Ice Road Truckers (2007) s06e13 Episode Script

Tonight, on Ice Road Truckers It's 45 below zero here.
An Arctic freeze wreaks havoc on North America's ice roads.
Wow, we're spinning out.
Fuck! Looks like an apocalypse out here.
In the Yukon-- Massive snowfall cuts off the Northern Canada's only lifeline.
The road has been closed as much as it's been open.
But in Manitoba Getting water showing up.
Temperatures And tempers Yeah, I'm a fucking hothead.
Are running hot.
Make sure Hughy's happy, but fuck Rick.
On Manitoba's winter roads Hammer down.
Hugh Rowland's up early, with a load of water tanks bound for the remote outpost of Wasagamack.
We got into St.
Theresa last night.
The guys were tired, so we stopped.
We should've went straight to Wasagamack.
He's doing it on his own.
That's what happens when you sleep in 'til the sunshine burns a hole in your eyes.
You get behind.
- Last night - Right now I'm feeling pretty tired.
They're counting on us to get it there.
Rick Yemm ignored Hugh's advice, and shut down the convoy just ten miles from their destination.
We didn't make 'er to Wasagamack.
We fucked around too much today.
But this morning, the Polar Bear's in no mood for waiting around.
Now we're heading to Wasagamack this morning.
We're gonna go unload these septic tanks, and, uh, head back All right.
Well? We made 'er.
Wasagamack.
Take the tanks off here and go back for a shack, I guess.
We should have come here last night, we'd be farther ahead.
While Hugh chalks up another delivery-- - Rick's just waking up - This is a fucking joke.
Every single trip has been fucked up.
To find out he's been left behind.
Fucking ridiculous.
All that fucking rush-rush fucking bullshit, now I've gotta fucking work? Fucking sick of this fucking bullshit.
Well, if it's solo trucking, I'm just gonna go home.
I'm just gonna go back, 'cause that's not what I signed up for.
The whole thing was me and Hugh come out here as a team.
That's what we agreed upon, and now It's this and that, and I'm gonna call Hugh a fucking asshole too when I see him.
I've had enough of this shit.
In Alaska All season, extreme weather patterns have plunged the state into a record-setting deep freeze.
And now the North Slope is gearing up for another blast of Arctic air.
But at temperatures below -50, machinery starts to malfunction, and in these conditions, the oil fields could go into a rare cold weather shutdown.
50 miles north of Fairbanks Now it's time to get the job done.
Jack Jessee's racing up the Dalton before the weather shuts down Prudhoe Bay.
And I got some lumber.
It's pretty darn hot, but it's going way out on the oil field.
If the temperature drops too fast, it gets too cold, there'll be a cold weather shutdown, and then they won't get their lumber.
If Jack can't deliver before the cold weather shutdown, it could be days before this load reaches its final destination.
You got as much to do in a season as we do, you just get the loads moving, moving, moving.
Back at Carlile-- Looking for V1889.
Hot damn, looky there.
Ronald "Porkchop" Mangum is also trying to race out of the yard.
When the trailer's sealed, you can't open it.
It's against federal regulations.
His load, a sealed van trailer, cargo unknown.
Probably got about 42,000 pounds of dead zombies in there.
We had an outbreak the other night, and we've been smoking their asses left and right.
I get the pleasure of hauling it.
Yay! But while Porkchop - rolls out, in the office - Hey, Phil.
You got a minute? Yeah.
What's up? Let's talk about Porkchop quick.
For weeks Porkchop has been doing whatever - it takes to deliver his cargo - What the hell, dude? Back off! Including ditching convoy partner Jack Jessee.
If I sit around and wait on him, I'm not gonna make no money for myself.
And now, the news has reached terminal manager Lane Keator.
I'm still hearing some things I'm a little concerned about, actually, a lot concerned about.
He's out there doing some things and taking some chances that he shouldn't be.
And I've heard some good and some bad with his progress, but you and I talked about my initial concerns after his first ride along with habits and stuff, and it-- it's hard to correct things like that.
Yeah.
But eventually it's gonna catch up to him.
Unfortunately, that's what's gonna happen, is either he's gonna get hurt, or somebody else is gonna get hurt.
Um, I guess what I'd like to do is I'd like to just kind of, uh, you know, get out there with him and then just keep an eye on him from afar today.
