Ice Road Truckers (2007) s03e10 Episode Script
Ocean Run
narrator: And lisa takes one More trip over the arctic ocean.
I'm officially on the ice.
I'm officially on the ocean.
narrator: At the top of the World [honk honk.]
There's a job only a few would Dare.
Just when you thought extreme Trucking couldn't get more Dangerous Ice road truckers take on Alaska.
[dramatic note.]
[aerosmith's living on the edge.]
we're 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 narrator: It's 5:00 a.
M.
In the carlile yards, and with Less than three weeks left In the season, dalton ace jack Jessee arrives to prep his 16th Load.
But this morning, he's on A special mission To haul a load of drag-reducing Agent, or d.
R.
A.
, a chemical Used to help crude oil flow Smoothly through the Trans-alaskan pipeline.
And the tanker has to make it Seven hours.
they gotta have this Particular load of d.
R.
A.
Up at The injection site.
They want it there by noon.
narrator: If it doesn't get There on time, the oil-flowing South could come to a halt.
it's a temperature-sensitive Load, actually.
We've had it inside for a couple Of days, trying to warm it back Up.
This stuff actually does pump AtAt, you know, some pretty Cold temperatures.
But it pumps a whole lot easier When it's warm.
So we gotta get an early morning Start, get up there as quick as We can.
narrator: As the sun rises Over the alaskan wilderness Jack pushes ahead over the Ice Driving one of the most Challenging rigs of the season.
these insulated tankers, They kinda look like bananas, So we call 'em banana tankers.
It's just got a bottom drain System, and there's no Compartments in it, so it's just One great big giant tank.
narrator: These liquid loads Are also called live loads Because the cargo is constantly Moving.
only being about 3/4 full, And it's got about a foot and a Half of empty space up in there That lets this material slosh Back and forth.
narrator: When changing gears Or driving up and down hills, The liquid sloshes violently Around the tank And can easily throw a trucker Off course.
whoa, did you feel that? Boom! You'll have to hold on.
This is gonna be a bumpy ride Today.
The product in the tank back There is getting thrown to the Back of the truck when I change Gears.
It does it most on the big Hills, when you're going up.
That's when you get most of the Slosh going back.
[liquid sloshes.]
Bam! [laughs.]
narrator: Hauling a live load On ice is especially dangerous On the uphill.
it can actually spin you out Going up a hill.
When you change gears and the Fluid comes forward You change a gear throttle into It, and the fluid goes back.
Truck's trying to pull And then the product is holding You back.
narrator: Up ahead Jack faces the steepest set of Hills on the daltonthe deadly Drop-off known as the roller Coaster.
I got the roller coaster Coming up, so We're gonna drop down in it, And the way this stuff's Surging, it won't hurt to keep My fingers crossed here.
narrator: As jack descends Down the first hill The liquid shifts forward.
[clattering.]
He struggles to keep the truck Aligned and prevent the liquid From sloshing side to side.
At the bottom, jack guns it to Keep up his momentum.
But the liquid shifts to the Back And starts to work against him.
whoo-hoo! Now we're spinning.
narrator: Jack slowly inches Up the steep grade.
we had to slow down but Just backed out of it a little Bit and stopped the slosh.
Went right up the hill.
Well, with a load like this, Sometimes I wish I had a neck Brace so I don't get whiplash.
[laughs.]
narrator: Back at the carlile Terminal, lisa kelly George spears, and rookie Tim freeman are teaming up for A three-truck convoy to Deadhorse.
Here in fairbanks, the skies are Clear.
But up the ice road The weather is unpredictable.
yesterday, the road was Closed from dietrich to pass.
About all we can do is just go And just like always, we'll wait At coldfoot for it to get Better.
Seems like this winter, that's All we've been doing.
we'll see if it's a good day For trucking once we get on the Road.
narrator: Lisa is preparing For an epic journey And then to an oil field over A frozen arctic ocean.
She's hauling a critical load Of rig mats and a pickup truck.
Rig mats are platforms used To protect the arctic tundra From the crushing weight of oil Rigs.
it's not a twinkie load.
[chuckles.]
narrator: George and tim Each have a load of styrofoam Insulation.
it's a good-looking load.
Shouldn't give me no problems.
narrator: Tim and george have Made six runs together this Season.
But they've never run with lisa, Who has a reputation for going Fast.
I've never been trucking with Tim and george before.
George is slow and steady, And I'm erratic.
[makes driving sound.]
And not very steady.
ha! Ha! Girl.
Girl cooties.
Girl.
Ha.
are we ready? - [chuckling.]
and here we go.
narrator: Locked and loaded, The convoy heads for the ice.
I don't go that fast, Honestly.
[chuckles.]
not to worry.
narrator: At the northern End of the dalton narrator: Alex debogorski And his convoy partner ron dobbs Are approaching deadhorse.
always looking forward to Delivering a load and then going Back and gettin' another one.
That'sWhat this is all about.
narrator: After being behind In the load count all season, Completing this run will finally Put alex one load ahead of his Rival hugh rowland in the dash For the cash.
I would strongly suggest the Number one thing that hughie Would have to learn on this road Is to work on his patience.
Every time hughie goes by, all You can do is smell burning Hair.
[laughing.]
narrator: And that's just What got hugh into trouble on His last run.
I just got busted.
narrator: Hugh did not record Enough down time and was docked $250 and a day's worth of Driving time on the road you're out of service.
You can't drive.
narrator: Giving alex just The edge he needed to pull Ahead.
After dropping his trailer Alex scores a backhaul A loader and a tub grinder That will bring him an extra But it's a top-heavy load, One he must chain down properly Or else risk a rollover on the Ice.
this one here I got her right tight.
And I guess somebody decided That was good enough, but they Didn't have to haul a load.
SoWe're gonna have to kind Of watch it to see what it does Goin' down the road.
narrator: Alex departs with Convoy partner ron dobbs, Bound once again for fairbanks And pulling even further ahead Of hugh in the dash for the Cash.
if I have more backhauls like This, then, uh.
.
I'll make more money for myself And I'll make more money for Carlile.
