behind my back, I'm just a cocksucker.
Scabby fucking pricks, man.
I'm glad I don't work for them no more.
I wouldn't get them to ship my fucking shithouses.
Fuck them.
Polar's right down the street.
I'm gonna walk down there and see if I can get a job, boy.
This is what they wanted Well, this is what they got.
Hello.
Hi, how are you today? - I'm good, and you? - Good.
- My name is Art.
- I'm Heather.
- Heather, pleased to meet you, Heather.
- Pleased to meet you too.
I'm lookin' for a guy named Mark, I think his name is.
- Mark, I think his name is.
- Okay.
I'm just wondering if he's looking for someone to run the ice roads, - to tell you the truth.
- Okay, okay.
Well, come on in.
We'll see, let you talk to him.
- Mark.
- Hey.
Got a fella here lookin' for some ice road work.
- Just go on in.
- How you doin'? Not too bad as hell.
How are you today? I'm good.
Mark.
- Art, pleased to meet you.
- Nice to meet you.
How you doin'? Come on in.
Sit down.
- So you're, uh [Groans.]
- Unemployed.
- Unemployed? - Yes.
What's goin' on? Was workin' over at VP, and it didn't go all that well, buddy.
Now, why was that? Was it you? Was it them? Oh, my God, man.
That's a terrible place to work.
I didn't get along with Hugh.
I didn't get along with Vlad-- the whole atmosphere.
They're nice to your face.
They talk behind your back.
And I made three trips.
I broke down three times.
And they took me to the office and gave me a big touch-up as if it was my fault.
So you're saying if I phone Hugh right now, he's not gonna give me a very good reference, is he? [Both laughing.]
- Probably not.
- Yeah.
Probably not, eh? Well, so you've got a little bit of a taste of the Manitoba ice roads, and you want to get some more under your belt is what you're saying.
I would like to get some more, yes.
Have you got a driver's abstract? You know what, buddy? - Believe it or not - That's gonna determine-- There you go, my friend.
So you've got, uh, 14 years experience with Class 1? Yeah, pretty much.
This is actually my fifth year on the ice road.
Okay.
I got four in Yellowknife, right? Okay.
Speeding tickets? You know what? How quickly you want to get out on the roads? 'Cause we've got a lot of loads we got to get movin'.
- Whenever you want.
- Yeah? You can start right away? - Right away.
- Perfect.
So what I'll do is I'll officially welcome you aboard.
Right on.
Thank you very much.
As soon as I walked through that door, I knew.
Mark was totally different.
People smile here.
They laugh, actually, and carry on.
[Laughing.]
That doesn't happen over there.
Over there their whole morale is just bleh just nothing.
Nobody's happy.
If you're not happy, you're not gonna smile.
Over here, the lady in the office is happy.
They smile, carry on.
[Laughs.]
That's the way it's supposed to be.
That's what I'm used to.
Narrator: - Coming up - There's a big crack sinkin' right in there.
We might be goin' through the ice.
Get that thing down.
Narrator: At Polar headquarters in Winnipeg [Telephone rings.]
Polar Industries.
All right.
Bye-bye.
Fuck.
Narrator: Owner Mark Kohaykewych is getting bad news.
Hey, Darrell! Yo.
- Need your help.
- Need my help? Truck in the ditch.
Grab the dually, the new Ford.
Fuck.
Let's go.
So we got somebody stuck in the ditch? One of our drivers, just with the weather conditions.
Narrator: A Polar rig jackknifed in town, shutting down the haul.
Oh, there he is, right in the middle of a major intersection.
It looks like a fucking disaster here, Mark.
That's a pretty big rig.
Yeah.
This is a pretty slick road.
Yeah, I hope we can get a bit of traction here.
Fuck, you know what? I should've just phoned VP Express.
They're not doin' anything today.
They never are.
Narrator: The truck's blocking both lanes of traffic and Polar could face fines if they can't move it quickly.
I want your tires spinnin'.
I'm gonna back up.
I want you in gear, going, before I hit the end of this strap.
Narrator: Hooked up, Darrell tries to pull the 30-ton load off the road.
- Okay, hang on.
- All right.
Fuck.
Couple more times, and it's coming out.
Yeah, I'm gonna hit her in low this time.
I moved it.
One more time.
All right, Mark it's coming out this time.
Come on! [Both cheering.]
I told you it'd do it.
[Coughs.]
[Laughs.]
Fucking unbelievable.
You know, one of Polar's trucks ran off the road coming around the corner, couldn't get out.
Keep it out of the fucking ditch! I ain't kiddin' you, man, he yanked it out of there.
Took me a couple hits on her, but she done it.
Done the job.
You know, now I got to get my boss back to the shop.
I need to get my loads on the road.
I need to get goin'.
Narrator: 200 miles northeast of Winnipeg at 40 below I'm in Pauingassi.
Wow, it's cold.
Narrator: Lisa Kelly's heading to the second trailer that's been stuck in the Manitoba backcountry for a year.
And I'm gonna go look for the trailer.
I'm sure I should remember where it's at.
Ah, there's my trailer.
I think I'm just gonna have to try to pin.
Narrator: To hook up, Lisa's got to get her truck to latch onto the trailer's pin Ay-yi-yi.
Why won't it pin? Everything's all frozen or somethin'.
It's just not pinning shut.
Narrator: In the sub-zero temperatures, the latch that connects to the trailer is frozen.
Just trying to figure how to thaw it out so it works.
