Ice Road Truckers (2007) s03e02 Episode Script
Rookie Run
alex: I came for the cash.
narrator: Join four of America's bravest truckers jack: Come on, boys.
Saddle up.
Let's go.
narrator: To tackle the Continent's deadliest ice Passage.
[horn honks.]
Just when you thought extreme Trucking couldn't get more Dangerous george: Most dangerous road I've ever been on.
hugh: They say she's a Treacherous one, so I'm here to Give her a shot.
narrator: Ice road truckers Take on alaska.
[aerosmith's living on the edge.]
living on the edge narrator: These are the Truckers who make their living On thin ice.
living on the edge you can't help yourself you can't help yourself living on the edge you can't help yourself from falling living on the edge yeah yeah narrator: A new ice road Season has just begun.
Carlile trucking has less than Three months to haul 2,000 loads From fairbanks to the oil fields Of prudhoe bay.
Here temperatures drop to The terrain is some of the most Unforgiving in the world and the Race to bring home the big bucks Is heating up.
In the yards, a new ice road Trucker lisa kelly straps down Her first load of the season.
lisa: I'm going to throw a Strap back there or two 'cause There's not one there where I Want it.
narrator: Out of more than Three are women, and at Youngest.
She's an alaskan state freestyle Motocross champion who took on Extreme trucking for one simple Reason.
lisa: 'cause I wanted to.
I became a trucker 'cause I Wanted to.
narrator: And as a woman Working in a man's world, she Had to want it more than anyone Else.
lisa: I think what kind of Fueled the spark was that I had To work so hard to get what I Wanted.
narrator: Lisa drove a School bus until she got her Break at carlile.
This is only her second season On the ice and she's already Focused on her next big goal.
lisa: I would like to do more Big stuff, so that way people Can't make fun of me.
narrator: Bigger loads mean More money and respect that Comes with it.
lisa: Yea! I love this part.
narrator: In an industry Dominated by men, lisa's career Choice often shocks the guys.
lisa: They're like, "you're a Trucker?" I'm all, "yeah, I truck on the Ice roads in alaska and stuff.
" He's like, "no, you don't.
" And so this is to that guy.
I'm an ice road trucker.
I wasn't lying.
narrator: Lisa pulls out of The yard with 45,000 pounds of Construction equipment.
lisa: It'd be fun to haul Oversized stuff but once in a While it's really nice to get a Light load and just get it done, You know? Get up there and get back and Make some money.
narrator: With light loads, Speed is the name of the game.
More loads mean more cash.
lisa: Now that I can actually Get some trips in, I feel much Better.
narrator: But yesterday's Rollover was an evil reminder of How fast this road devours Trucks.
lisa: Flipping a truck's a Big deal 'cause you lose all the Freight, the trailer, and the Truck.
And if you're a new guy, they're Going to be like, "yeah, you're Not a good driver.
See you.
" I've never flipped a truck.
I don't plan on it.
But, you know, accidents happen.
narrator: Back at the yard, Jack jessee is next up with his Second run of the season.
His first load was a massive Modular that not only tested his Skills on the dalton ice but Pushed him to the edge over a Frozen arctic ocean.
Now he faces a cargo so big that It will require a feat of Engineering just to load.
jack: Today we're gonna go Load some 130-foot pipe spools.
dan: Pipes are 34-inch in Diameter and they're 130-feet Long.
Probably the longest load that We've shipped out of here.
narrator: These colossal Pipes which are nearly as long As half a football field are Essential for oil production on Alaska's north slope.
jack: This load today was the Longest single piece of trailer That I've hauled before.
It's a pretty long little setup.
greg: A load like this, you Need the best of the best.
There's a lot of guys won't do It.
They're afraid of it.
narrator: It takes two The first mammoth pipe into the Air.
Next, workers carefully lower it Onto the trailer.
jack: We got a good seven Inches right there.
Let everybody know we're gonna Back the truck up.
narrator: The pipe must be Perfectly centered for balance.
jack: Wow.
I think it looks good right Here.
narrator: And tightly Secured or else the load could End up in a ditch like so many Others.
Once the large 16-ton pipe is Loaded, two smaller pipes are Placed alongside for added Stability.
jack: When I'm stretched out This long, I have to have a lot More of a curve for the trailer To make sure, you know, the Trailer stays on the road, so It's probably going to take just About the whole road to make a Left or even a right-hand turn.
Debbie, just dive off to the Right side or even the left Somewhere there.
narrator: Oversized loads Demand an entire team for Navigation.
On this trip, two pilot trucks Will travel with jack on the so far you're looking good, Jack.
narrator: Locked and loaded, Jack and his team head for the Ice.
[horn honks.]
Rookie tim freeman is stuck in Fairbanks waiting for his Broken-down truck to be Repaired.
tim: Well, my truck's at Kenworth.
They're going through the rear Ends trying to find the problem.
narrator: Tim's first crack At the haul road ended before he Even hit the ice.
tim: This sucks.
I know it.
narrator: 52 miles into his Virgin run, he abandoned his Load on the side of the road After suspecting his truck Wasn't shifting properly.
When he returned to fairbanks Defeated, he called his dad back In minnesota.
if you screw up, you're gonna Hear about it for a long time, So you don't wanna screw up.
tim: Yeah.
be a professional when you're Behind the wheel.
tim: I know there's something Wrong back there and they're Just gonna have to dig through Till they find it.
I won't know till they tell me.
narrator: Back at the Garage, mechanics give his truck A thorough inspection.
[metal clanging.]
vallen: Cross member looks to Be good.
This section right here is the Power divider.
It's okay.
We don't see any kind of a Problem to cause the complaint That the driver is experiencing At this point.
This is a new driver in the Truck.
This driver might not be used to Some of the things that this Truck does or some of the Strange tendencies from one Truck to another.
narrator: The truck gets a Clean bill of health.
It's tim's driving that's now Suspect.
tim rickards: Yeah, all Right, sounds good, ray.
narrator: Over atúcarlile Dispatch, manager tim rickards Has more than 2,000 High-priority loads to move in The next three months.
He's got no time to waste on Rookie jitters.
tim rickards: We're going to Send tim up the road today with A van full of prudhoe freight For one of the oil companies up North there.
It's a pretty light load.
narrator: Once again, tim Will be guided by his mentor and Family friend george spears.
george: We'll go over here And walk around the truck.
Check it out.
Make sure everything's good to Go.
Glass goes through all those Bushies down there.
That could be what the problem Is right there.
tim: That could be.
narrator: With his father And george betting on him, the Pressure is on for tim's second Crack at the dalton.
tim: I'm a little nervous This morning.
I want to prove to everybody Around here I can do a good job.
I want to make it to prudhoe.
Let's make some money, man.
george: And away we go.