Mind you, I don't wanna count My chickens beforeWe patch up The cracked eggs.
announcer: 240 miles south in Coldfoot, hugh rowland cranks up His load of drill pipe.
[grunts.]
and away we go.
announcer: He's just getting Back on the road after a visit To the fairbanks courthouse to Pay his fine.
no contest? mm-hmm.
announcer: Now he's Northbound on a mission to take Back his lead.
I've never lost a load count In my life.
announcer: But his convoy Partner, phil kromm, is nowhere In sight.
I've already ate, [bleep.]
Showered and shaved, and he's Just having his first cup of Coffee.
[laughs.]
impatient polar bear.
Well, he should have woke me up Before he was ready to leave.
[laughter.]
If I'm not ready when you're Ready to go, just wait longer.
[laughter.]
announcer: On the road, hugh Tries to make up for lost time.
But up ahead, he encounters Another obstacle.
just when you think you know What's going on, bam, something Jumps up in front of you, and The road surprises you again.
[horn honks.]
male announcer: 180 miles up The ice road, hugh and phil are Northbound when they encounter One of the dalton's most Unpredictable obstacles.
caribou in the street up Herere, so Got a live one running down the Road right in front of me.
[bleep.]
.
announcer: Phil breaks to Avoid hitting the animal.
any time you hit an animal, Zitit damages the truck.
You know, you might spend $20,000 or $30,000 in damages.
Oh, yeah.
About 30 to 40 miles an hour.
announcer: One small caribou Is setting the pace for two Giant big rigs.
she didn't really want to Get off the road, 'cause the Snow's still a little deep here, And it's harder for 'em to get Around.
Out here, it's not always a Truck around blind corners.
Sometimes you come around a Blind corner or something, you Find a whole herd of caribou in The e e e e e e e e e road, and.
Or a moose or a bear, or Could be anything.
announcer: 115 miles up the Dalton, jack jessee is crossing The arctic circle.
northbound, dropping at five.
announcer: He's hauling a Critical load of drag-reducing Agent to aid the flow of oil at A pump station near coldfoot.
And it has to be there in less Than two hours.
you know, it's kind of a Challenging deal with this Particular kind of load.
announcer: This live load Makes it extra difficult to Navigate the sharp twists and Turns of the ice road.
you know, when I meet Somebody, I always have to slow Down, because this thing kind of Wiggles back and forth.
Just kind of sloshes a lot.
And it'll make you think that You're not able to keep it where You want to keep it.
I don't know.
I just tend to slow down when I Meet somebody because of that.
Ooh.
I wonder if this car is gonna Meet us right in the middle of The curve.
announcer: Up ahead, a Pickup truck is barreling Straight towards jack.
[honks horn.]
Dalton protocol is for the Southbound truck to pull over.
you wouldn't want to meet two Trucks in that curve.
announcer: The oncoming truck Shows no sign of slowing down.
god, what is this guy doing? What the [bleep.]
? Son of a [bleep.]
.
Holy [bleep.]
.
Yeah, damn it.
Need to bring a little more Common sense with him.
But then again, he probably Doesn't see the road like I see It.
And I know he doesn't drive it The way I do.
But hopefully he doesn't come Back any time soon.
announcer: Jack knows Firsthand what can happen to Inexperienced drivers on the Ice.
there was a pickup truck that Went down the beaver slide one Time.
There was a big dip from a frost Heave.
He just went flying down that Hill, and he hit that dip, and The butt end of his truck came Up, spun him around, and he Rolled, like, eight or nine Times.
It ended up killing him.
announcer: 120 miles south of Jack, lisa is running in convoy With george and tim.
She's got a critical load bound For the ice road of the arctic Ocean, but driving at a rookie's Pace is holding her up.
life in the slow lane is Slow.
Very slow.
[laughs.]
Here we go again.
Man.
When a turtle passes us, we're Going too damn slow.
you bet, johnny.
[laughs.]
Not to worry.
we go much slower, though, I'm gonna get even crankier.
I've, uh, never really run With lisa till today.
I've heard that, uh, she drives A little faster than most.
she won't be able to stay Behind us very long.
We are slow and slower.
wonderful.
Okay.
pull in here, tim.
okay, george.
announcer: Finally, george And tim let lisa take the lead.
I kind of can go my own pace, Which is not really a fast pace.
It just seems like I'm fast Because the other drivers are Slower.
announcer: Lisa quickly Blazes a trail and pulls out Ahead of the convoy.
I don't know where tim and George are.
They're back there somewhere, Making their way.
But we are going the speed Limit.
announcer: Up ahead, the First brutal ascentan 8% grade Called 21/2 mile.
It's one of the steepest hills On the haul road, where gear Selection is critical.
oh, boy.
I'm not in the right gear.
Here we go again.
Oh, [bleep.]
.
I'm spinning.
male announcer: 77 miles North of fairbanks, lisa kelly Leads george and tim in a convoy Bound for deadhorse.
oh, boy.
I'm not in the right gear.
announcer: But she's spinning Out on the very first ascent.
oh, [bleep.]
.
I'm spinning.
[gears scrape.]
announcer: And now doesn't Have enough power to pull her Her truck shudders to a dead Stop.
hold on, guys.
I'm spun out.
lisa's spun out over yeah, tim, we'll hold up till She gets going.
all right, georgie.
announcer: Unable to get Started again on an incline, Lisa has to back 250 yards down The hill to get another run at It.
is there anybody coming Behind me? yeah, all kinds of 'em.
We'll get 'em to stop.
hold on there.
I'm spun out there up there.
[truck beeping.]
That's one of those gears that I Always miss, and if I miss it, I Spin.
Worst one.
On this end it is.
It is double tough.
announcer: The slightest Misstep could send her off the Road.
be nice if I didn't put the Trailer in a ditch.
everybody misses a gear once In a while.
It's no big deal.
Except for the fact there's About five trucks right behind You.
everyone's gonna be really Pissed if I don't make it this Time, because I got a lot of People waiting for me.
Should I try this again? announcer: Lisa starts over In first gear.
[suspenseful music.]
you can make it.
You can make it.