You bet.
I can do that.
You know, I hate to think that we have to spy on guys, but that's what we gotta do right now-- just can't lay awake at night wondering if he's gonna make it to Prudhoe Bay and back.
Nor can I.
Okay.
Okay.
Appreciate it.
Yep.
See you later.
Yep, thanks.
Ronald Mangum, AKA, Porkchop, AKA, problem.
Porkchop's had almost a full season to get his issues worked out, and he hasn't been able to get it done.
Lane asked me to go out and see how he's doing.
Run in the general vicinity and listen and look to see if-- if Porkchop's getting it, because frankly we're concerned that he's not getting it.
While Phil chases down Porkchop, - 50 miles up the road - Well, we just left hilltop.
We got these, uh, overhead cranes.
They're 46,000 pounds, both of them and over 85 feet long.
Austin Wheeler's on his biggest heavy haul assignment of the season.
This will be my second, you know, load that's really long.
We had that load of long pipe, but this load is just as long on the stretch trailer.
It's a little heavier too.
With both the length and weight of the load working against him, he's trying to deliver before the cold weather shutdown.
So far, the weather's been great.
It's about 10 below.
The roads are pretty sticky, so I haven't been having any traction issues.
We're getting up on 52 mile.
But here, conditions are looking good.
I don't think I need to throw a set for this.
I know I don't.
So Austin makes the call to skip chaining up and go for it.
Wow, we're spinning out.
Fucking God! Fuck! Coming up Fuck! I'm not gonna make it.
- And later - Never, ever liked being mistreated-- Now it ends.
Let's see what's gonna happen next.
In Alaska Wow, we're spinning out.
Austin Wheeler's fighting to keep his 85-foot load under control.
Fuck! Fuck! That was pretty close.
Trailer almost went over the edge of the road, 'cause we were sliding backwards.
His call to hit the hill without chains backfired.
- Now he's got to chain up anyway - Fuck over this.
And pull the load back on the road before other drivers spot his rookie mistake.
Come on, baby.
Fuck! Not very happy right now.
Slowed down way too much, and, uh, ended up sliding on the road.
pickle" hills is what I call it because of the fact that, you know, if you get stuck in the middle of the road, yeah, maybe northbound traffic, they can see you, but the southbound traffic coming over the hill can't see you until they're already committed to the corner.
So you could get hit and die, or, I mean, get pushed off the side of the bank.
We were blocking both lanes.
It's a dangerous corner to be on.
Only 100 miles into the trip, the steepest stretches of the Dalton are still ahead.
No matter how many times you spin out on that hill, it's always dangerous.
- Back at the Carlile yard - Oh, we'll go see what I've got for a load today.
Darrell Ward's returning to the road after a breakdown threw him off the load count lead.
This is your trip.
You've got a load of long pipe.
Oh, right on.
And you'll hook up to her, and your pilot car should be meeting you over there about 8:30 or so.
Okay, I'll be on my way.
Roger that.
All right, thanks, Mark.
See ya.
My alternator's out on my truck.
My truck went in the shop and got full service, and, uh-- you know, I got a load of long pipe going north, and I'm on the road again.
But his return to the haul road will be his biggest challenge yet.
Today, Darrell's been trusted with long pipe, one of the toughest loads on the Dalton.
Hope this truck doesn't give me any problems today.
And with the cold weather shutdown looming, Darrell's got no time to waste.
Make sure everything's good and roll on.
Darrell, you copy? Yes, sir.
Southbound, dropping off back here.
Copy that.
Pilot driver John Grimes is out ahead Southbound, got long pipe coming up there.
Warning oncoming traffic to steer clear of the 85-foot load.
Northbound, I have a car backing off here.
Thanks, bud.
You betcha.
But just 20 miles out of town What the hell? What the fuck we got going here? Warning lights show the engine is de-rating, which means the truck isn't running at full strength, and Darrell's got less horsepower to get the long pipe up the road.
When an engine de-rates, you'll be pulling hard, it'll fucking de-rate itself right instantly.
It doesn't, like, gradually start doing it.
When it does it, you'll be going along and just boom, you're de-rated.
Darrell's got to decide whether to play it safe and head back to the shop This fucking blows, dude.