It just will not pin.
Let me try it one more time real quick, and then [Trailer creaking.]
Whoo! Awesome, awesome, awesome.
Yeah, it pinned.
Narrator: Hooked up, all she has to do is pull the trailer free.
Come on, baby.
All right, it ain't gonna roll.
It looks frozen right in the dirt.
Narrator: But after sitting for a year, the brakes are stuck and the tires are frozen in ice.
What a piece of shit.
Ay-yi-yi.
We'll try to rock it a few more times.
Whoo-hoo.
Ooh, yeah.
All right.
[Laughs.]
Got it.
Second gear, rockin' it back and forth is how it worked.
I did not think I was gonna get it.
Like, all the tires were rollin'.
It's like, "I don't get it.
Why won't it move?" I got my other trailer.
I'm pretty happy about it.
I hope that it rides pretty nice.
I hope no problems develop on the road.
I'm pretty determined.
I'm gonna just drag this stupid thing back to Winnipeg if I have to.
It's out of the snowbank! It's going to Winnipeg! Narrator: - Before this mission's done - Let's go.
Narrator: she'll have to take the 15-ton trailer back across the thinning ice.
[Horn honks.]
As Lisa hits the road, Polar teammate Alex Debogorski's about to cross one of the largest lakes in the world.
I'm hauling a cement batch plant.
It's a contraption for making cement.
So this is like a mini cement plant.
It's fairly big.
It's only on one axle, so I'm sure it's maximum weight for that one axle.
It's 15 feet tall at the highest part.
It's as big as I'd like to have it for going across Lake Winnipeg.
Any bigger, it's definitely gonna be too big.
So it's I'm pretty well maxed out for weight for goin' across the ice.
Narrator: Alex is tempting fate as the first driver this season to cross Lake Winnipeg at maximum weight.
And to get across, he'll have to get through the pressure ridge-- the crack of the lake where two sheets of ice collide.
And one wrong move could send him into the water.
Okay, off we go.
We're just gonna creep onto the ice here.
[Ice cracking.]
We got some serious cracks here.
The ice on this lake is very long.
So, when the ice expands, it doesn't know where to go.
It's all laying like this.
If the ice contracts, it'll pull apart and leave a hole.
You know, it'll be open, lead to water.
Narrator: Near the middle of the lake, Alex approaches the pressure ridge.
If the pressure ridge is new, it could go up there and just-- all it is, is like a wall.
It's a wall of ice.
You can't get through it.
The ice is not thick there, but And if it opens up, then they have to lay a bridge down to go over the open water.
You know, you could drop a wheel through, or, you know, a piece could break off the ice, and you'll start, you know, havin' a problem right there.
A person could get wet.
[Ice rumbling, cracking.]
Fuck.
Narrator: On his first try, the big rig gets hung up and he's forced to back up for another run at the massive crack.
I can't see where the hell the trailer's going either.
The big crack, sinkin' right in there.
[Ice cracking loudly.]
Fuck.
We might be going through the ice.
Get that thing down.
[Ice cracking.]
Narrator: In the middle of Lake Winnipeg The big crack, sinkin' right in there.
We might be going through the ice.
Narrator: Polar driver Alex Debogorski is stuck on thin ice and can't back up.
This batch plant is worth over $1/2 million.
If it goes through the ice, it'd be a good way to bankrupt Polar.
Get that thing down.
Narrator: His rig is hung up on the pressure ridge and in danger of breaking through the massive crack that runs across the middle of the lake.
A very unsafe part here, very unstable.
I can't see where the hell the trailer is going either.
The ice is cracked under here.
That's why there's a ridge here.
Whoa.
[Ice cracking.]
Argh, come on.
We made it.
We're on the other side of the ice.
A little bit spooky there.
Narrator: Alex is over the pressure ridge, but only halfway across the lake.
I tried to get across once, and the trailer got stuck.
Snowbank was cracked, so it means things are moving.
Pressure ridges tend to move.
That pressure ridge, as far as I'm concerned, is still alive.
It's not like, it's not frozen tight in there.
I mean, if the snowbank is opened up, that means it's moving.
So a person could go over there and, you know, sink in there.
Off we go.
We got across the lake, and now we're on solid ground.
I'm not wet.
I'm going back to Winnipeg, get my load back home.
Narrator: - As Alex hammers down - I'm leaving Pauingassi now with my second trailer.
Anyway, I'm just pullin' out of there, heading back to Winnipeg.
Narrator: Teammate Lisa Kelly is on the way back to Polar with the final piece of the recovery mission.
I went and had to get both trailers that were-- been there for over a year.
Oh, my gosh, you think you try to come prepared for one problem, but it's a totally different problem.
I didn't think pinning to it was gonna be the hard part.
Narrator: But before she gets back to Winnipeg, she'll have to retrace her steps across This time hauling over 15 tons.
I'm just getting to the ice crossing here.
It's kind of sketchy putting some weight on it with the trailer on here.
I pretty much need to go to first gear, 'cause second gear is too fast here to drop down on the lake.
Got a sweet little hill [Imitates whooshing.]
Right here, and then we just drop down onto the ice.
[Ice cracking.]
Yeah, there's no mistaking it.
It's not like, "Oh, I think I hear the ice cracked".
It's like, "Oh! Yeah, it cracked".
[Ice cracking.]
Oh, my gosh.
Whole lake is shiftin'.
It's every man for himself if this ship sinks.
I don't know what my game plan is.