Don't make me shift this gear.
I'm making it.
Okay, guys, I made it.
okay.
all right, georgie.
Go ahead and get a run at 'er.
all righty, tim.
I hate 21/2 mile.
We don't get along.
This is the second time I've Spun out on 21/2 mile this year Because I've missed a gear.
Missing the gear, my specialty.
Thus the nickname gear jammer.
Whatever you want to call me.
Transmission leaver on the road Person.
narrator: Up ahead, lisa Still has 420 miles of extreme Terrain to go and then ocean Ice.
It's April in alaska, and the Spring thaw is here, making the Conditions on the ice roads even More treacherous.
okay, we need the auger.
narrator: Every year the National weather service in Fairbanks gathers data to help Forecast the end of the ice road Season.
we're out here to take an ice Measurement.
We're doing ice measurements Here at this lake and a few Other lakes.
We're gonna measure the depth of The ice and the thickness of the Ice.
And, you know, if we know how Thick the ice is, we have a Little better idea of when the Ice, you know, might melt off.
[auger whirring.]
narrator: They drill down to The water level with a Gas-powered auger.
[whirring continues.]
we'll go ahead and check it Now and seereal scientific Piece of equipment here.
narrator: Brad sipperley uses A simple bamboo stick marked off In inches.
all right.
[chuckles.]
is that what it was last Month? yeah.
narrator: The ice is no Longer building up and is now on The decline.
As temperatures rise, it's Estimated that less than three Weeks remain for the ice roads.
well, the roads become Terrible.
So everything gets melted on top Of the roads.
The roads then become very, very Slick and, of course, very, very Hazardous.
narrator: 150 miles from Fairbanks springtime in alaska it's 40 below narrator: Alex and his convoy Partner, ron dobbs, are nearing The end of their run.
southbound to fairbanks Everything seems to be running Good.
Uh, the load looks secure, all The tires are on the truck and The trailer.
What more can anybody ask for? You got some air, did you? narrator: Frost heaves in the Tundra caused by temperature Fluctuations make for a Bone-shattering ride.
[rumbling.]
there's a few different body Parts puckering up.
That's about it.
That's the kind of bouncing that Breaks those chains.
narrator: The rough road Shakes alex's straps loose.
And a passing trucker spots the Dangerous situation.
[rumbling.]
it's just one of these kind Of pain-in-the-rear loads.
Ay yi yi yi yi.
narrator: Alex pushes Forward, hoping the strap will Make it to fairbanks.
But suddenly [metal clanking.]
well, no friggin' wonder.
[bleep.]
.
narrator: The loose strap Breaks free, and now the load is Dangerously unstable.
And if one of the loose ends Catches in the wheels, the Entire load could get ripped From the trailer.
I'm just worried about Everything falling off.
narrator: 140 miles from Fairbanks I'm just worried about Everything falling off.
[metal clanking.]
narrator: Alex debogorski's Load has broken free from its Tie-down strap and is now Dangerously unstable.
great.
Ron, can you help? yeah, let's stop here and Check that load.
okay, great.
[breaks hiss.]
Well, the strap broke.
It got cut on the top there.
your load's definitely being A real pain in the axle.
no kidding.
this edge right herecutting The strap.
So we'll put this little corner Protectorjust a piece of a Strap hereunderneath the Strap.
That'll keep it from cutting it.
[creaking.]
There.
That should work.
never a dull moment in the Dalton, yeah.
Always got something to do.
[truck hisses.]
that ought to hold it down.
narrator: Back on the road, Alex pushes forward to Fairbanks.
If he makes it there tonight, it Will put him two loads up on his Rival, hugh.
narrator: 160 miles north, Hugh and convoy partner, Phil kromm, approach Atigun pass, the deadliest Section of the road.
favorite part of the trip, Most exciting part of the trip.
[horn honking.]
narrator: And phil decides That the time has come to let Hugh lead.
I'm letting hugh get out in Front.
That's part of our training Process, anyway.
At some point, you know, get Them out in front and see how They do.
All right, hubert, you're on Point.
Let her rip there.
Catch up here in just a minute.
[horn honking.]
whoo-hoo! This is pretty good for me.
[laughing.]
[dramatic music.]
Go, go, go.
Hammer down.
Lead, follow, or get the [bleep.]
Out of the way.
narrator: Hugh steps up, but Driving lead has serious Responsibilities.
two northbound at the pass.
narrator: He's got to call Out the oncoming trucks And is the first to test new Road conditions.
if the sun starts beating on These hills, I guess, it just Magnifies everything.
In 15 minutes, this could Startjust start shining up, And then as soon as somebody Goes over it after it's been Getting shiny from the sun, then It's just like glass right away.
[horn honking.]
narrator: His wheels barely Clinging to the road Hugh crests the summit.
well, we got lucky again.
Another good bingo, one more Time over the pass.
narrator: But hugh still has Trailing alex by one run.
[horn honking.]
Racing to deliver a critical Tanker full of drag-reducing Agent to a pump station near Coldfoot.
well, this, uhthis d.
R.
A.
Stuff here, we got to get it There as fast as we can.
narrator: If he's late, oil In the trans-alaskan pipeline Could come to a halt.
I was supposed to be there at Noon.
Um, I'm running a little late.
narrator: D.
R.
A.
Congeals in The cold, and the longer it Stays in the tanker, the more Difficult it is to pump out.
takes about two hours to pump This stuff off, average, if Nothing goes wrong.
Last time I did it, it took me Two days, so I got my fingers Crossed this time.
Yeah, we're just getting ready To pull in here D.
R.
A.
-Injection site.
narrator: Jack needs a quick Turnaround in order to keep his Lead in the dash for the cash.
yeah, if I can't get this Off-loaded today, I'll miss out On a load of fuel I've got set Up.
narrator: But when he pulls Onto the platform above the Underground tank There's a big problem.
first.
[brakes hisses.]
I was afraid I was gonna have to Do this.
We're dragging our landing gear Right here.
narrator: The landing gear is Too low for the platform and Could rip open the tank below.
it'll hit this metal plate, And I don't want to tear the Plate up, and I don't want to Break my landing gear, so I'm Gonna jack my suspension up a Little bit.