Let's make some money, man.
narrator: Tim and george are Hoping to make the run to Deadhorse in under 16 hours.
george: Tim, how's everything Going back there? tim: Good, george, good.
george: All righty.
tim: This here's 52 miles.
This is where we made it to last Trip where I had to dolly off my Trailer and head back to town.
george: Tim, we're I wanna congratulate you on Getting past 52 miles.
tim: Well, I appreciate that, George.
narrator: Tim finally rolls Off the pavement and onto the Ice.
His first challenge, a Terrifying 56 miles of steep and Twisted curves called the taps.
It tests the skills of every Driver.
Pick the wrong gear, you wash Out.
Hit he brakes too hard and you End up in a ditch.
tim: We're on the dalton Highway.
Feels pretty good.
george: Tim, when we get up On top of one mile, stick your Foot back in and we got to climb Up a couple steps here.
tim: Okay, george.
narrator: Tim's truck seems To be running fine.
It's the road that now has him Rattled.
tim: The taps are the Particular part of the road that Makes me nervous because it's All numbers, you know? It's mile markers for what Hill's what, what curve is what.
It's just up and down, left and Right.
narrator: Tim makes it up The first two ascents.
tim: Uh, the lowest gear We're gonna be in going north With this load's gonna be fifth Gear 'cause we topped two mile In it.
narrator: But driving Downhill is a whole new Challenge.
It not only requires a low gear, But the use of a special braking System.
tim: When you got your jake Brake on, it's backing your Motor down due to compression.
narrator: Ice road truckers Only use footbrakes as a last Resort.
Their first line of defense is a Jake brake, which draws on Engine compression to slow the Truck.
This usually allows them to Maintain critical traction on The drive wheels and stop Without sliding.
But as soon as tim engages his Jake brake His wheels start slipping on the Ice.
tim: [bleep.]
[bleep.]
Holy [bleep.]
.
narrator: A hundred miles North of fairbanks, rookie tim Freeman is navigating one of the Deadliest stretches of ice.
The 56-mile passage called the Taps extends from the beginning Of the dalton to the yukon River bridge.
As tim comes down off the last Steep hill, his jake brake Suddenly locks up.
tim: Holy [bleep.]
.
Truck wants to kick out Sideways.
narrator: Sliding sideways Is the first stage of a Full-blown jackknife.
george: Timmy, how we doing? narrator: Tim eases up on The brake And it re-engages just as he Crosses onto the entrance to the Yukon river bridge tim: Whew.
Well, that's what it feels like When your big rigs are locking Up.
narrator: Marking the end of The taps and his first victory On the dalton.
tim: That was a sweaty brow There, fellas.
We're so light.
What actually was going on is we Were just going too slow for our Jake brakes.
You know, they were coming Apart.
They were coming, uh They were too strong for how Much weight we had on our Driver, so they were making our Driver's brake loose on the Road.
Kind of wanting to kick around a Little bit.
I was pulling the little squat Handle there to keep our trailer Straight, but we made it out.
george: Timmy, you make it All right? tim: Oh, well.
We slipped and slid a little bit Coming down the back at five Mile there, but, uh, we made Her, george.
narrator: 112 miles north of Fairbanks, lisa kelly is on a Mission to get her load to Deadhorse in a single day.
lisa: Go faster.
I don't need brakes.
Brakes are for sissies.
[chuckles.]
This job is all danger.
It's because we're driving on Ice and stuff but it's just Something you kind of learn and You get accustomed to.
Just, like, figure out how to Drive or you go in the ditch or Die, you know? Can't jerk the steering wheel.
You can't stomp on the throttle.
You can't step on the brakes Fast.
narrator: Lisa is Surprisingly confident on the Ice, but she still has 375 miles Of raw frontier ahead.
lisa: This road is like a Beautiful woman.
Beautiful on the outside but a Killer on the inside.
[chuckles.]
narrator: Back in fairbanks, Jack jessee is headed north with A titanic load of 130-foot pipe.
The cargo is such an extreme Hazard for the narrow dalton That it must pass a special Inspection at the weigh station.
jack: When we do oversized Loads, we have to get permission From the state to get our Permits.
Length of pipe.
We've got to measure everything.
We're gonna measure the length Of the pipe.
This is just to make sure that I'm complying with everything That I asked for and he's just Double-checking everything.
here's your driver's license.
And you've been cited for size And weight.
jack: They said the pipe only Weighed, like, 34,000 pounds.
$10 surcharge for the court.
$1,008.
40 for the citation.
jack: Oh, you're [bleep.]
me.
and this is your offload Directive, which tells you that You are going to take the load Back to town.
narrator: Jack's load is not Balanced properly.
jack: We are, uh We're too tail-heavy here.
Um, that and we're 8,000 pounds Over on our rear axel group.
So we're gonna take this one Back to town.
narrator: When truckers get Paid per load, a setback like This could cost him $1,300 or More.
But the danger of driving Tail-heavy is that the front of The truck will not weigh enough To maintain traction on the icy Hills.
jack: We're gonna fix it.
Make everything legal and Everybody stays happy.
narrator: Yesterday on a Windswept stretch called the Shelf, the ice road claimed its First victim.
bruce: I got too close to the Right edge and over she went.
narrator: As bruce carl Reached for the dash, his right Front wheel caught the edge of The road.
The truck flipped onto its side And slid into the ditch.
Now a massive operation is Underway to recover a load of Corrosive batteries still Desperately needed at the oil Fields.
Extracting the load from the Ditch and preventing any damage To the environment requires Special skill.
Ben kryzkowski has spent the Last 25 years recovering trucks On the dalton.
ben: It should be just up Over this little knob.
There it is.
There it's at.
That's a long ways down there.
The worst part of the road right Here.
Narrow.
narrator: Ben's crew has to Move fast.
When the road is blocked, no one Is making money.
But he has to use special Caution with a load this Potentially hazardous.
He goes over his strategy with The crew including driver bruce Carl.
bruce: I want to do all I can To help get the truck upright And out of the ditch.
It's the mess I made.
I need to help clean it up.
ben: What I'm thinking is the Way it's all gonna be setting Here, we're gonna try to bring The truck right up here.
narrator: Ben's plan is to Place heavy straps around the Rig and pull it upright before Hoisting it out of the ditch.
ben: We're tunneling Underneath.
We just need a hole big enough To get that strap through there.
Hopefully we get it uprighted Here before it gets too dark.
narrator: 245 miles north of Fairbanks, a recovery crew is Working swiftly to upright a Load of potentially hazardous Batteries.
Tunneling under the truck in Order to attach recovery straps Has taken four solid hours.
ben: Okay, we got everything In line.
We'll run the cables down and Hopefully we get it uprighted Here before it gets too dark on Us.
We ready? narrator: With little Daylight left, they crank the Winch.
If all goes well, they might Just get this out before Nightfall.