Don't die? Maybe if I sit here and listen to it long enough I'll get used to it.
It's being noisy.
Mm-hmm.
I hear you.
I hear you.
Oh, yeah.
[Ice cracking.]
Sounds like a crackling fire.
You know how sometimes it snaps and pops a little louder? It's mostly just, "snap, snap, snap, pop.
" Still just a-snappin' away.
A lot more now, now that we're getting near shore.
Oh, you're bein' way too noisy there.
[Ice cracking very loudly.]
Okay, you're makin' too much noise.
Get the "F" off the ice.
That lake crossing was just as noisy as the first one.
It's very noisy today.
It's makin' all kinds of racket.
I don't know what makes it noisy and what makes it not noisy.
I kind of like it when it doesn't crack.
Narrator: After conquering the ice crossing, Lisa makes it to the Polar yard with the final trailer.
It was a good day.
We got her done, so I'm gonna crawl into that nice, toasty truck over there and get some sleep.
Narrator: - And 30 minutes behind Lisa - We're home free, I believe.
Thank you, Lord.
Narrator: teammate Alex Debogorski brings in his $1/2 million cement plant.
Everything went well.
I'm happy to have a load here, and it's money in the bank, and I'm ready for bed once again.
Narrator: While Polar's finished for the day - VP Express is holding their own - It's about 5:00 in the morning-- get this son of a bitch unloaded here.
And then I got a couple little pieces of equipment I got to load back on my trailer for a backhaul to take back to Winnipeg.
Narrator: Even without former employee Art Burke.
Well, he just wasn't pulling it off.
So we had to let him go.
It was kind of a you know, it's a bad deal for him, but that's the way it worked out.
And he went down the road and hired on with Polar.
Art's a steering-wheel holder.
He's not a truck driver.
Narrator: Back in Winnipeg This is what I do with my spare time, boy, when I'm bored.
I come in here and play pool.
I played a lot of this over the years, man.
I ain't too shabby at it.
I'm telling you, man I used to play this for money years ago.
I can make more money doin' this than fucking truckin' with Hugh, I'll tell you that.
I would consider myself someone who's very revengeful.
But you gotta be patient, man.
I used to go huntin' ducks with my grandfather years ago when I was a kid, eh? And we'd go down to the duck pond, and he'd get the shotgun out, and we'd crawl up.
I was only a tiny, tiny, little fella.
We'd sneak up, and he'd put the gun out through the bushes, right slowly, and I'd be sitting there waiting for the bang.
And it seemed like forever, but he'd sit there, and he'd wait, and he'd wait, and he'd wait, and he'd wait till all the ducks swam together in a little group, and then he'd let strip and get them all.
And I learnt that.
And you can take that and apply it to everyday life, 'cause I'll wait years.
I'll wait-- I'm still waiting.
I'm still waiting.
And I'll wait, and I'll wait, and I'll wait.
And six months down the road, Hugh won't be here.
People won't even remember your name, bud.
Enjoy it while you're here, because this might be it, eh? Narrator: - Next time on Ice Road Truckers - Go! Narrator: It's a tug-of-war between VP Express and Polar How was Hugh for a boss? Like shit.
[Laughter.]
Narrator: - As roads start to melt - This is probably the thinnest ice I've ever crossed before.
Whoa.
Narrator: - And roads disappear - Well, Art, we just run out of road.
Never fucking ends.
Narrator: Hugh crosses enemy lines.
Hey, Lisa, you on there?
At least them two could treat someone like a fucking human being.
Narrator: Fire I might burn the fucking crow's nest right to the ground, boy.
[Ice cracking.]
Narrator: thin ice It's makin' so much noise.
I'm bobtail! Narrator: and boiling tempers You know what, buddy? Here You like little notes? Send you a little note.
Narrator: change the war on the winter roads.
Fix the motherfucker! That's your fucking job.
Get the fuck out of my fucking shop.
If you don't want to work here and you're pissed off, you can go.
[Blues rock.]
[Horn honks.]
Narrator: In a battle to take over Winnipeg, Polar Industries and VP Express are in a dead heat.
And already heading north, Lisa Kelly's fighting to keep Polar in the lead.
Sun is out.
I just turned on the winter roads towards Pauingassi.
Going to Pauingassi to get that second trailer that I didn't get the other day.
Narrator: She's on a mission to recover two trailers that have been stuck on the winter roads for a year.
This is fucked.
Narrator: On her last trip to to the remote village, she managed to dig out one trailer but there's still one more to go before Polar can call the job done.
I've tried to replay all the scenarios in my head that I could possibly think that could go wrong with this thing, as far as not being able to get it out, is if I can't find where the problem is.
But it's gotta get done.
Still a little ways away, but I think we're coming up to the lake.
Narrator: Fishing Lake has over a hundred miles of shoreline and is one of longest crossings on the winter roads.
And after hours under the sun, the ice is primed for disaster.
A truck went through the ice a couple days ago.
So the possibility is extremely real and very there.
Yeah, there's a pretty deep crack here.
I keep thinking, "Oh, it'll never happen to me.
It'll never happen to me.
" But it happened to someone.
Just thinking about other trucks going through, it just makes it so possible.
Reality kicks you in the butt.
[Ice cracking.]
It's makin' so much noise.
It's, like, popping.
Freakin' scary.
This doesn't look like it should be making noises like that.
Like, I'm seein' the cracks that I'm making.
I'm makin' those cracks.