Well, what I'm doing now is the, Uhthe leveling arm here for my Air bags is set a little too low For this, so I'm gonna move the Pin setting one notch, and Hopefully that'll be enough to Raise the suspension up that it Won't break my landing gear, and I won't dig up their containment Pit.
I was hoping to, uh, get in and Out of here a little faster than This.
[horn honks.]
narrator: The adjustment Works.
yeah, I'm gonna hook up The hose now.
and the offload can finally Begin.
The d.
R.
A.
Makes it into the Pump station just in time, and Keeps the oil in the pipeline Flowing from the north slope.
well, I'm hoping to make it Back to fairbanks tonight, get In there and get a load of fuel.
We'll be up here again tomorrow To do it again.
narrator: 130 miles north, Lisa, george and tim continue Their convoy to deadhorse.
[horn blows.]
dude, I've had fun since The day I was born.
right on.
once in a while it's nice To be in front just so I don't Have any trucks in my view.
I can justI just got this Great landscape for a view.
we've gotten over the pass Without any problems.
It was actually a pretty nice Day.
oh, really good trip.
Beautiful the last two days.
Just loving it.
the roads are great, and I've Got nothing but open road in Front of me.
Open road and blue skies and Sunshine.
[wind blowing.]
narrator: But up here, Blue skies never last long.
it's supposed to be blowing Really bad up here.
One delineator at a time.
narrator: Delineators are Reflectors positioned every Visibility.
when you can only see One delineator, it's not good.
blowing like a son of A [bleep.]
right now.
[wind gusting.]
[bleep.]
.
we just got by franklin Bluffs, and we're down to one Or two delineators.
I can't see.
narrator: 25 miles To deadhorse.
They push ahead into the Unknown.
[horn honking.]
[horn blaring.]
holy crap! On the franklin bluffs my flags are about ready to Rip off the side of my load There.
Uh-oh.
I think I already lost one.
I can't see.
narrator: Winds have kicked Up to 35 miles per hour and Visibility is less than 50 feet.
Lisa, tim and george struggle to See the road and keep from Driving off into the tundra.
[bleep.]
, I couldn't see Nothing there.
All I seen was drifts in The road.
I was wondering if we were still On it, but wow.
tim, justcan you still see Me all right? You want to keep me where you Can still see me.
yeah, george, I can't see you Anymore.
I know.
[horn honks in distance.]
heads up.
it's "what the hell am I Doing up here?" Can think of a lot of other Places to be.
narrator: The convoy pushes Through the storm Until the winds start to back Down.
yeah, it's starting to Lighten up a little bit.
We're getting pretty close to The 20-mile where they said it Was gonna clear up.
narrator: As it clears, Deadhorse appears on the Horizon.
hey, is georgie and timmy Coming up behind you? they're coming.
They're back there.
[grunts.]
Turn around, do it again.
Just anothther trip.
narrator: While tim and George turn and burn heading out to oliktok to Deliver this pickup truck on the Back of the trailer.
narrator: Lisa heads for the Ice road of the arctic ocean.
[ice creaking.]
Fairbanks with his top heavy Load.
the road's bumpy and, you Know, a number of things could Probably go awry.
narrator: By completing his Tenth run, alex will pull Two loads ahead of his rival, Hugh rowland.
there's a rumor that he got A ticket.
I don't know whatI expect if He got a ticket, he got a ticket At the scale.
And it might have to do with Hours of service.
I don't know.
He's been kind of doing his own Thing, so I really don't know What's going on there and how he Got himself in trouble there.
narrator: Hoping to avoid A ticket himself, alex pulls Over to prepare for a d.
O.
T.
Inspection.
we gotta do our paperwork Before we go to the scale.
Make sure that the log book Make sure everything's right.
hey, alex, I was thinking, Uh, maybe we ought to check The height on that thing.
It looks like it's right up There pretty tall.
narrator: On the dalton, Height.
But from here uth, it's only Safe to haul 15 feet through City streets.
you have a tape measure? yeah, I got a tape measure On me.
Yeah, there's 15, there's 16.
To the top of the beacon, we're Right about 16'3".
we're 15 inches too high Then.
yep, 15 inches too tall.
narrator: Alex doesn't have The correct permit for an Oversized load.
He'll have to leave it here Tonight, because if he drives it Any further, he'll face a pricey Ticket or possible suspension.
I think it's a good call.
And, uh, we'll get the permit Tomorrow.
Everything will be fine.
And it keeps alex out of Trouble.
narrator: Alex plays it safe, But he won't be able to deliver The load till tomorrow, a move That jeopardizes his lead in The dash for the cash.
Ten miles outside of deadhorse, Hugh rowland races to the finish Line.
[horn honking.]
she's been a good run this Morning.
[bleep.]
up and over the pass, Clipping right along here.
And here we are going around The horn of deadhorse already.
Time flies when you're having Fun.
I'm just gonna drop my load, Go and do some paperwork, and Come back out, grab another Load, and then I'm ready to rock And roll back south.
narrator: As hugh rolls into The carlile yard, he pulls even Again in the load count with Alex.
The two canadians are now tied With nine loads a piece.
And while lisa kelly trails the Dalton ace, jack jessee, tonight She's leaving them all behind.
we've gotta cross the ocean To get to the delivery point.
narrator: She's heading over A frozen arctic ocean to an oil Rig 36 miles northwest of Deadhorse.
okay.
[ice creaking.]
We're officially on the ice.
We're officially on the ocean.
[suspenseful music.]
narrator: Spring's rising Temperatures are quickly Depleting the ice, leaving it Just thick enough to support Lisa's 48,000 pounds.
It's cracked and brittle, with Mere weeks left before it all Melts away.
Every load on this road could be The last.
Up ahead, lights on the horizon.
and I get the truck off of There and get back to deadhorse.
narrator: On a frozen stretch Of ice 280 miles north of the Arctic circle, lisa kelly's epic Run finally comes to an end.
drove across the ocean to get Here.
Nothing fell off, nobody died.
We had a good day.