Now they have to haul it up the Steep incline.
They manage to drag the truck to The very edge of the road, but No further.
ben: Hey! That's a heck of an angle to Have a truck stay put.
narrator: The flow of goods To the oil fields is at a Standstill and extra horsepower Is needed to haul the truck onto The road.
ben: I'm going to the back End.
Todd is gonna come in on the Driver.
We're gonna put the loader on The front end.
And we're just gonna make a Sweep with it And hope it works.
narrator: By nightfall, Three towlines are in place.
Finally, they get some movement.
After more than six hours, Mission accomplished.
ben: We're done here.
Finally.
narrator: The battered truck Gets a tow to fairbanks.
The recovered load is sent to Deadhorse.
And the passage north opens once Again.
[dramatic music.]
It's 8:00 pm, and lisa Is on a power run through The taps.
Since drivers are paid by the Load, the faster they make the Run, the more money they pull Inbut with added speed comes An increased risk of a deadly Crash.
Of all the hills on the dalton, None is more appropriately named Than the roller coaster.
With nearly vertical grades on Both sides, it's a white-knuckle Ride of a lifetime that has Landed many drivers off the Track.
Lisa barrels to the top of the First hill Then starts the great descent.
The strategy is a nerve-wracking Test of precision called Freewheeling.
Pick a gear and don't brake, or You risk crashing.
Lisa holds steady, maintaining Precious momentum as she nears The bottom.
Full speed ahead, she Immediately swings vertical Again.
[horn honks.]
[dramatic music.]
lisa: Whoo! [laughs.]
narrator: Lisa still has more Than 300 miles to go, but this Is one ice road trucker not to Be underestimated.
lisa: So far so good.
We have a goal in mind.
We are headin' for it.
narrator: Back at carlile, Hugh rowland and alex debogorski Are in the middle of a week-long Haul road boot camp.
They've come to alaska to test Their skills on north america's Most deadly road.
alex: Good morning, Fairbanks, alaska.
narrator: But this ice road Is so extreme that even pros Like themselves are put through Basic training.
Last week, they had to measure Up behind the wheel of a Simulator.
hugh: [laughing.]
I tipped it over.
narrator: Today's trial Behind the door of a bathroom.
okay, come on in.
alex: Why the women's Bathroom? um, this is where we have our Drug testing set up.
So if you're ready, then I'll Just give you this and if you Just can fill that up halfway.
alex: You want it right to The top? no, please.
Thank you, no.
alex: [laughs.]
just lemme know when you're Done, and I'll just be standing Inside the bathroom right on the Outside.
alex: [humming.]
It's like wine.
You gotta do a taste test.
oh, please don't.
alex: Seems to be a lot more Effort in making sure that a Driver's gonna be able to drive This road.
I do have some concerns, and I make a fool of myself, but Then I'm used to doing that on Occasion.
[laughs.]
narrator: Next up, the polar Bear, and he's eager to get Trucking.
hugh: I don't think I can get Any more ready.
They run me through the carlile Mill here, and, uh, I'm ready to Go.
if you just can fill that up Halfway.
hugh: [laughs.]
I just went.
I didn't know this was comin' Right up.
do you want a cup of water? hugh: I'll try her out.
Oh, yeah.
[laughs.]
I made her, anyway.
uh, and you're done.
narrator: A routine trip to The weigh station has left Jack jessee $1,000 lighter and a Day behind schedule.
In order to balance the Tail-heavy 130-foot-lo load, He's added weight to the front Of the trailer and finally Passed inspection.
jack: After all the stuff we Went through, got an overweight Ticket, had to add pipe to get Weight on the drivers.
Been one thing after another, But let's get it goin'.
narrator: His 500-mile Journey to deadhorse will take Two full days.
With hills and corners barely Wide enough to accommodate the Load, the taps will be like Threading a needle.
jack: Three tires rollin', There Three tires rollin' there.
narrator: Oversize loads are Given priority on the dalton, Not only because of their high Value, but because they often Take up the entire road.
jack: Startin' to pick 'em Up.
We're headin' your way, deb.
'kay.
Here they come, two Troublemakers.
narrator: Jack's pilot car Drivers scout the road to Prevent head-on collisions.
you got a four-wheeler that Just is coming through the top Guardrail over heretwo of 'em.
jack: Sure thing.
narrator: Jack's advance Scout debbie is worried about a Series of slick curves up ahead.
be a couple of windy corners There, and I have to go through Them.
Hold up in the straight stretch Of 'em on the other side to make Sure that the corners are clear For jack 'cause he's gonna need All of the road there.
narrator: With a load nearly The length of half a football Field, the the ice road is a Disaster waiting to happen.
One misguided turn, and the Entire load could go crashing Off the edge.
[ominous music.]
jack: To the left side over Here it's about 500 or 600-foot Drop-off there.
It's about a two to one slope.
Went off that, you wouldn't stop 'til you hit the bottom.
[horn honks.]
narrator: Jack has skillfully Navigated this section of the Ice, but as the daylight comes To an end, the worst of the Dalton still lies dead ahead.
Lisa kelly has blazed over 414 Miles of unforgiving road to Deadhorse in a speedy 14 hours.
lisa: Whoo-hoo! narrator: But when she Arrives at the carlile terminal, She discovers that her load does Not end here.
lisa, we need you to take This load all the way out.
lisa: 10-4.
narrator: She's given a green Light to the oil fields.
The last 25 milesarctic ocean Ice.
[ice cracking.]
lisa: You gotta follow a lot More rules on the ice road.
narrator: The speed limit on This road is just ten miles per Hour, or you risk breaking Through.
lisa: If you get stranded out There, I mean, you could die.
It's something that's just in The back of your mind.
narrator: On the surface, the Ice stresses and cracks.
Below the wheels Frigid water.
[ice cracking.]
After nearly 16 hours behind the Wheel, lisa arrives at her final Destination.
lisa: We done good this time.
That's the way it's supposed to Go.
[truck beeps.]
All right.
Mustneededneed it delivered Today, now, hot load.
narrator: The run is a Personal best for this ice road Trucker, and proof she's going To hold her own this season.
This desolate area of alaska Known as the north slope was Rarely traveled until 1968, when A giant oil discovery changed The landscape forever.
the government spent Something like $50 million Exploring for oil.
Now, in 1968, this giant Discovery of the oil bonanza In prudhoe bay changed all of Alaska.
All kinds of smart people from All over the world made Suggestions about how do we get The oil to market? A pipeline seemed like the most Logical one.
The value of prudhoe bay is so Enormous.
Oil made alaska the richest State in all of the united States, by far.
narrator: The state of alaska Is so wealthy that they can Afford to pay out more than $1,000 a year to every citizen.
Road, rookie tim freeman and George spears are nearing Atigun pass, a 4,700-foot Treacherous climb through the Brooks mountain range.