[Ice cracking.]
Maybe the warm weather finally got to it.
Oh, shit.
[Chuckles.]
I'm not even gonna look.
I don't think I've ever heard ice cracking so far make this much noise.
There might actually be a possibility of going through.
[Ice cracking.]
Oh, yeah, she's a'cracking.
That reminds me of, like, gunshots.
You can hear it crack, and then you can hear it go up the ice.
[Ice cracking.]
[Loud crack.]
I'm bobtail! Narrator: She hasn't even made it across, and she's still got to come back hauling 15 tons.
- 200 miles west - Fucking gonna get 'em up and get 'em back.
Narrator: Hugh Rowland is on his way back to VP Express.
Fucking make some cash.
That's what it's all about.
Narrator: He's finally got loads and drivers moving and money flowing into the new company.
Art's the only problem we've had on the road this year, is Art, so far.
The first trip was basically self-inflicted, and then that was the beginning of all end right there.
Narrator: Since joining VP Express, art Burke's been struggling.
- Okay, buddy? - You must be fucking kidding me.
Did you pull the pin? Yes, of course I pulled the pin.
Well, the truck won't start.
Well, this is a damn dandy situation now, ain't it? Narrator: - And before his latest trip - Can you read this? Narrator: the bosses warned him it might be his last.
Last chance.
He's a wreckin' machine, man.
I'm not givin' him another chance.
We had a meeting, and we told him right out, "This is your last chance.
" We wrote it in letters so he just didn't hear that, he had to read it for himself.
It said, "Last chance.
" I don't want anybody out there that can't look after themselves.
I mean, if I got to babysit the old brain Fart all the way up there and all the way back, takes us four days to make a trip.
I can make one in two days.
I may as well be doin' that myself.
I don't like that.
I figure, if you can't do it on your own, you shouldn't be out there.
I'm a little hard-ass, or hard-nosed, I guess, sometimes, but I don't ask nobody to do nothin' I won't fucking do, and he can't do anything that I can do.
That's all there is to it.
Narrator: - Only 50 miles back - I'll tell you the truth, I'll be somethin' fucking glad to get home.
Narrator: Art's also headed to Winnipeg on a collision course with his bosses.
This ice road season has been harder than heck.
The bullshit that I'm getting from that clown there and that other goon, like, that-- I wasn't expecting that, eh? Then they called me to the office with that stupid fucking touch-up.
What the fuck kind of a touch-up was that? Take me in there and lay that shit on me, two of them sitting across the fucking table.
That big, fat prick sitting back there, for fucks sake, you'd think he was a-a-- some big mafia dude or something.
I'm surprised he wasn't smokin' a cigar.
At least them two clowns, Hugh and Vlad, would treat someone like a fucking human being.
Hasn't even got enough respect to call me by my fucking name.
Good old brain Fart here.
Hey, Fart, can you hear us way up here? There he is.
Hey, Fart.
You got 550 horses there, Fart, may as well pick it up a little.
See? I'm not used to workin' with people like that With people that go around with their nose in the air and think their shit don't stink.
Their fucking company's a fucking run fucking thing.
The trucks are fucking junk.
So, to cover their fucking ass, they need a fall guy, right? I don't like when people fuck me around, man.
That thing in the office, when they were laughin' at me there, I'll fucking well tell you, it's been like a week, right? And my guts still fucking roll when I fucking think about it.
I got a hard time lettin' something go, man A fucking hard time.
On like, the last day, I might sneak back and set this afire.
Burn the crow's nest right to the ground.
Do I stoop to that fucking level and fucking smash that in the fucking teeth when this is all over? I'm still thinking about it.
Maybe they'll kick my ass, but I'll fucking tell you, you best be on the fucking ball Right on the ball.
Narrator: While tempers are running high with Team VP over at Polar, it's not looking any better.
If I don't make enough fucking money around here, I'm gonna quit.
Narrator: Darrell Ward's blaming the company for a broken truck and broken promises.
Everything around here's fucked up, and nobody seems to fix it.
Narrator: - Throughout the season - Holy fuck.
Narrator: the winter roads have taken a toll on Darrell's rig Ooh, rodeo.
Narrator: and now his truck is down for repairs, putting the brakes on earning paychecks.
About got me ready to go, Joe? Find my problem? Yeah, you broke an axle.
Or the axle was already fractured, 'cause the thing's a '94 with 1 1/2 million miles on it.
You're just too fucking hard on it, Darrell.
Hey, hey, I don't give a fuck about that.
I'm making sure the fucking drivers are not fucking abusing the trucks.
Get me an axle and get this fucker put back together.
- I don't have time to wait on you.
- You know what? Fuck it-- Get out of my fucking shop.
I'll call you when it's ready, and then we'll go from there.
Fix the motherfucker! That's your fucking job.
Get the fuck out of my fucking shop.
I'm tired of this fucking bullshit.
I don't give a fuck, Joe.
No, fuck you, Joe.
I will find another job.
I don't need this bullshit.
Narrator: - Coming up - I'm not happy here at all.
I don't feel there's any sense in me being here.
Narrator: The art of war.
Narrator: In the sub-zero temperatures of Manitoba lies Lake Winnipeg, covered in a thin sheet of ice.
[Horn honking.]
At over 900 square miles and 118 feet deep, Lake Winnipeg is one of the biggest lakes in the world.
Its newly opened ice crossing is a crucial route that hasn't been tested by drivers from either company.
Holy "shamoly.