I still got one more load under My belt that I haven't Destroyed.
[chuckles.]
I'm officially on the ice.
I'm officially on the ocean.
narrator: At the top of the World [honk honk.]
There's a job only a few would Dare.
Just when you thought extreme Trucking couldn't get more Dangerous Ice road truckers take on Alaska.
[dramatic note.]
[aerosmith's living on the edge.]
we're 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 narrator: It's 5:00 a.
M.
In the carlile yards, and with Less than three weeks left In the season, dalton ace jack Jessee arrives to prep his 16th Load.
But this morning, he's on A special mission To haul a load of drag-reducing Agent, or d.
R.
A.
, a chemical Used to help crude oil flow Smoothly through the Trans-alaskan pipeline.
And the tanker has to make it Seven hours.
they gotta have this Particular load of d.
R.
A.
Up at The injection site.
They want it there by noon.
narrator: If it doesn't get There on time, the oil-flowing South could come to a halt.
it's a temperature-sensitive Load, actually.
We've had it inside for a couple Of days, trying to warm it back Up.
This stuff actually does pump AtAt, you know, some pretty Cold temperatures.
But it pumps a whole lot easier When it's warm.
So we gotta get an early morning Start, get up there as quick as We can.
narrator: As the sun rises Over the alaskan wilderness Jack pushes ahead over the Ice Driving one of the most Challenging rigs of the season.
these insulated tankers, They kinda look like bananas, So we call 'em banana tankers.
It's just got a bottom drain System, and there's no Compartments in it, so it's just One great big giant tank.
narrator: These liquid loads Are also called live loads Because the cargo is constantly Moving.
only being about 3/4 full, And it's got about a foot and a Half of empty space up in there That lets this material slosh Back and forth.
narrator: When changing gears Or driving up and down hills, The liquid sloshes violently Around the tank And can easily throw a trucker Off course.
whoa, did you feel that? Boom! You'll have to hold on.
This is gonna be a bumpy ride Today.
The product in the tank back There is getting thrown to the Back of the truck when I change Gears.
It does it most on the big Hills, when you're going up.
That's when you get most of the Slosh going back.
[liquid sloshes.]
Bam! [laughs.]
narrator: Hauling a live load On ice is especially dangerous On the uphill.
it can actually spin you out Going up a hill.
When you change gears and the Fluid comes forward You change a gear throttle into It, and the fluid goes back.
Truck's trying to pull And then the product is holding You back.
narrator: Up ahead Jack faces the steepest set of Hills on the daltonthe deadly Drop-off known as the roller Coaster.
I got the roller coaster Coming up, so We're gonna drop down in it, And the way this stuff's Surging, it won't hurt to keep My fingers crossed here.
narrator: As jack descends Down the first hill The liquid shifts forward.
[clattering.]
He struggles to keep the truck Aligned and prevent the liquid From sloshing side to side.
At the bottom, jack guns it to Keep up his momentum.
But the liquid shifts to the Back And starts to work against him.
whoo-hoo! Now we're spinning.
narrator: Jack slowly inches Up the steep grade.
we had to slow down but Just backed out of it a little Bit and stopped the slosh.
Went right up the hill.
Well, with a load like this, Sometimes I wish I had a neck Brace so I don't get whiplash.
[laughs.]
narrator: Back at the carlile Terminal, lisa kelly George spears, and rookie Tim freeman are teaming up for A three-truck convoy to Deadhorse.
Here in fairbanks, the skies are Clear.
But up the ice road The weather is unpredictable.
yesterday, the road was Closed from dietrich to pass.
About all we can do is just go And just like always, we'll wait At coldfoot for it to get Better.
Seems like this winter, that's All we've been doing.
we'll see if it's a good day For trucking once we get on the Road.
narrator: Lisa is preparing For an epic journey And then to an oil field over A frozen arctic ocean.
She's hauling a critical load Of rig mats and a pickup truck.
Rig mats are platforms used To protect the arctic tundra From the crushing weight of oil Rigs.
it's not a twinkie load.
[chuckles.]
narrator: George and tim Each have a load of styrofoam Insulation.
it's a good-looking load.
Shouldn't give me no problems.
narrator: Tim and george have Made six runs together this Season.
But they've never run with lisa, Who has a reputation for going Fast.
I've never been trucking with Tim and george before.
George is slow and steady, And I'm erratic.
[makes driving sound.]
And not very steady.
ha! Ha! Girl.
Girl cooties.
Girl.
Ha.
are we ready? - [chuckling.]
and here we go.
narrator: Locked and loaded, The convoy heads for the ice.
I don't go that fast, Honestly.
[chuckles.]
not to worry.
narrator: At the northern End of the dalton narrator: Alex debogorski And his convoy partner ron dobbs Are approaching deadhorse.
always looking forward to Delivering a load and then going Back and gettin' another one.
That'sWhat this is all about.
narrator: After being behind In the load count all season, Completing this run will finally Put alex one load ahead of his Rival hugh rowland in the dash For the cash.
I would strongly suggest the Number one thing that hughie Would have to learn on this road Is to work on his patience.
Every time hughie goes by, all You can do is smell burning Hair.
[laughing.]
narrator: And that's just What got hugh into trouble on His last run.
I just got busted.
narrator: Hugh did not record Enough down time and was docked $250 and a day's worth of Driving time on the road you're out of service.
You can't drive.
narrator: Giving alex just The edge he needed to pull Ahead.
After dropping his trailer Alex scores a backhaul A loader and a tub grinder That will bring him an extra But it's a top-heavy load, One he must chain down properly Or else risk a rollover on the Ice.
this one here I got her right tight.
And I guess somebody decided That was good enough, but they Didn't have to haul a load.
SoWe're gonna have to kind Of watch it to see what it does Goin' down the road.
narrator: Alex departs with Convoy partner ron dobbs, Bound once again for fairbanks And pulling even further ahead Of hugh in the dash for the Cash.
if I have more backhauls like This, then, uh.
.
I'll make more money for myself And I'll make more money for Carlile.