Or hope the horsepower he has left is enough to get him to Prudhoe Bay.
Just want to make this run and get back in the load count, whatever it takes, you know? And he makes the call to roll the dice.
Gotta keep the load moving.
In the heart of Canada's rural outback, on the - Dempster highway.
- I'm through the Gorge.
I'm almost to James Creek.
Alex Debogorski is racing to the James Creek DOT Camp on a critical mission for the people of the north.
Every day the road's down is one less day to work, so every day we can keep it open, the better for me, the better for the company.
Heavy snowfall has the road closed at Hurricane Alley, cutting off the only lifeline to Canada's Arctic communities, and Alex is delivering the snow blower the DOT needs to reopen the road.
It's been a bad winter for the transportation industry here because the road has been closed as much as it's been open.
So, the idea is to keep it open as long as possible, and as much of the time as possible, so the freight gets hauled through.
'Cause pretty soon here the road's gonna be closed because the ice bridges are gonna go.
The rivers will start breaking up, and that means the road is finished.
Well, here's James Creek in the distance.
Okay.
What's the chance of finding anybody here? Untie it? You got her.
But Alex's day is just getting started.
Son of a gun, look at that.
Now he's got a heavy duty loader headed for crews in Inuvik.
Figure this one's tight enough.
I'd say that thing is pushing maybe 50,000.
Should be a good load.
It's gonna be fully loaded.
The road's closed until the DOT can get their gear, it's up to Alex to get it done.
Okay.
Boom-boom.
Here we go again.
We got a 57-something-foot shack we're hauling to Winnipeg.
Still hours ahead of Rick, Hugh's doubling down.
She's a little long for my trailer, but I'll put her on there and-- may have to move my fifth wheel ahead so I've got some weight on her.
Weight on my truck, so I don't spin out.
Under pressure to get in as many loads as possible, he's found a backhaul bound for Winnipeg.
It's a 50-foot shack on a-- I think it's a 43-foot step deck, so we got 10 feet overhang, probably.
I got no weight on the back of my truck.
It's all on the ass end.
It's gonna be bouncing down the road, so gonna have to be careful and watch it.
Locked and loaded, Hugh rolls out with his second load of the day.
And there's still no sign of convoy partner Rick Yemm.
Hey, where's your partner? Yeah, where's Rick? Where's Rick? I'm not sure.
He either found a little honey up there, or he found a watering hole, whatever it is.
'Cause he ain't behind me no more.
He's lost in action.
While Hugh heads out with his next haul Rick's just pulling in to offload.
Well, things got a little screwed up today with me and Hugh there.
So Hugh just went ahead.
And he's still fuming about being ditched by the Polar Bear.
And how many more ways can I say that this is fucked up? I don't know how things got messed up.
I'll tell you, I've seen some stuff here, I just shake my fucking head.
We come up here, we do this job.
It's kind of what the whole purpose of traveling together was, but sometimes it doesn't go that way.
I don't run solo.
Never, ever liked being mistreated.
Now it ends.
See what's gonna happen now.
- In Alaska - See, all this lumber's probably the most important part I got here.
Once it gets to Prudhoe, it's still got a long trip to go before it gets delivered.
Jack Jessee's racing north before extreme temperatures shut down Prudhoe Bay.
You may not think lumber could be all that important, but they don't have any lumber mills up there, and there's definitely no Home Depot.
Everything they get comes out of Fairbanks.
The temperature's dropping.
Hopefully we can beat the cold weather shutdown.
Sometimes you never know.
Sometimes a few minutes can make the difference.
If Jack can't make it in time He won't able to deliver this load to the oil fields.
What's going on here? I don't know.
What the hell? Is that chain loose, or-- uh-oh.
I'm about to lose the pickup.
I'm gonna have to stop pretty quick.
This could be a serious problem.
Let's see what we got going on here.
Yup, yup, that one got loose, and that one got loose.
Now I gotta go tighten these.
This was just starting to wor-- get even worse.
These chains get too loose and pickup bounces around a lot, it can snap the chain.
All the jarring and jerking, it'll snap it.
Man, this -- this load is just driving me nuts.
The load's re-secured, but every second counts in the race against mother nature.
So we're gonna hammer down to Prudhoe.
'Cause it's getting cold up there, and I've got to get this load up there.