And it's just begun to snow.
george: Gotta watch your Steering down there, tim.
Uh, that new snow on topthat Snow pack on top, uh, your Steering can get loose with ya A little bit, so we'll take her Easy and be a little more Cautious.
The shoulders of the road are White, the hills are white, it's Kinda hard to tell where the Edges are at 'cause it's hard to Distinguish what's the Difference between the road and Ditch.
narrator: With conditions Growing worse, george decides to Play it safe and chain up before Climbing the pass.
george: Pull over up on the Top here.
tim: Good deal.
george: I don't want tim to Have any trouble on his first Trip.
We're responsible for him makin' It the whole way.
So if it means puttin' a set of Tire chains on, not that big of A deal.
narrator: Tim throws on his First set of chains, but makes A common rookie mistake.
tim: I got a little problem 'cause mine were hung upside Down, or backwards, if you will, So that these trigs were facing Down towards the tires, and like A dumbass, I didn't look at 'em, I just threw the [bleep.]
on There.
george: We got a lot more Snow than what I expected.
We'll have to be really careful On this next one.
narrator: Rookie tim freeman Has made it 2/3 of the way up The icy dalton, but the worst is Still to come The treacherous atigun pass.
george: Hey, tim, gimme a Holler when you get to the spot.
tim: Okay, george, will do.
narrator: At 4,700 feet over The brooks range, the 12% icy Grade is a brutal challenge for Even the most experienced haul Road trucker.
tim: I'm glad we decided we Better put some chains on.
Pretty deepdeep snowdrifts Across the road.
george: Man, it's hard to see Up here.
Tim, once we get up here in the Canyon, there should be some Reflectors along the edge of the Road to make it a little bit Easier to see where the road's At, here, in just a little bit.
These are the big boys.
These are the bad ones.
You get over these two, you're In good shape.
Okay, we'll watch for him.
narrator: Snow plows have Reduced the road to a single Lane and created a sudden logjam Of trucks too wide to pass Safely.
george: [bleep.]
[indistinct.]
, [bleep.]
idiots.
Hold up a minute.
There's a cluster-[bleep.]
up Here.
See if you can stop.
tim: 10-4, yep.
george: Tim, can you just Stop? tim: Aw, [bleep.]
.
narrator: Tim slams on his Brakes Stopping just short of A head-on collision.
george: We got the blade and The blower, we got trucks spun Out behind us, spun out in front Of us.
Just hold up.
[bleep.]
dammit.
Timmy, we can't do much until This blower gets outta the way.
tim: Okay, george.
george: Yeah, here, he's Movin' over now.
Timmy, once we get by the Blower we can pick it up a Little bit.
narrator: Slowly, the road Clears, and traffic starts Moving again.
Tim and george have just [acoustic guitar music.]
Back at carlile, hugh is Undergoing his third and final Test before he's unleashed on The dalton.
hugh: This is a do-or-die Moment right here.
I mean, if you don't do the Pre-trip and you don't do the Driving test, you're finished; You're not even goin' to the Haul road.
And we're off, here.
Holy yeah.
Okay, that last corner, hugh, We gottanext hugh: Problem there.
yeah, we did, we had a Problem.
We gotta read the road ahead and Assess the lane position.
hugh: [bumps horn.]
Whoops.
Jesus.
it's my judgment that he Doesn't have control or the Skills needed.
Absolutely it's my call that This is it; we don't go to the Haul road.
You're drivin' at a speed right Now, somethin' happens you can Do somethin' about it.
hugh: That's right.
good turn.
Very good, hugh, that's perfect.
Write up my evaluation and then We'll talk a little bit about It when we get outside of the Truck.
And you get up there and they Start talkin' about it My observations is I-I'd just Increase mirror usage.
You know, four to six seconds.
hugh: Right.
more if it's u If inclement weather and bad Conditions.
hugh: He's a no bull-[bleep.]
Guy.
He, uhhe made me do everything That, uh, has to be done.
I'm, uhI'm eager to go.
He's ahe's a hell of a good Guy; he knows whathe knows his Stuff.
I think we're good to sign Off on your road test and your Pace drive.
hugh: Right on, thanks.
we're, uhwelcome to the Team.
hugh: Perfect.
okay, clear.
narrator: Next up, Alex debogorski.
once you get a little bit Familiar with the truck, we'll Start doin' some commentary.
You know, you can talk to me About distant relevant objects, Things that you're lookin' for On the road.
alex: Speed limit is comin' Down to 40.
only thing I can see right Now that I'dI'd like you to Increase, alex, is a little bit More mirror, left and right.
alex: Lookin'lookin' behind Me more.
yeah, yeah, left and right.
I'm very strict.
I don't bend the rules.
Uh, you either have it or you Don't.
alex: So obviously some of The stories about the road being Dangerous probably are true Because they go to some extremes Of making sure that one can Drive the road before they're Gonna let one drive on his own Up there.
narrator: Alex passes his Final test.
you did a great job out There.
alex: Thank you very much.
Team.
narrator: Boot camp is over, And the canadians are officially Part of the carlile team.
Next time they're behind the Wheel, it will be on north America's deadliest road.
Tim and george have made it Now they face the final Assaultthe last 50-mile Stretch called the bluffs.
But the winds have picked up to Blowing heavy waves of snow Across the road.
[horn honks.]
george: Tim, how's everything Goin' back there? narrator: Suddenly, tim falls Behind and loses sight of George.
tim: Here he comes.
I knew it.
george: We've been givin' 'em A real thrill this trip.
tim: 10-4, yep.
Here I come.
narrator: Then as fast as the Road disappeared, it reemerges From the blinding blow.
Out in the distance, the shapes Of the town of deadhorse emerge, And tim breathes a sigh of Relief that his first run up the Dalton wasn't his last.
tim: All together, you know, It's been a pretty good trip.
We're almost to prudhoe.
narrator: For george, this Was a trip they both can be Proud of.
george: Looks like we made it To prudhoe bay.
'bout 5:30.
Tim is right here behind me.
Lookin' good, he's done a good Job.
We'll go in here and get our Trailers switched around, get a Bite to eat.
Tim, what we need to do is get Your van off on this right-hand Side.
narrator: After a punishing Two-day run, tim delivers his First load of supplies to the Oil fields.
[truck beeping.]
tim: Well, I'm happy I made It because, uh, there were some Doubts, maybe, you know.
narrator: For now, tim's Doubts have been answered, and One more trucker has made History on the dalton.
After five days of the dash for The cash, veteran george spears Is in the lead with two loads.
Another day of safe passage for Alaska's ice road truckers is in The books.
But as night falls, danger on The dalton strikes again.
hey, jack, we got a problem Over here; looks like they're Stuck.
jack: They're stuck inin The middle of the road, or in The ditch? oh, lord have mercy.