Mind you, I don't wanna count My chickens beforeWe patch up The cracked eggs.
announcer: 240 miles south in Coldfoot, hugh rowland cranks up His load of drill pipe.
[grunts.]
and away we go.
announcer: He's just getting Back on the road after a visit To the fairbanks courthouse to Pay his fine.
no contest? mm-hmm.
announcer: Now he's Northbound on a mission to take Back his lead.
I've never lost a load count In my life.
announcer: But his convoy Partner, phil kromm, is nowhere In sight.
I've already ate, [bleep.]
Showered and shaved, and he's Just having his first cup of Coffee.
[laughs.]
impatient polar bear.
Well, he should have woke me up Before he was ready to leave.
[laughter.]
If I'm not ready when you're Ready to go, just wait longer.
[laughter.]
announcer: On the road, hugh Tries to make up for lost time.
But up ahead, he encounters Another obstacle.
just when you think you know What's going on, bam, something Jumps up in front of you, and The road surprises you again.
[horn honks.]
male announcer: 180 miles up The ice road, hugh and phil are Northbound when they encounter One of the dalton's most Unpredictable obstacles.
caribou in the street up Herere, so Got a live one running down the Road right in front of me.
[bleep.]
.
announcer: Phil breaks to Avoid hitting the animal.
any time you hit an animal, Zitit damages the truck.
You know, you might spend $20,000 or $30,000 in damages.
Oh, yeah.
About 30 to 40 miles an hour.
announcer: One small caribou Is setting the pace for two Giant big rigs.
she didn't really want to Get off the road, 'cause the Snow's still a little deep here, And it's harder for 'em to get Around.
Out here, it's not always a Truck around blind corners.
Sometimes you come around a Blind corner or something, you Find a whole herd of caribou in The e e e e e e e e e road, and.
Or a moose or a bear, or Could be anything.
announcer: 115 miles up the Dalton, jack jessee is crossing The arctic circle.
northbound, dropping at five.
announcer: He's hauling a Critical load of drag-reducing Agent to aid the flow of oil at A pump station near coldfoot.
And it has to be there in less Than two hours.
you know, it's kind of a Challenging deal with this Particular kind of load.
announcer: This live load Makes it extra difficult to Navigate the sharp twists and Turns of the ice road.
you know, when I meet Somebody, I always have to slow Down, because this thing kind of Wiggles back and forth.
Just kind of sloshes a lot.
And it'll make you think that You're not able to keep it where You want to keep it.
I don't know.
I just tend to slow down when I Meet somebody because of that.
Ooh.
I wonder if this car is gonna Meet us right in the middle of The curve.
announcer: Up ahead, a Pickup truck is barreling Straight towards jack.
[honks horn.]
Dalton protocol is for the Southbound truck to pull over.
you wouldn't want to meet two Trucks in that curve.
announcer: The oncoming truck Shows no sign of slowing down.
god, what is this guy doing? What the [bleep.]
? Son of a [bleep.]
.
Holy [bleep.]
.
Yeah, damn it.
Need to bring a little more Common sense with him.
But then again, he probably Doesn't see the road like I see It.
And I know he doesn't drive it The way I do.
But hopefully he doesn't come Back any time soon.
announcer: Jack knows Firsthand what can happen to Inexperienced drivers on the Ice.
there was a pickup truck that Went down the beaver slide one Time.
There was a big dip from a frost Heave.
He just went flying down that Hill, and he hit that dip, and The butt end of his truck came Up, spun him around, and he Rolled, like, eight or nine Times.
It ended up killing him.
announcer: 120 miles south of Jack, lisa is running in convoy With george and tim.
She's got a critical load bound For the ice road of the arctic Ocean, but driving at a rookie's Pace is holding her up.
life in the slow lane is Slow.
Very slow.
[laughs.]
Here we go again.
Man.
When a turtle passes us, we're Going too damn slow.
you bet, johnny.
[laughs.]
Not to worry.
we go much slower, though, I'm gonna get even crankier.
I've, uh, never really run With lisa till today.
I've heard that, uh, she drives A little faster than most.
she won't be able to stay Behind us very long.
We are slow and slower.
wonderful.
Okay.
pull in here, tim.
okay, george.
announcer: Finally, george And tim let lisa take the lead.
I kind of can go my own pace, Which is not really a fast pace.
It just seems like I'm fast Because the other drivers are Slower.
announcer: Lisa quickly Blazes a trail and pulls out Ahead of the convoy.
I don't know where tim and George are.
They're back there somewhere, Making their way.
But we are going the speed Limit.
announcer: Up ahead, the First brutal ascentan 8% grade Called 21/2 mile.
It's one of the steepest hills On the haul road, where gear Selection is critical.
oh, boy.
I'm not in the right gear.
Here we go again.
Oh, [bleep.]
.
I'm spinning.
male announcer: 77 miles North of fairbanks, lisa kelly Leads george and tim in a convoy Bound for deadhorse.
oh, boy.
I'm not in the right gear.
announcer: But she's spinning Out on the very first ascent.
oh, [bleep.]
.
I'm spinning.
[gears scrape.]
announcer: And now doesn't Have enough power to pull her Her truck shudders to a dead Stop.
hold on, guys.
I'm spun out.
lisa's spun out over yeah, tim, we'll hold up till She gets going.
all right, georgie.
announcer: Unable to get Started again on an incline, Lisa has to back 250 yards down The hill to get another run at It.
is there anybody coming Behind me? yeah, all kinds of 'em.
We'll get 'em to stop.
hold on there.
I'm spun out there up there.
[truck beeping.]
That's one of those gears that I Always miss, and if I miss it, I Spin.
Worst one.
On this end it is.
It is double tough.
announcer: The slightest Misstep could send her off the Road.
be nice if I didn't put the Trailer in a ditch.
everybody misses a gear once In a while.
It's no big deal.
Except for the fact there's About five trucks right behind You.
everyone's gonna be really Pissed if I don't make it this Time, because I got a lot of People waiting for me.
Should I try this again? announcer: Lisa starts over In first gear.
[suspenseful music.]
you can make it.
You can make it.
Don't make me shift this gear.
I'm making it.