While Jack tries to make up for lost time So far she's looking good.
Roads seem to be in pretty good condition.
Porkchop's also heading north, with a 50,000- pound van trailer, unaware that just behind him Caught up to Porkchop there.
Trainer Phil Kromm is watching every move.
I feel like a double agent, running covert operations, just kind of shadowing along behind.
I don't know what his problem is.
It's looking to me like he's rolling off the hills too fast.
He just seems to be foot flat on the floor.
That's not a good sign.
I think he may be actually cracking under the pressure.
He's struggled a bit out here, and we're concerned.
But as both trucks round the next bend Are you back there, Phil? Porkchop sees his shadow.
Everybody's always getting "Porkchopped," it's Porkchop's turn to get "Philled.
" So, I'm gonna find me a little pull-off up here and I'm gonna hide, and I'm gonna have a little bit of fun.
His plan, step on the gas, find a place to hide, and let Phil go by.
He just keeps pulling away.
I can't seem to keep up.
But Porkchop's got no idea the guy he's messing with holds his fate in his hands.
Well, I hope I gain a little bit of respect out of Phil for it, we'll see.
That's all we can do.
Well, I-I kind of suspect Porkchop knows I'm back here.
I'm gonna hide and wait for him to pass, and then I'm gonna pull out right behind him.
And I'm gonna be sneaky.
Hee hee hee hee hee.
But the Dalton veteran stays a step ahead.
What are you doing? Figured I'd break up the monotony and have a little bit of fun with you out here.
You better go back to school, mister.
Oh, you think so, huh? It's a old trick.
You want to earn credit, then show me you're learning something out here.
I want to see real progress, mister.
And the stunt hasn't helped Porkchop's reputation with his former trainer.
Just making light of-- of what we're doing out here, and it's really getting under my skin.
I told him in the beginning that this is a serious job.
Th-there's so much horseplay, and I'm gonna talk to Lane about it.
While Porkchop screws around We're almost to the Beaver Slide.
Austin Wheeler's trying to prove he can handle his load of oversized crane arms.
Got a real tail-heavy load.
Had a little trouble getting up some of the hills, and I'm still having trouble with this load that I wouldn't have on other loads, because those beams for that crane are so long that it's covering mostly the whole area of the trailer.
The combined length and weight of the load is giving Austin trouble on the icy Dalton inclines.
The roads have been pretty slick today.
It's a little windy out.
It's been drifting a little bit.
Hopefully we make it to Coldfoot in, you know, a couple more hours or so.
But once again, Austin takes on a hill without stopping to chain up.
The road is super slick today.
I don't even know if I'll make it up this time, but I'm gonna try it.
Really? Oh, fuck.
We're sliding.
We're sliding down the hill.
We're backing back down the hill.
This is what sucks about a tail-heavy load.
It's just part of the job.
It's not like I fucked up or missed a gear or nothing, it's just-- you spin out.
Yeah, I-I could see it's your fault if you spun out with a, you know, good load, but something like this, where it's spread out across the whole trailer-- that's all right.
We'll put chains on, and we're gonna fucking wear them all the way to Koyukuk.
I ain't keep putting 'em on and taking 'em off again.
And again, he's forced to chain up in the middle of the road while drivers at the top of the hill have to wait.
Hey, Austin? Don't be playing with yourself now.
All right.
Wheels, would you quit screwing around? Holy fuck.
Any time, missy.
That hill's slicker than shit, you guys.
That ain't burning out, that's missing a gear.
Well, fuck you, I burned out.
I didn't miss no gear.
What the hell did you burn out on? Somebody throw a fucking banana peel out the window there? Yeah, if you want to call it that.
Tail-heavy, buddy.
There's ice, those black marks there? Yeah.
I didn't miss no gear.
Whatever, rookie.
I didn't miss a gear.
- Coming up - How's it going down there? I've got some huge concerns still for Porkchop.
Judgment day for Porkchop.
I think the risk of having him out here is too high.
In Canada Road crews are starting to clear the massive snow buildup that shut down the Dempster Started out hauling a 30,000- pound blower to James Creek, which I I delivered without any hitches.
Ended up blessed with a backhaul.
And Alex Debogorski is rushing a loader to Inuvik, to help with the cleanup effort.