They are way out.
narrator: Join four of America's bravest truckers jack: Come on, boys.
Saddle up.
Let's go.
narrator: To tackle the Continent's deadliest ice Passage.
[horn honks.]
Just when you thought extreme Trucking couldn't get more Dangerous george: Most dangerous road I've ever been on.
hugh: They say she's a Treacherous one, so I'm here to Give her a shot.
narrator: Ice road truckers Take on alaska.
[aerosmith's living on the edge.]
living on the edge narrator: These are the Truckers who make their living On thin ice.
living on the edge you can't help yourself you can't help yourself living on the edge you can't help yourself from falling living on the edge yeah yeah narrator: A new ice road Season has just begun.
Carlile trucking has less than Three months to haul 2,000 loads From fairbanks to the oil fields Of prudhoe bay.
Here temperatures drop to The terrain is some of the most Unforgiving in the world and the Race to bring home the big bucks Is heating up.
In the yards, a new ice road Trucker lisa kelly straps down Her first load of the season.
lisa: I'm going to throw a Strap back there or two 'cause There's not one there where I Want it.
narrator: Out of more than Three are women, and at Youngest.
She's an alaskan state freestyle Motocross champion who took on Extreme trucking for one simple Reason.
lisa: 'cause I wanted to.
I became a trucker 'cause I Wanted to.
narrator: And as a woman Working in a man's world, she Had to want it more than anyone Else.
lisa: I think what kind of Fueled the spark was that I had To work so hard to get what I Wanted.
narrator: Lisa drove a School bus until she got her Break at carlile.
This is only her second season On the ice and she's already Focused on her next big goal.
lisa: I would like to do more Big stuff, so that way people Can't make fun of me.
narrator: Bigger loads mean More money and respect that Comes with it.
lisa: Yea! I love this part.
narrator: In an industry Dominated by men, lisa's career Choice often shocks the guys.
lisa: They're like, "you're a Trucker?" I'm all, "yeah, I truck on the Ice roads in alaska and stuff.
" He's like, "no, you don't.
" And so this is to that guy.
I'm an ice road trucker.
I wasn't lying.
narrator: Lisa pulls out of The yard with 45,000 pounds of Construction equipment.
lisa: It'd be fun to haul Oversized stuff but once in a While it's really nice to get a Light load and just get it done, You know? Get up there and get back and Make some money.
narrator: With light loads, Speed is the name of the game.
More loads mean more cash.
lisa: Now that I can actually Get some trips in, I feel much Better.
narrator: But yesterday's Rollover was an evil reminder of How fast this road devours Trucks.
lisa: Flipping a truck's a Big deal 'cause you lose all the Freight, the trailer, and the Truck.
And if you're a new guy, they're Going to be like, "yeah, you're Not a good driver.
See you.
" I've never flipped a truck.
I don't plan on it.
But, you know, accidents happen.
narrator: Back at the yard, Jack jessee is next up with his Second run of the season.
His first load was a massive Modular that not only tested his Skills on the dalton ice but Pushed him to the edge over a Frozen arctic ocean.
Now he faces a cargo so big that It will require a feat of Engineering just to load.
jack: Today we're gonna go Load some 130-foot pipe spools.
dan: Pipes are 34-inch in Diameter and they're 130-feet Long.
Probably the longest load that We've shipped out of here.
narrator: These colossal Pipes which are nearly as long As half a football field are Essential for oil production on Alaska's north slope.
jack: This load today was the Longest single piece of trailer That I've hauled before.
It's a pretty long little setup.
greg: A load like this, you Need the best of the best.
There's a lot of guys won't do It.
They're afraid of it.
narrator: It takes two The first mammoth pipe into the Air.
Next, workers carefully lower it Onto the trailer.
jack: We got a good seven Inches right there.
Let everybody know we're gonna Back the truck up.
narrator: The pipe must be Perfectly centered for balance.
jack: Wow.
I think it looks good right Here.
narrator: And tightly Secured or else the load could End up in a ditch like so many Others.
Once the large 16-ton pipe is Loaded, two smaller pipes are Placed alongside for added Stability.
jack: When I'm stretched out This long, I have to have a lot More of a curve for the trailer To make sure, you know, the Trailer stays on the road, so It's probably going to take just About the whole road to make a Left or even a right-hand turn.
Debbie, just dive off to the Right side or even the left Somewhere there.
narrator: Oversized loads Demand an entire team for Navigation.
On this trip, two pilot trucks Will travel with jack on the so far you're looking good, Jack.
narrator: Locked and loaded, Jack and his team head for the Ice.
[horn honks.]
Rookie tim freeman is stuck in Fairbanks waiting for his Broken-down truck to be Repaired.
tim: Well, my truck's at Kenworth.
They're going through the rear Ends trying to find the problem.
narrator: Tim's first crack At the haul road ended before he Even hit the ice.
tim: This sucks.
I know it.
narrator: 52 miles into his Virgin run, he abandoned his Load on the side of the road After suspecting his truck Wasn't shifting properly.
When he returned to fairbanks Defeated, he called his dad back In minnesota.
if you screw up, you're gonna Hear about it for a long time, So you don't wanna screw up.
tim: Yeah.
be a professional when you're Behind the wheel.
tim: I know there's something Wrong back there and they're Just gonna have to dig through Till they find it.
I won't know till they tell me.
narrator: Back at the Garage, mechanics give his truck A thorough inspection.
[metal clanging.]
vallen: Cross member looks to Be good.
This section right here is the Power divider.
It's okay.
We don't see any kind of a Problem to cause the complaint That the driver is experiencing At this point.
This is a new driver in the Truck.
This driver might not be used to Some of the things that this Truck does or some of the Strange tendencies from one Truck to another.
narrator: The truck gets a Clean bill of health.
It's tim's driving that's now Suspect.
tim rickards: Yeah, all Right, sounds good, ray.
narrator: Over atúcarlile Dispatch, manager tim rickards Has more than 2,000 High-priority loads to move in The next three months.
He's got no time to waste on Rookie jitters.
tim rickards: We're going to Send tim up the road today with A van full of prudhoe freight For one of the oil companies up North there.
It's a pretty light load.
narrator: Once again, tim Will be guided by his mentor and Family friend george spears.
george: We'll go over here And walk around the truck.
Check it out.
Make sure everything's good to Go.
Glass goes through all those Bushies down there.
That could be what the problem Is right there.
tim: That could be.
narrator: With his father And george betting on him, the Pressure is on for tim's second Crack at the dalton.
tim: I'm a little nervous This morning.
I want to prove to everybody Around here I can do a good job.
I want to make it to prudhoe.
Let's make some money, man.
george: And away we go.