Okay, guys, I made it.
okay.
all right, georgie.
Go ahead and get a run at 'er.
all righty, tim.
I hate 21/2 mile.
We don't get along.
This is the second time I've Spun out on 21/2 mile this year Because I've missed a gear.
Missing the gear, my specialty.
Thus the nickname gear jammer.
Whatever you want to call me.
Transmission leaver on the road Person.
narrator: Up ahead, lisa Still has 420 miles of extreme Terrain to go and then ocean Ice.
It's April in alaska, and the Spring thaw is here, making the Conditions on the ice roads even More treacherous.
okay, we need the auger.
narrator: Every year the National weather service in Fairbanks gathers data to help Forecast the end of the ice road Season.
we're out here to take an ice Measurement.
We're doing ice measurements Here at this lake and a few Other lakes.
We're gonna measure the depth of The ice and the thickness of the Ice.
And, you know, if we know how Thick the ice is, we have a Little better idea of when the Ice, you know, might melt off.
[auger whirring.]
narrator: They drill down to The water level with a Gas-powered auger.
[whirring continues.]
we'll go ahead and check it Now and seereal scientific Piece of equipment here.
narrator: Brad sipperley uses A simple bamboo stick marked off In inches.
all right.
[chuckles.]
is that what it was last Month? yeah.
narrator: The ice is no Longer building up and is now on The decline.
As temperatures rise, it's Estimated that less than three Weeks remain for the ice roads.
well, the roads become Terrible.
So everything gets melted on top Of the roads.
The roads then become very, very Slick and, of course, very, very Hazardous.
narrator: 150 miles from Fairbanks springtime in alaska it's 40 below narrator: Alex and his convoy Partner, ron dobbs, are nearing The end of their run.
southbound to fairbanks Everything seems to be running Good.
Uh, the load looks secure, all The tires are on the truck and The trailer.
What more can anybody ask for? You got some air, did you? narrator: Frost heaves in the Tundra caused by temperature Fluctuations make for a Bone-shattering ride.
[rumbling.]
there's a few different body Parts puckering up.
That's about it.
That's the kind of bouncing that Breaks those chains.
narrator: The rough road Shakes alex's straps loose.
And a passing trucker spots the Dangerous situation.
[rumbling.]
it's just one of these kind Of pain-in-the-rear loads.
Ay yi yi yi yi.
narrator: Alex pushes Forward, hoping the strap will Make it to fairbanks.
But suddenly [metal clanking.]
well, no friggin' wonder.
[bleep.]
.
narrator: The loose strap Breaks free, and now the load is Dangerously unstable.
And if one of the loose ends Catches in the wheels, the Entire load could get ripped From the trailer.
I'm just worried about Everything falling off.
narrator: 140 miles from Fairbanks I'm just worried about Everything falling off.
[metal clanking.]
narrator: Alex debogorski's Load has broken free from its Tie-down strap and is now Dangerously unstable.
great.
Ron, can you help? yeah, let's stop here and Check that load.
okay, great.
[breaks hiss.]
Well, the strap broke.
It got cut on the top there.
your load's definitely being A real pain in the axle.
no kidding.
this edge right herecutting The strap.
So we'll put this little corner Protectorjust a piece of a Strap hereunderneath the Strap.
That'll keep it from cutting it.
[creaking.]
There.
That should work.
never a dull moment in the Dalton, yeah.
Always got something to do.
[truck hisses.]
that ought to hold it down.
narrator: Back on the road, Alex pushes forward to Fairbanks.
If he makes it there tonight, it Will put him two loads up on his Rival, hugh.
narrator: 160 miles north, Hugh and convoy partner, Phil kromm, approach Atigun pass, the deadliest Section of the road.
favorite part of the trip, Most exciting part of the trip.
[horn honking.]
narrator: And phil decides That the time has come to let Hugh lead.
I'm letting hugh get out in Front.
That's part of our training Process, anyway.
At some point, you know, get Them out in front and see how They do.
All right, hubert, you're on Point.
Let her rip there.
Catch up here in just a minute.
[horn honking.]
whoo-hoo! This is pretty good for me.
[laughing.]
[dramatic music.]
Go, go, go.
Hammer down.
Lead, follow, or get the [bleep.]
Out of the way.
narrator: Hugh steps up, but Driving lead has serious Responsibilities.
two northbound at the pass.
narrator: He's got to call Out the oncoming trucks And is the first to test new Road conditions.
if the sun starts beating on These hills, I guess, it just Magnifies everything.
In 15 minutes, this could Startjust start shining up, And then as soon as somebody Goes over it after it's been Getting shiny from the sun, then It's just like glass right away.
[horn honking.]
narrator: His wheels barely Clinging to the road Hugh crests the summit.
well, we got lucky again.
Another good bingo, one more Time over the pass.
narrator: But hugh still has Trailing alex by one run.
[horn honking.]
Racing to deliver a critical Tanker full of drag-reducing Agent to a pump station near Coldfoot.
well, this, uhthis d.
R.
A.
Stuff here, we got to get it There as fast as we can.
narrator: If he's late, oil In the trans-alaskan pipeline Could come to a halt.
I was supposed to be there at Noon.
Um, I'm running a little late.
narrator: D.
R.
A.
Congeals in The cold, and the longer it Stays in the tanker, the more Difficult it is to pump out.
takes about two hours to pump This stuff off, average, if Nothing goes wrong.
Last time I did it, it took me Two days, so I got my fingers Crossed this time.
Yeah, we're just getting ready To pull in here D.
R.
A.
-Injection site.
narrator: Jack needs a quick Turnaround in order to keep his Lead in the dash for the cash.
yeah, if I can't get this Off-loaded today, I'll miss out On a load of fuel I've got set Up.
narrator: But when he pulls Onto the platform above the Underground tank There's a big problem.
first.
[brakes hisses.]
I was afraid I was gonna have to Do this.
We're dragging our landing gear Right here.
narrator: The landing gear is Too low for the platform and Could rip open the tank below.
it'll hit this metal plate, And I don't want to tear the Plate up, and I don't want to Break my landing gear, so I'm Gonna jack my suspension up a Little bit.