" We're off to our next adventure.
Ya-hoo! Narrator: Alex Debogorski is picking up a 35-ton mobile cement plant, and on his way back, he'll be the first to cross the lake.
Oh, it'll be an interesting trip.
I'm not sure how wide the lake crossing is.
Don't want to be fooling around on the ice.
I don't like cold water.
I'm not real good in warm water.
I can't swim.
Narrator: Valued at over $1/2 million, it's one of Polar's highest-priced hauls of the season.
Oh, Lord.
Look at that.
I don't know how we're gonna get it out of there.
Narrator: But first, he has to get it out of the yard.
[Metal groaning.]
[Scoffs.]
The tires are hitting right on it.
The problem is the trailer was dropped in the snow.
One side is down too low.
Well, we got to come up with a way of getting under here.
I'm gonna try to come from this corner here.
I'm hopin' to get the fifth wheel under the corner without shovin' it sideways.
Might not be the smartest thing, but we're gonna try a little bit of play with it.
Narrator: One miscalculation could damage the $1/2 million haul.
[Metal rattling, creaking.]
Okay, that looks better.
I need a shovel and some blocks.
Narrator: Alex's plans to prop up the landing gear, to create enough space to hook up.
I'm hopin' that rock will do the job.
We're gonna back under it and hook it up, I guess.
See what happens next.
Looks like we might have her.
Okay, let's go break some ice, I guess.
I need some more excitement in my life.
That was so much fun, I can't stand it.
So we're off, like a hurdle of turtles.
[Laughing.]
Narrator: While Alex prepares to hit the ice with 35 tons, back in Winnipeg, another Polar driver may be hitting the road for good.
Hey, Mark, how's it going? Good, good.
You're here to see me? Yeah, I just got a few-- few little issues.
All right.
Narrator: Darrell Ward needs to make enough cash to spend the summer with his family, but his workload and wallet have been lighter than expected.
When I came into this, I didn't know Mark.
Came up here, went to work for him.
You know, I-I expected a little bit more than he delivered to begin with.
Little frustrated with a few things, you know.
Few things on my truck that need to be repaired that have been in here.
I come in here, and my dash is tore apart, everybody knows my load is gone.
Truck ain't ready.
Have to put it back together myself to get your load delivered on time.
Fuck, half these backhauls I'm pullin' a highboy flatbed.
I can't haul a bus back on that.
Okay, slow down.
We're in the business here to take loads up on the winter roads.
The backhauls are just a bonus, okay? Now, the type of trailer you take is based on the haul up.
We try and find a backhaul that's gonna go with the trailer you already have on.
Okay, what am I to do with these backhauls when I get sent somewhere, and, "Oh, yeah, you got a backhaul possibly"? I talk to the people, and they don't know anything about it.
"Well, you might have to wait around for a couple of days, and we'll have something coming back.
" I can't wait around for a couple days on a load.
No, you can't.
I need these backhauls, you know.
I've gone through a divorce.
I've gone through a whole bunch of financial bullshit, and this is the reason why I'm here To make enough money to get myself out of the jam that I'm in.
I came up here to make the money.
I want the backhauls.
You just need to calm down.
We'll get everything set up.
We've got some big hauls coming up.
We're waiting for a road to open out of Red Sucker Lake.
We got that airport move that I promised you right from the - start, and-- - You need to communicate maybe a little bit more with me on these things that are coming up, because I've been sitting here wonderin', "Where is this shit?" I've been here for quite a while, and it's almost like I'm searchin' for loads.
If you want to sit around and look for loads, like I said, you'd be more than welcome to go down the road and work for VP, 'cause that's all they're doin'.
They're sitting around lookin' for loads.
If you don't want to work here and you're pissed off, you can go.
That's fine.
I've got some big loads for you.
So you gotta tell me, are you in, or are you out? - Keep me busy, and I'm in.
- I'll keep you busy.
Keep me busy.
Don't make me sit.
- Don't make me wait.
- I'll keep you busy.
- I am in.
- Let's make it work.
- All right.
- All right, let's go.
The ice roads don't last long.
I need as many loads as I can get to take care of my problems at home, you know? Keep me loaded, keep me on the road-- That's all I ask.
That's the only way I'm gonna make any money.
You know, once in a while, we get a driver that gets frustrated.
You got to make sure everybody's on the same page.
I'd rather a driver come in here and talk to me, rather than have it all built up, and then I find out, you know, he's out runnin' his mouth on the road or this and that.
We're a team here at Polar.
If you're not a team player, we don't want you here.
Narrator: As the heat simmers down at Polar, outside of town They say, "Last chance.
" They called me in the office, and lay that on me, eh? Fucking tellin' you, boy.
I'm not fucking happy at all.
Narrator: Art Burke's just getting warmed up.
What the fuck is with these people? What am I gonna do about this, man? Am I gonna let this go, or what the fuck? What? What do you want to do? Smash 'em in the fucking mouth.
I'm not makin' no money here Not to mention the bullshit that I'm takin'.
I don't have to tolerate it.
Like I said, I can get a job wherever the fuck I want.
So this mornin', there's a very good chance that I might be tellin' them to go fuck themselves.
So how was the Tadoule ride? Well, the Tadoule ride wasn't bad, buddy.
It was pretty rough.
It was pretty cold.
Are you still surprised about the weather conditions we've got here? [Laughing.]
No, I don't mind the weather conditions at all here.
I don't mind the drivin' here.