Let's make some money, man.
narrator: Tim and george are Hoping to make the run to Deadhorse in under 16 hours.
george: Tim, how's everything Going back there? tim: Good, george, good.
george: All righty.
tim: This here's 52 miles.
This is where we made it to last Trip where I had to dolly off my Trailer and head back to town.
george: Tim, we're I wanna congratulate you on Getting past 52 miles.
tim: Well, I appreciate that, George.
narrator: Tim finally rolls Off the pavement and onto the Ice.
His first challenge, a Terrifying 56 miles of steep and Twisted curves called the taps.
It tests the skills of every Driver.
Pick the wrong gear, you wash Out.
Hit he brakes too hard and you End up in a ditch.
tim: We're on the dalton Highway.
Feels pretty good.
george: Tim, when we get up On top of one mile, stick your Foot back in and we got to climb Up a couple steps here.
tim: Okay, george.
narrator: Tim's truck seems To be running fine.
It's the road that now has him Rattled.
tim: The taps are the Particular part of the road that Makes me nervous because it's All numbers, you know? It's mile markers for what Hill's what, what curve is what.
It's just up and down, left and Right.
narrator: Tim makes it up The first two ascents.
tim: Uh, the lowest gear We're gonna be in going north With this load's gonna be fifth Gear 'cause we topped two mile In it.
narrator: But driving Downhill is a whole new Challenge.
It not only requires a low gear, But the use of a special braking System.
tim: When you got your jake Brake on, it's backing your Motor down due to compression.
narrator: Ice road truckers Only use footbrakes as a last Resort.
Their first line of defense is a Jake brake, which draws on Engine compression to slow the Truck.
This usually allows them to Maintain critical traction on The drive wheels and stop Without sliding.
But as soon as tim engages his Jake brake His wheels start slipping on the Ice.
tim: [bleep.]
[bleep.]
Holy [bleep.]
.
narrator: A hundred miles North of fairbanks, rookie tim Freeman is navigating one of the Deadliest stretches of ice.
The 56-mile passage called the Taps extends from the beginning Of the dalton to the yukon River bridge.
As tim comes down off the last Steep hill, his jake brake Suddenly locks up.
tim: Holy [bleep.]
.
Truck wants to kick out Sideways.
narrator: Sliding sideways Is the first stage of a Full-blown jackknife.
george: Timmy, how we doing? narrator: Tim eases up on The brake And it re-engages just as he Crosses onto the entrance to the Yukon river bridge tim: Whew.
Well, that's what it feels like When your big rigs are locking Up.
narrator: Marking the end of The taps and his first victory On the dalton.
tim: That was a sweaty brow There, fellas.
We're so light.
What actually was going on is we Were just going too slow for our Jake brakes.
You know, they were coming Apart.
They were coming, uh They were too strong for how Much weight we had on our Driver, so they were making our Driver's brake loose on the Road.
Kind of wanting to kick around a Little bit.
I was pulling the little squat Handle there to keep our trailer Straight, but we made it out.
george: Timmy, you make it All right? tim: Oh, well.
We slipped and slid a little bit Coming down the back at five Mile there, but, uh, we made Her, george.
narrator: 112 miles north of Fairbanks, lisa kelly is on a Mission to get her load to Deadhorse in a single day.
lisa: Go faster.
I don't need brakes.
Brakes are for sissies.
[chuckles.]
This job is all danger.
It's because we're driving on Ice and stuff but it's just Something you kind of learn and You get accustomed to.
Just, like, figure out how to Drive or you go in the ditch or Die, you know? Can't jerk the steering wheel.
You can't stomp on the throttle.
You can't step on the brakes Fast.
narrator: Lisa is Surprisingly confident on the Ice, but she still has 375 miles Of raw frontier ahead.
lisa: This road is like a Beautiful woman.
Beautiful on the outside but a Killer on the inside.
[chuckles.]
narrator: Back in fairbanks, Jack jessee is headed north with A titanic load of 130-foot pipe.
The cargo is such an extreme Hazard for the narrow dalton That it must pass a special Inspection at the weigh station.
jack: When we do oversized Loads, we have to get permission From the state to get our Permits.
Length of pipe.
We've got to measure everything.
We're gonna measure the length Of the pipe.
This is just to make sure that I'm complying with everything That I asked for and he's just Double-checking everything.
here's your driver's license.
And you've been cited for size And weight.
jack: They said the pipe only Weighed, like, 34,000 pounds.
$10 surcharge for the court.
$1,008.
40 for the citation.
jack: Oh, you're [bleep.]
me.
and this is your offload Directive, which tells you that You are going to take the load Back to town.
narrator: Jack's load is not Balanced properly.
jack: We are, uh We're too tail-heavy here.
Um, that and we're 8,000 pounds Over on our rear axel group.
So we're gonna take this one Back to town.
narrator: When truckers get Paid per load, a setback like This could cost him $1,300 or More.
But the danger of driving Tail-heavy is that the front of The truck will not weigh enough To maintain traction on the icy Hills.
jack: We're gonna fix it.
Make everything legal and Everybody stays happy.
narrator: Yesterday on a Windswept stretch called the Shelf, the ice road claimed its First victim.
bruce: I got too close to the Right edge and over she went.
narrator: As bruce carl Reached for the dash, his right Front wheel caught the edge of The road.
The truck flipped onto its side And slid into the ditch.
Now a massive operation is Underway to recover a load of Corrosive batteries still Desperately needed at the oil Fields.
Extracting the load from the Ditch and preventing any damage To the environment requires Special skill.
Ben kryzkowski has spent the Last 25 years recovering trucks On the dalton.
ben: It should be just up Over this little knob.
There it is.
There it's at.
That's a long ways down there.
The worst part of the road right Here.
Narrow.
narrator: Ben's crew has to Move fast.
When the road is blocked, no one Is making money.
But he has to use special Caution with a load this Potentially hazardous.
He goes over his strategy with The crew including driver bruce Carl.
bruce: I want to do all I can To help get the truck upright And out of the ditch.
It's the mess I made.
I need to help clean it up.
ben: What I'm thinking is the Way it's all gonna be setting Here, we're gonna try to bring The truck right up here.
narrator: Ben's plan is to Place heavy straps around the Rig and pull it upright before Hoisting it out of the ditch.
ben: We're tunneling Underneath.
We just need a hole big enough To get that strap through there.
Hopefully we get it uprighted Here before it gets too dark.
narrator: 245 miles north of Fairbanks, a recovery crew is Working swiftly to upright a Load of potentially hazardous Batteries.
Tunneling under the truck in Order to attach recovery straps Has taken four solid hours.
ben: Okay, we got everything In line.
We'll run the cables down and Hopefully we get it uprighted Here before it gets too dark on Us.
We ready? narrator: With little Daylight left, they crank the Winch.
If all goes well, they might Just get this out before Nightfall.
Now they have to haul it up the Steep incline.