Well, what I'm doing now is the, Uhthe leveling arm here for my Air bags is set a little too low For this, so I'm gonna move the Pin setting one notch, and Hopefully that'll be enough to Raise the suspension up that it Won't break my landing gear, and I won't dig up their containment Pit.
I was hoping to, uh, get in and Out of here a little faster than This.
[horn honks.]
narrator: The adjustment Works.
yeah, I'm gonna hook up The hose now.
and the offload can finally Begin.
The d.
R.
A.
Makes it into the Pump station just in time, and Keeps the oil in the pipeline Flowing from the north slope.
well, I'm hoping to make it Back to fairbanks tonight, get In there and get a load of fuel.
We'll be up here again tomorrow To do it again.
narrator: 130 miles north, Lisa, george and tim continue Their convoy to deadhorse.
[horn blows.]
dude, I've had fun since The day I was born.
right on.
once in a while it's nice To be in front just so I don't Have any trucks in my view.
I can justI just got this Great landscape for a view.
we've gotten over the pass Without any problems.
It was actually a pretty nice Day.
oh, really good trip.
Beautiful the last two days.
Just loving it.
the roads are great, and I've Got nothing but open road in Front of me.
Open road and blue skies and Sunshine.
[wind blowing.]
narrator: But up here, Blue skies never last long.
it's supposed to be blowing Really bad up here.
One delineator at a time.
narrator: Delineators are Reflectors positioned every Visibility.
when you can only see One delineator, it's not good.
blowing like a son of A [bleep.]
right now.
[wind gusting.]
[bleep.]
.
we just got by franklin Bluffs, and we're down to one Or two delineators.
I can't see.
narrator: 25 miles To deadhorse.
They push ahead into the Unknown.
[horn honking.]
[horn blaring.]
holy crap! On the franklin bluffs my flags are about ready to Rip off the side of my load There.
Uh-oh.
I think I already lost one.
I can't see.
narrator: Winds have kicked Up to 35 miles per hour and Visibility is less than 50 feet.
Lisa, tim and george struggle to See the road and keep from Driving off into the tundra.
[bleep.]
, I couldn't see Nothing there.
All I seen was drifts in The road.
I was wondering if we were still On it, but wow.
tim, justcan you still see Me all right? You want to keep me where you Can still see me.
yeah, george, I can't see you Anymore.
I know.
[horn honks in distance.]
heads up.
it's "what the hell am I Doing up here?" Can think of a lot of other Places to be.
narrator: The convoy pushes Through the storm Until the winds start to back Down.
yeah, it's starting to Lighten up a little bit.
We're getting pretty close to The 20-mile where they said it Was gonna clear up.
narrator: As it clears, Deadhorse appears on the Horizon.
hey, is georgie and timmy Coming up behind you? they're coming.
They're back there.
[grunts.]
Turn around, do it again.
Just anothther trip.
narrator: While tim and George turn and burn heading out to oliktok to Deliver this pickup truck on the Back of the trailer.
narrator: Lisa heads for the Ice road of the arctic ocean.
[ice creaking.]
Fairbanks with his top heavy Load.
the road's bumpy and, you Know, a number of things could Probably go awry.
narrator: By completing his Tenth run, alex will pull Two loads ahead of his rival, Hugh rowland.
there's a rumor that he got A ticket.
I don't know whatI expect if He got a ticket, he got a ticket At the scale.
And it might have to do with Hours of service.
I don't know.
He's been kind of doing his own Thing, so I really don't know What's going on there and how he Got himself in trouble there.
narrator: Hoping to avoid A ticket himself, alex pulls Over to prepare for a d.
O.
T.
Inspection.
we gotta do our paperwork Before we go to the scale.
Make sure that the log book Make sure everything's right.
hey, alex, I was thinking, Uh, maybe we ought to check The height on that thing.
It looks like it's right up There pretty tall.
narrator: On the dalton, Height.
But from here uth, it's only Safe to haul 15 feet through City streets.
you have a tape measure? yeah, I got a tape measure On me.
Yeah, there's 15, there's 16.
To the top of the beacon, we're Right about 16'3".
we're 15 inches too high Then.
yep, 15 inches too tall.
narrator: Alex doesn't have The correct permit for an Oversized load.
He'll have to leave it here Tonight, because if he drives it Any further, he'll face a pricey Ticket or possible suspension.
I think it's a good call.
And, uh, we'll get the permit Tomorrow.
Everything will be fine.
And it keeps alex out of Trouble.
narrator: Alex plays it safe, But he won't be able to deliver The load till tomorrow, a move That jeopardizes his lead in The dash for the cash.
Ten miles outside of deadhorse, Hugh rowland races to the finish Line.
[horn honking.]
she's been a good run this Morning.
[bleep.]
up and over the pass, Clipping right along here.
And here we are going around The horn of deadhorse already.
Time flies when you're having Fun.
I'm just gonna drop my load, Go and do some paperwork, and Come back out, grab another Load, and then I'm ready to rock And roll back south.
narrator: As hugh rolls into The carlile yard, he pulls even Again in the load count with Alex.
The two canadians are now tied With nine loads a piece.
And while lisa kelly trails the Dalton ace, jack jessee, tonight She's leaving them all behind.
we've gotta cross the ocean To get to the delivery point.
narrator: She's heading over A frozen arctic ocean to an oil Rig 36 miles northwest of Deadhorse.
okay.
[ice creaking.]
We're officially on the ice.
We're officially on the ocean.
[suspenseful music.]
narrator: Spring's rising Temperatures are quickly Depleting the ice, leaving it Just thick enough to support Lisa's 48,000 pounds.
It's cracked and brittle, with Mere weeks left before it all Melts away.
Every load on this road could be The last.
Up ahead, lights on the horizon.
and I get the truck off of There and get back to deadhorse.
narrator: On a frozen stretch Of ice 280 miles north of the Arctic circle, lisa kelly's epic Run finally comes to an end.
drove across the ocean to get Here.
Nothing fell off, nobody died.
We had a good day.
I still got one more load under My belt that I haven't Destroyed.
[chuckles.]