I'll tell you what my problem is, yeah.
My problem is I don't feel I'm makin' any money here.
I've been broke down three times, workin' my fucking ass off here, trying to get this to keep going and keep that to keep moving.
I'm not happy here at all.
I don't feel there's any sense in me bein' here.
Narrator: - At VP Express headquarters - I'll tell you what my problem is, yeah.
Narrator: Art Burke's meeting with the bosses.
My problem is I don't feel I'm makin' any money here.
I've been broke down three times, workin' my fucking ass off here, trying to get this to keep going and keep that to keep moving.
I'm not happy here at all.
I don't feel there's any sense in me bein' here, is how I feel.
It sounds like that we've come to a mutual agreement here, because that's why we called you in here, Art.
We feel that it's not in our best interest to keep you on, so we're gonna let you go.
You know what, buddy? Here.
We're all done here.
You like little notes? I got a little note for you lot.
You guys go fuck yourselves.
Here's your little note, and I'll take my little jacket, and I'll depart.
See you around, boy.
Take care.
Apparently he don't like you, Vlad.
[Laughs.]
I want out of here.
Don't go yet.
- Let me get my cameraman.
- Fuck the cameraman.
I want out of here.
Just wait here.
I want out-- I want off the property.
[Laughing.]
I don't feel bad about letting him go at all.
No, it doesn't matter at all.
So I'm glad he's gone.
He's out of our hair, and I don't feel so bad now that you got your little note there.
No, that's a nice love letter, eh? [Laughter.]
Little does he know that nobody'll ever hire him again now.
Fuck them.
I got to quit in a roundabout way.
But as usual, the smiling cocksuckers cut me off and wouldn't let me finish.
Switched it around so they had the ball in their court.
I had all the plans to quit when I went in there.
That's why I had that note made up for the cocksucker, eh? Same thing-- Fucked truck, fucked load, fucked every-fucking-thing, and they tell me I can't go by myself? They're two-faced cocksuckers, man.
They fucking laugh behind-- They're nice as fuck when I'm in there, and behind my back, I'm just a cocksucker.
Scabby fucking pricks, man.
I'm glad I don't work for them no more.
I wouldn't get them to ship my fucking shithouses.
Fuck them.
Polar's right down the street.
I'm gonna walk down there and see if I can get a job, boy.
This is what they wanted Well, this is what they got.
Hello.
Hi, how are you today? - I'm good, and you? - Good.
- My name is Art.
- I'm Heather.
- Heather, pleased to meet you, Heather.
- Pleased to meet you too.
I'm lookin' for a guy named Mark, I think his name is.
- Mark, I think his name is.
- Okay.
I'm just wondering if he's looking for someone to run the ice roads, - to tell you the truth.
- Okay, okay.
Well, come on in.
We'll see, let you talk to him.
- Mark.
- Hey.
Got a fella here lookin' for some ice road work.
- Just go on in.
- How you doin'? Not too bad as hell.
How are you today? I'm good.
Mark.
- Art, pleased to meet you.
- Nice to meet you.
How you doin'? Come on in.
Sit down.
- So you're, uh [Groans.]
- Unemployed.
- Unemployed? - Yes.
What's goin' on? Was workin' over at VP, and it didn't go all that well, buddy.
Now, why was that? Was it you? Was it them? Oh, my God, man.
That's a terrible place to work.
I didn't get along with Hugh.
I didn't get along with Vlad-- the whole atmosphere.
They're nice to your face.
They talk behind your back.
And I made three trips.
I broke down three times.
And they took me to the office and gave me a big touch-up as if it was my fault.
So you're saying if I phone Hugh right now, he's not gonna give me a very good reference, is he? [Both laughing.]
- Probably not.
- Yeah.
Probably not, eh? Well, so you've got a little bit of a taste of the Manitoba ice roads, and you want to get some more under your belt is what you're saying.
I would like to get some more, yes.
Have you got a driver's abstract? You know what, buddy? - Believe it or not - That's gonna determine-- There you go, my friend.
So you've got, uh, 14 years experience with Class 1? Yeah, pretty much.
This is actually my fifth year on the ice road.
Okay.
I got four in Yellowknife, right? Okay.
Speeding tickets? You know what? How quickly you want to get out on the roads? 'Cause we've got a lot of loads we got to get movin'.
- Whenever you want.
- Yeah? You can start right away? - Right away.
- Perfect.
So what I'll do is I'll officially welcome you aboard.
Right on.
Thank you very much.
As soon as I walked through that door, I knew.
Mark was totally different.
People smile here.
They laugh, actually, and carry on.
[Laughing.]
That doesn't happen over there.
Over there their whole morale is just bleh just nothing.
Nobody's happy.
If you're not happy, you're not gonna smile.
Over here, the lady in the office is happy.
They smile, carry on.
[Laughs.]
That's the way it's supposed to be.
That's what I'm used to.
Narrator: - Coming up - There's a big crack sinkin' right in there.
We might be goin' through the ice.
Get that thing down.
Narrator: At Polar headquarters in Winnipeg [Telephone rings.]
Polar Industries.
All right.
Bye-bye.
Fuck.
Narrator: Owner Mark Kohaykewych is getting bad news.
Hey, Darrell! Yo.
- Need your help.
- Need my help? Truck in the ditch.
Grab the dually, the new Ford.
Fuck.
Let's go.
So we got somebody stuck in the ditch? One of our drivers, just with the weather conditions.