A 60,000-pound loader, to bring back to Inuvik.
I've never hauled this machine before.
Pull's good.
The 60,000-pound loader is twice as heavy as the blower he hauled this morning.
I'm just coming on the peel river crossing.
And will put twice as much pressure on the river ice.
Jesus, I trust in you.
Help us through this day.
Come across here earlier with almost twice that weight.
Can hear the ice cracking here.
If the ice fails under the weight of the loader, the open door gives Alex his best chance to leap to safety.
Jesus, I trust in you.
Almost there.
Well, I made it across with this heavy load.
Back on solid ground, Alex rolls into Inuvik.
Whistle right by and drop off my load, then I'll be done.
With crews hard at work trying to open the road, all Alex can do now is wait.
- Back in Alaska, at the Prudhoe Bay yard - Whoo, doggie! What a beautiful day in paradise! Porkchop's brushed off his run-in with Phil.
Had a pretty good run up here to Prudhoe.
A little on the chilly side, but hey, that's what makes it fun, right? Everything's here, everybody's safe.
Let's get this landing gear down now, by God.
I really hope I'm turnin' and burnin'.
By God, we just have to see what happens.
While Porkchop's feeling good about delivering another load Lane, what's happening? It's Phil.
Hey, how's it going? Phil Kromm's got a different take on the trip.
- Yep, we're in Prudhoe, and-- - How's it going down there? Oh, I've got some huge concerns still.
Today, there was a couple of places where I couldn't even keep up with him.
Yeah? There-- there shouldn't have been any problem for an experienced driver to keep up with him, and I couldn't keep up with him.
Okay.
You know, he hasn't crashed, but the risk of an accident is still too high in my book.
It's just-- I don't think it's a good combination, you know? We're trying to wrap things up, we're trying to get it done, and I think the risk of-- of having him out here is too high.
I'm just bringing you an honest assessment, you know, and it's-- it's up to you, but you know how I feel.
Thanks.
This road isn't for everybody.
Um, it's definitely not for Porkchop.
He's definitely out of his league here.
It's definitely a lack of ability.
- 285 miles to the South - How you doing back there, Darrell? Getting about half the throttle, you know? Darrell Ward's questioning his call to keep driving with his truck at less than full power.
Pulling these hills awful slow, you're getting way ahead of me.
Getting worse, huh? Yeah, seems to be.
After ten hours, he's barely halfway up the road.
I'm doing this road, I'm plum the fuck out of power.
I don't know why, either.
Fuck.
And now he's hit Gobbler's Knob, the steepest grade on the first 200 miles of the road.
Hope I can get up over the top.
There's fresh burnout works on the highway.
I'm gonna end up wiping my feet.
Here we go again, fucking dropping another gear.
Darrell tries to make the climb but the truck keeps losing power.
I mean, it's like there's nothing there.
Just totally fucking nothing, man.
Totally-- hardly anything now.
All right, here we go.
Dropping gears.
Fuck! I'm not gonna make it.
In Alaska Darrell Ward's truck is dying halfway up Gobbler's Knob.
Here we go again.
Fucking dropping another gear.
The engine is struggling to pull his load of long pipe up the 12% incline.
Everything's just running plumb fucking out of power.
Just totally fucking nothing, man.
Totally-- hardly anything there.
Fuck! I'm not gonna make it.
Don't tell me I'm gonna have to pull you with this F250 here.
If this keeps up you might.
Get up here in these hills, I don't know, it might not be a bad idea if we got something where I can hook on to you and just, you know, if I know it'd help me get over the hills, for sure.
Yeah, 10-4.
Let's jump out, get me hooked up, and, uh, see if we can get me to the top of the Knob and we can get in the big pull-out at the top of the Knob and I can change my fuel filter, and hopefully that takes care of my problem.
In the middle of the hill, there's no room to safely work on the engine, so Darrell's got a choice.
Risk his truck shutting down and blocking the road, or find a way to make it to the top.
You gonna be doing about 40? You just pull as hard as you can.
Man, four-wheel drive, we're ready.
His plan is to hook up to the pickup and give the weakened engine a boost.
I'm at 20.
We're okay.
I am amazed.
I can't believe this is working this well, man.
I was hardly getting up those other hills.