They manage to drag the truck to The very edge of the road, but No further.
ben: Hey! That's a heck of an angle to Have a truck stay put.
narrator: The flow of goods To the oil fields is at a Standstill and extra horsepower Is needed to haul the truck onto The road.
ben: I'm going to the back End.
Todd is gonna come in on the Driver.
We're gonna put the loader on The front end.
And we're just gonna make a Sweep with it And hope it works.
narrator: By nightfall, Three towlines are in place.
Finally, they get some movement.
After more than six hours, Mission accomplished.
ben: We're done here.
Finally.
narrator: The battered truck Gets a tow to fairbanks.
The recovered load is sent to Deadhorse.
And the passage north opens once Again.
[dramatic music.]
It's 8:00 pm, and lisa Is on a power run through The taps.
Since drivers are paid by the Load, the faster they make the Run, the more money they pull Inbut with added speed comes An increased risk of a deadly Crash.
Of all the hills on the dalton, None is more appropriately named Than the roller coaster.
With nearly vertical grades on Both sides, it's a white-knuckle Ride of a lifetime that has Landed many drivers off the Track.
Lisa barrels to the top of the First hill Then starts the great descent.
The strategy is a nerve-wracking Test of precision called Freewheeling.
Pick a gear and don't brake, or You risk crashing.
Lisa holds steady, maintaining Precious momentum as she nears The bottom.
Full speed ahead, she Immediately swings vertical Again.
[horn honks.]
[dramatic music.]
lisa: Whoo! [laughs.]
narrator: Lisa still has more Than 300 miles to go, but this Is one ice road trucker not to Be underestimated.
lisa: So far so good.
We have a goal in mind.
We are headin' for it.
narrator: Back at carlile, Hugh rowland and alex debogorski Are in the middle of a week-long Haul road boot camp.
They've come to alaska to test Their skills on north america's Most deadly road.
alex: Good morning, Fairbanks, alaska.
narrator: But this ice road Is so extreme that even pros Like themselves are put through Basic training.
Last week, they had to measure Up behind the wheel of a Simulator.
hugh: [laughing.]
I tipped it over.
narrator: Today's trial Behind the door of a bathroom.
okay, come on in.
alex: Why the women's Bathroom? um, this is where we have our Drug testing set up.
So if you're ready, then I'll Just give you this and if you Just can fill that up halfway.
alex: You want it right to The top? no, please.
Thank you, no.
alex: [laughs.]
just lemme know when you're Done, and I'll just be standing Inside the bathroom right on the Outside.
alex: [humming.]
It's like wine.
You gotta do a taste test.
oh, please don't.
alex: Seems to be a lot more Effort in making sure that a Driver's gonna be able to drive This road.
I do have some concerns, and I make a fool of myself, but Then I'm used to doing that on Occasion.
[laughs.]
narrator: Next up, the polar Bear, and he's eager to get Trucking.
hugh: I don't think I can get Any more ready.
They run me through the carlile Mill here, and, uh, I'm ready to Go.
if you just can fill that up Halfway.
hugh: [laughs.]
I just went.
I didn't know this was comin' Right up.
do you want a cup of water? hugh: I'll try her out.
Oh, yeah.
[laughs.]
I made her, anyway.
uh, and you're done.
narrator: A routine trip to The weigh station has left Jack jessee $1,000 lighter and a Day behind schedule.
In order to balance the Tail-heavy 130-foot-lo load, He's added weight to the front Of the trailer and finally Passed inspection.
jack: After all the stuff we Went through, got an overweight Ticket, had to add pipe to get Weight on the drivers.
Been one thing after another, But let's get it goin'.
narrator: His 500-mile Journey to deadhorse will take Two full days.
With hills and corners barely Wide enough to accommodate the Load, the taps will be like Threading a needle.
jack: Three tires rollin', There Three tires rollin' there.
narrator: Oversize loads are Given priority on the dalton, Not only because of their high Value, but because they often Take up the entire road.
jack: Startin' to pick 'em Up.
We're headin' your way, deb.
'kay.
Here they come, two Troublemakers.
narrator: Jack's pilot car Drivers scout the road to Prevent head-on collisions.
you got a four-wheeler that Just is coming through the top Guardrail over heretwo of 'em.
jack: Sure thing.
narrator: Jack's advance Scout debbie is worried about a Series of slick curves up ahead.
be a couple of windy corners There, and I have to go through Them.
Hold up in the straight stretch Of 'em on the other side to make Sure that the corners are clear For jack 'cause he's gonna need All of the road there.
narrator: With a load nearly The length of half a football Field, the the ice road is a Disaster waiting to happen.
One misguided turn, and the Entire load could go crashing Off the edge.
[ominous music.]
jack: To the left side over Here it's about 500 or 600-foot Drop-off there.
It's about a two to one slope.
Went off that, you wouldn't stop 'til you hit the bottom.
[horn honks.]
narrator: Jack has skillfully Navigated this section of the Ice, but as the daylight comes To an end, the worst of the Dalton still lies dead ahead.
Lisa kelly has blazed over 414 Miles of unforgiving road to Deadhorse in a speedy 14 hours.
lisa: Whoo-hoo! narrator: But when she Arrives at the carlile terminal, She discovers that her load does Not end here.
lisa, we need you to take This load all the way out.
lisa: 10-4.
narrator: She's given a green Light to the oil fields.
The last 25 milesarctic ocean Ice.
[ice cracking.]
lisa: You gotta follow a lot More rules on the ice road.
narrator: The speed limit on This road is just ten miles per Hour, or you risk breaking Through.
lisa: If you get stranded out There, I mean, you could die.
It's something that's just in The back of your mind.
narrator: On the surface, the Ice stresses and cracks.
Below the wheels Frigid water.
[ice cracking.]
After nearly 16 hours behind the Wheel, lisa arrives at her final Destination.
lisa: We done good this time.
That's the way it's supposed to Go.
[truck beeps.]
All right.
Mustneededneed it delivered Today, now, hot load.
narrator: The run is a Personal best for this ice road Trucker, and proof she's going To hold her own this season.
This desolate area of alaska Known as the north slope was Rarely traveled until 1968, when A giant oil discovery changed The landscape forever.
the government spent Something like $50 million Exploring for oil.
Now, in 1968, this giant Discovery of the oil bonanza In prudhoe bay changed all of Alaska.
All kinds of smart people from All over the world made Suggestions about how do we get The oil to market? A pipeline seemed like the most Logical one.
The value of prudhoe bay is so Enormous.
Oil made alaska the richest State in all of the united States, by far.
narrator: The state of alaska Is so wealthy that they can Afford to pay out more than $1,000 a year to every citizen.
Road, rookie tim freeman and George spears are nearing Atigun pass, a 4,700-foot Treacherous climb through the Brooks mountain range.