Narrator: A Polar rig jackknifed in town, shutting down the haul.
Oh, there he is, right in the middle of a major intersection.
It looks like a fucking disaster here, Mark.
That's a pretty big rig.
Yeah.
This is a pretty slick road.
Yeah, I hope we can get a bit of traction here.
Fuck, you know what? I should've just phoned VP Express.
They're not doin' anything today.
They never are.
Narrator: The truck's blocking both lanes of traffic and Polar could face fines if they can't move it quickly.
I want your tires spinnin'.
I'm gonna back up.
I want you in gear, going, before I hit the end of this strap.
Narrator: Hooked up, Darrell tries to pull the 30-ton load off the road.
- Okay, hang on.
- All right.
Fuck.
Couple more times, and it's coming out.
Yeah, I'm gonna hit her in low this time.
I moved it.
One more time.
All right, Mark it's coming out this time.
Come on! [Both cheering.]
I told you it'd do it.
[Coughs.]
[Laughs.]
Fucking unbelievable.
You know, one of Polar's trucks ran off the road coming around the corner, couldn't get out.
Keep it out of the fucking ditch! I ain't kiddin' you, man, he yanked it out of there.
Took me a couple hits on her, but she done it.
Done the job.
You know, now I got to get my boss back to the shop.
I need to get my loads on the road.
I need to get goin'.
Narrator: 200 miles northeast of Winnipeg at 40 below I'm in Pauingassi.
Wow, it's cold.
Narrator: Lisa Kelly's heading to the second trailer that's been stuck in the Manitoba backcountry for a year.
And I'm gonna go look for the trailer.
I'm sure I should remember where it's at.
Ah, there's my trailer.
I think I'm just gonna have to try to pin.
Narrator: To hook up, Lisa's got to get her truck to latch onto the trailer's pin Ay-yi-yi.
Why won't it pin? Everything's all frozen or somethin'.
It's just not pinning shut.
Narrator: In the sub-zero temperatures, the latch that connects to the trailer is frozen.
Just trying to figure how to thaw it out so it works.
It just will not pin.
Let me try it one more time real quick, and then [Trailer creaking.]
Whoo! Awesome, awesome, awesome.
Yeah, it pinned.
Narrator: Hooked up, all she has to do is pull the trailer free.
Come on, baby.
All right, it ain't gonna roll.
It looks frozen right in the dirt.
Narrator: But after sitting for a year, the brakes are stuck and the tires are frozen in ice.
What a piece of shit.
Ay-yi-yi.
We'll try to rock it a few more times.
Whoo-hoo.
Ooh, yeah.
All right.
[Laughs.]
Got it.
Second gear, rockin' it back and forth is how it worked.
I did not think I was gonna get it.
Like, all the tires were rollin'.
It's like, "I don't get it.
Why won't it move?" I got my other trailer.
I'm pretty happy about it.
I hope that it rides pretty nice.
I hope no problems develop on the road.
I'm pretty determined.
I'm gonna just drag this stupid thing back to Winnipeg if I have to.
It's out of the snowbank! It's going to Winnipeg! Narrator: - Before this mission's done - Let's go.
Narrator: she'll have to take the 15-ton trailer back across the thinning ice.
[Horn honks.]
As Lisa hits the road, Polar teammate Alex Debogorski's about to cross one of the largest lakes in the world.
I'm hauling a cement batch plant.
It's a contraption for making cement.
So this is like a mini cement plant.
It's fairly big.
It's only on one axle, so I'm sure it's maximum weight for that one axle.
It's 15 feet tall at the highest part.
It's as big as I'd like to have it for going across Lake Winnipeg.
Any bigger, it's definitely gonna be too big.
So it's I'm pretty well maxed out for weight for goin' across the ice.
Narrator: Alex is tempting fate as the first driver this season to cross Lake Winnipeg at maximum weight.
And to get across, he'll have to get through the pressure ridge-- the crack of the lake where two sheets of ice collide.
And one wrong move could send him into the water.
Okay, off we go.
We're just gonna creep onto the ice here.
[Ice cracking.]
We got some serious cracks here.
The ice on this lake is very long.
So, when the ice expands, it doesn't know where to go.
It's all laying like this.
If the ice contracts, it'll pull apart and leave a hole.
You know, it'll be open, lead to water.
Narrator: Near the middle of the lake, Alex approaches the pressure ridge.
If the pressure ridge is new, it could go up there and just-- all it is, is like a wall.
It's a wall of ice.
You can't get through it.
The ice is not thick there, but And if it opens up, then they have to lay a bridge down to go over the open water.
You know, you could drop a wheel through, or, you know, a piece could break off the ice, and you'll start, you know, havin' a problem right there.
A person could get wet.
[Ice rumbling, cracking.]
Fuck.
Narrator: On his first try, the big rig gets hung up and he's forced to back up for another run at the massive crack.
I can't see where the hell the trailer's going either.
The big crack, sinkin' right in there.
[Ice cracking loudly.]
Fuck.
We might be going through the ice.
Get that thing down.
[Ice cracking.]
Narrator: In the middle of Lake Winnipeg The big crack, sinkin' right in there.
We might be going through the ice.
Narrator: Polar driver Alex Debogorski is stuck on thin ice and can't back up.
This batch plant is worth over $1/2 million.
If it goes through the ice, it'd be a good way to bankrupt Polar.
Get that thing down.
Narrator: His rig is hung up on the pressure ridge and in danger of breaking through the massive crack that runs across the middle of the lake.