I'm walking right up this hill, you know? I think you're gonna get me to the top.
Yeah! I did it! I did it, man.
Safely in a pull-out at the top of the hill, Darrell's looking for any way to get his truck back on the road.
Well, she's got a fuel problem, all right.
Let me see if I can drain the water out of the filter.
Then hopefully it'll run better.
I hope that's all it is.
Doesn't take very much water in these filters to plug 'em up.
If it ain't one thing, it's another.
This fucking truck, all it's been doing is giving me problems.
Pumping water from the fuel line should help the de-rating engine.
It's not a permanent fix, but it might be enough to get him back underway.
I think I got it.
Sounds a lot better, man.
It's hitting on all cylinders again.
I'll go ahead and go.
Well, she seems to be running all right now.
Got my fuel filters drained out.
Let's hope I got her taken care of.
- 180 miles to the north - We got this lumber on here, and it's pretty important.
I've got a time schedule, I have to meet on, man.
Jack Jessee's trying to reach Prudhoe Bay before the temperature hits 50 below.
I'm worried about a cold weather shutdown going on up there.
Hopefully I can get there before the weather gets, sets in and gets really cold.
But I can only drive so fast.
I can only do so much.
Gotta keep our fingers crossed on this one.
This is mother nature's deal.
It's out of my control.
You know, it's a pretty rush load here.
I'm starting to feel the pressure of getting it up.
But as lights break through the darkness We're just coming into Prudhoe.
About 50 below here.
Place is a ghost town right now.
It's not looking good.
I'm sure they're in shutdown.
Hell, I'd be in shutdown.
Well, I'm kind of feeling a little letdown.
Well, there was nothing really I could have done about it.
The weather is the weather.
Nobody can control it.
Just deal with what you've got.
I would have liked to have got in there before they shut down.
Man, this looks like an apocalypse out here.
There ain't nothing gonna happen.
It means this load won't reach its final destination until the shutdown is lifted.
Basically, we'll get into the yard tonight, unhook my trailer, and when it warms up and they can do something with it, that's what they'll do.
And there'll be no backhaul for the haul road ace.
There's really nothing I can do now.
It's too cold to do anything outside.
I'm just gonna go to bed.
Despite the shutdown Jack holds on the top spot in the load count, while Alex turns and burns into a tie for second place.
- In Manitoba - She's a little longer.
About 12 feet longer than what she should be.
Hugh's rolling solo with an oversized shack bound for Winnipeg.
No snow lights, no trailer brakes.
Minor-- On the rapidly melting winter roads, he's running out of time to move cargo and cash in on his percentage of Polar's profits.
Getting water showing up.
That's not a good sign.
Fucking water in the middle of the night, running across the road.
It's been a long day, but we're makin' her.
There's another load under my belt.
Well, we'll get to sleep in April, that's what I always say every year.
Hugh's early morning start scored him the rare winter roads backhaul But it left Rick Yemm alone and behind.
Like, I'm a fucking hothead.
Yeah, I'm a fucking hothead.
But I'm a hothead for a reason.
What? And I was sitting there fucking stewing on it, and I thought, "you know what? I don't give a fuck.
" I said I just don't like the shit that's going on.
And I-- and I'll fucking tell Hugh, "you're the one who fucking went right along with taking off.
" Like, this isn't the first time.
I sat at that fucking bloodvein turnoff for him for five fucking hours waiting for him last year.
'Cause we travel together.
I'm the nice guy out of this.
He doesn't give a fuck.
Make sure Hughy's happy, but fuck Rick.
Why? He's the Polar Bear.
He's everybody's fucking hero.
I just hate it, 'cause I bent over backwards, and I get the short end of the fucking stick.
Tired of getting pushed around.
Just treat me with some fucking respect.
Fuck the Polar Bear! Next time, on Ice Road Truckers All right, I'm ready to roll.
I'll be surprised if I don't win the load count.
The battle for the load count lead leaves a path of destruction.
Oh, fuck! Maybe they need to come down to the lower 48, learn how to drive a real truck.
- Some will dig deep - I need to get loads, man.
It's all about loads right now.
Some will give in Man, did I fucked up here? That's ten years I've been doing this, that's the first time I've lost anything off my load.
And others are just lucky to be alive.
My dangerous goods are shaking all over.