And it's just begun to snow.
george: Gotta watch your Steering down there, tim.
Uh, that new snow on topthat Snow pack on top, uh, your Steering can get loose with ya A little bit, so we'll take her Easy and be a little more Cautious.
The shoulders of the road are White, the hills are white, it's Kinda hard to tell where the Edges are at 'cause it's hard to Distinguish what's the Difference between the road and Ditch.
narrator: With conditions Growing worse, george decides to Play it safe and chain up before Climbing the pass.
george: Pull over up on the Top here.
tim: Good deal.
george: I don't want tim to Have any trouble on his first Trip.
We're responsible for him makin' It the whole way.
So if it means puttin' a set of Tire chains on, not that big of A deal.
narrator: Tim throws on his First set of chains, but makes A common rookie mistake.
tim: I got a little problem 'cause mine were hung upside Down, or backwards, if you will, So that these trigs were facing Down towards the tires, and like A dumbass, I didn't look at 'em, I just threw the [bleep.]
on There.
george: We got a lot more Snow than what I expected.
We'll have to be really careful On this next one.
narrator: Rookie tim freeman Has made it 2/3 of the way up The icy dalton, but the worst is Still to come The treacherous atigun pass.
george: Hey, tim, gimme a Holler when you get to the spot.
tim: Okay, george, will do.
narrator: At 4,700 feet over The brooks range, the 12% icy Grade is a brutal challenge for Even the most experienced haul Road trucker.
tim: I'm glad we decided we Better put some chains on.
Pretty deepdeep snowdrifts Across the road.
george: Man, it's hard to see Up here.
Tim, once we get up here in the Canyon, there should be some Reflectors along the edge of the Road to make it a little bit Easier to see where the road's At, here, in just a little bit.
These are the big boys.
These are the bad ones.
You get over these two, you're In good shape.
Okay, we'll watch for him.
narrator: Snow plows have Reduced the road to a single Lane and created a sudden logjam Of trucks too wide to pass Safely.
george: [bleep.]
[indistinct.]
, [bleep.]
idiots.
Hold up a minute.
There's a cluster-[bleep.]
up Here.
See if you can stop.
tim: 10-4, yep.
george: Tim, can you just Stop? tim: Aw, [bleep.]
.
narrator: Tim slams on his Brakes Stopping just short of A head-on collision.
george: We got the blade and The blower, we got trucks spun Out behind us, spun out in front Of us.
Just hold up.
[bleep.]
dammit.
Timmy, we can't do much until This blower gets outta the way.
tim: Okay, george.
george: Yeah, here, he's Movin' over now.
Timmy, once we get by the Blower we can pick it up a Little bit.
narrator: Slowly, the road Clears, and traffic starts Moving again.
Tim and george have just [acoustic guitar music.]
Back at carlile, hugh is Undergoing his third and final Test before he's unleashed on The dalton.
hugh: This is a do-or-die Moment right here.
I mean, if you don't do the Pre-trip and you don't do the Driving test, you're finished; You're not even goin' to the Haul road.
And we're off, here.
Holy yeah.
Okay, that last corner, hugh, We gottanext hugh: Problem there.
yeah, we did, we had a Problem.
We gotta read the road ahead and Assess the lane position.
hugh: [bumps horn.]
Whoops.
Jesus.
it's my judgment that he Doesn't have control or the Skills needed.
Absolutely it's my call that This is it; we don't go to the Haul road.
You're drivin' at a speed right Now, somethin' happens you can Do somethin' about it.
hugh: That's right.
good turn.
Very good, hugh, that's perfect.
Write up my evaluation and then We'll talk a little bit about It when we get outside of the Truck.
And you get up there and they Start talkin' about it My observations is I-I'd just Increase mirror usage.
You know, four to six seconds.
hugh: Right.
more if it's u If inclement weather and bad Conditions.
hugh: He's a no bull-[bleep.]
Guy.
He, uhhe made me do everything That, uh, has to be done.
I'm, uhI'm eager to go.
He's ahe's a hell of a good Guy; he knows whathe knows his Stuff.
I think we're good to sign Off on your road test and your Pace drive.
hugh: Right on, thanks.
we're, uhwelcome to the Team.
hugh: Perfect.
okay, clear.
narrator: Next up, Alex debogorski.
once you get a little bit Familiar with the truck, we'll Start doin' some commentary.
You know, you can talk to me About distant relevant objects, Things that you're lookin' for On the road.
alex: Speed limit is comin' Down to 40.
only thing I can see right Now that I'dI'd like you to Increase, alex, is a little bit More mirror, left and right.
alex: Lookin'lookin' behind Me more.
yeah, yeah, left and right.
I'm very strict.
I don't bend the rules.
Uh, you either have it or you Don't.
alex: So obviously some of The stories about the road being Dangerous probably are true Because they go to some extremes Of making sure that one can Drive the road before they're Gonna let one drive on his own Up there.
narrator: Alex passes his Final test.
you did a great job out There.
alex: Thank you very much.
Team.
narrator: Boot camp is over, And the canadians are officially Part of the carlile team.
Next time they're behind the Wheel, it will be on north America's deadliest road.
Tim and george have made it Now they face the final Assaultthe last 50-mile Stretch called the bluffs.
But the winds have picked up to Blowing heavy waves of snow Across the road.
[horn honks.]
george: Tim, how's everything Goin' back there? narrator: Suddenly, tim falls Behind and loses sight of George.
tim: Here he comes.
I knew it.
george: We've been givin' 'em A real thrill this trip.
tim: 10-4, yep.
Here I come.
narrator: Then as fast as the Road disappeared, it reemerges From the blinding blow.
Out in the distance, the shapes Of the town of deadhorse emerge, And tim breathes a sigh of Relief that his first run up the Dalton wasn't his last.
tim: All together, you know, It's been a pretty good trip.
We're almost to prudhoe.
narrator: For george, this Was a trip they both can be Proud of.
george: Looks like we made it To prudhoe bay.
'bout 5:30.
Tim is right here behind me.
Lookin' good, he's done a good Job.
We'll go in here and get our Trailers switched around, get a Bite to eat.
Tim, what we need to do is get Your van off on this right-hand Side.
narrator: After a punishing Two-day run, tim delivers his First load of supplies to the Oil fields.
[truck beeping.]
tim: Well, I'm happy I made It because, uh, there were some Doubts, maybe, you know.
narrator: For now, tim's Doubts have been answered, and One more trucker has made History on the dalton.
After five days of the dash for The cash, veteran george spears Is in the lead with two loads.
Another day of safe passage for Alaska's ice road truckers is in The books.
But as night falls, danger on The dalton strikes again.
hey, jack, we got a problem Over here; looks like they're Stuck.
jack: They're stuck inin The middle of the road, or in The ditch? oh, lord have mercy.
They are way out.