A very unsafe part here, very unstable.
I can't see where the hell the trailer is going either.
The ice is cracked under here.
That's why there's a ridge here.
Whoa.
[Ice cracking.]
Argh, come on.
We made it.
We're on the other side of the ice.
A little bit spooky there.
Narrator: Alex is over the pressure ridge, but only halfway across the lake.
I tried to get across once, and the trailer got stuck.
Snowbank was cracked, so it means things are moving.
Pressure ridges tend to move.
That pressure ridge, as far as I'm concerned, is still alive.
It's not like, it's not frozen tight in there.
I mean, if the snowbank is opened up, that means it's moving.
So a person could go over there and, you know, sink in there.
Off we go.
We got across the lake, and now we're on solid ground.
I'm not wet.
I'm going back to Winnipeg, get my load back home.
Narrator: - As Alex hammers down - I'm leaving Pauingassi now with my second trailer.
Anyway, I'm just pullin' out of there, heading back to Winnipeg.
Narrator: Teammate Lisa Kelly is on the way back to Polar with the final piece of the recovery mission.
I went and had to get both trailers that were-- been there for over a year.
Oh, my gosh, you think you try to come prepared for one problem, but it's a totally different problem.
I didn't think pinning to it was gonna be the hard part.
Narrator: But before she gets back to Winnipeg, she'll have to retrace her steps across This time hauling over 15 tons.
I'm just getting to the ice crossing here.
It's kind of sketchy putting some weight on it with the trailer on here.
I pretty much need to go to first gear, 'cause second gear is too fast here to drop down on the lake.
Got a sweet little hill [Imitates whooshing.]
Right here, and then we just drop down onto the ice.
[Ice cracking.]
Yeah, there's no mistaking it.
It's not like, "Oh, I think I hear the ice cracked".
It's like, "Oh! Yeah, it cracked".
[Ice cracking.]
Oh, my gosh.
Whole lake is shiftin'.
It's every man for himself if this ship sinks.
I don't know what my game plan is.
Don't die? Maybe if I sit here and listen to it long enough I'll get used to it.
It's being noisy.
Mm-hmm.
I hear you.
I hear you.
Oh, yeah.
[Ice cracking.]
Sounds like a crackling fire.
You know how sometimes it snaps and pops a little louder? It's mostly just, "snap, snap, snap, pop.
" Still just a-snappin' away.
A lot more now, now that we're getting near shore.
Oh, you're bein' way too noisy there.
[Ice cracking very loudly.]
Okay, you're makin' too much noise.
Get the "F" off the ice.
That lake crossing was just as noisy as the first one.
It's very noisy today.
It's makin' all kinds of racket.
I don't know what makes it noisy and what makes it not noisy.
I kind of like it when it doesn't crack.
Narrator: After conquering the ice crossing, Lisa makes it to the Polar yard with the final trailer.
It was a good day.
We got her done, so I'm gonna crawl into that nice, toasty truck over there and get some sleep.
Narrator: - And 30 minutes behind Lisa - We're home free, I believe.
Thank you, Lord.
Narrator: teammate Alex Debogorski brings in his $1/2 million cement plant.
Everything went well.
I'm happy to have a load here, and it's money in the bank, and I'm ready for bed once again.
Narrator: While Polar's finished for the day - VP Express is holding their own - It's about 5:00 in the morning-- get this son of a bitch unloaded here.
And then I got a couple little pieces of equipment I got to load back on my trailer for a backhaul to take back to Winnipeg.
Narrator: Even without former employee Art Burke.
Well, he just wasn't pulling it off.
So we had to let him go.
It was kind of a you know, it's a bad deal for him, but that's the way it worked out.
And he went down the road and hired on with Polar.
Art's a steering-wheel holder.
He's not a truck driver.
Narrator: Back in Winnipeg This is what I do with my spare time, boy, when I'm bored.
I come in here and play pool.
I played a lot of this over the years, man.
I ain't too shabby at it.
I'm telling you, man I used to play this for money years ago.
I can make more money doin' this than fucking truckin' with Hugh, I'll tell you that.
I would consider myself someone who's very revengeful.
But you gotta be patient, man.
I used to go huntin' ducks with my grandfather years ago when I was a kid, eh? And we'd go down to the duck pond, and he'd get the shotgun out, and we'd crawl up.
I was only a tiny, tiny, little fella.
We'd sneak up, and he'd put the gun out through the bushes, right slowly, and I'd be sitting there waiting for the bang.
And it seemed like forever, but he'd sit there, and he'd wait, and he'd wait, and he'd wait, and he'd wait till all the ducks swam together in a little group, and then he'd let strip and get them all.
And I learnt that.
And you can take that and apply it to everyday life, 'cause I'll wait years.
I'll wait-- I'm still waiting.
I'm still waiting.
And I'll wait, and I'll wait, and I'll wait.
And six months down the road, Hugh won't be here.
People won't even remember your name, bud.
Enjoy it while you're here, because this might be it, eh? Narrator: - Next time on Ice Road Truckers - Go! Narrator: It's a tug-of-war between VP Express and Polar How was Hugh for a boss? Like shit.
[Laughter.]
Narrator: - As roads start to melt - This is probably the thinnest ice I've ever crossed before.
Whoa.
Narrator: - And roads disappear - Well, Art, we just run out of road.
Never fucking ends.
Narrator: Hugh crosses enemy lines.
Hey, Lisa, you on there?