Ice Road Truckers (2007) s07e05 Episode Script
World War Hugh
Tonight on Ice Road Truckers Million-dollar load and - a dangerous road.
- Polar Industries - goes for the gold.
- This hydro project is - multi-billions of dollars.
- At VP Express You get them loads in there and you make a piss pot full of money.
The boss goes for broke.
We got no trailer brakes.
And two rivals collide on the ice.
Team Polar was already parked here, but, you know, I really - don't give a shit.
- I'm shaking pretty good, actually.
Whoa.
In Winnipeg, at VP Express headquarters I'll let you know once they're delivered.
Owners Vlad "The Mad Russian" Pleskot and Hugh Rowland are working on a half-million-dollar contract, but they're having trouble keeping up with demand.
- Thank you.
- What'd he say? Those first couple of loads, they were pretty happy, so now they are swamping us with more and more loads, so we got a lot of loads to pick up and go.
Now we just need some guys to do it.
They've got ice road rookie Todd Dewey showing promise after one trip.
- There's nothing I can do.
- But newcomer Art Burke's struggling, and his broken-down rig has the company falling behind.
We'll get 'em up there.
You cannot do everything by yourself.
With his back against the wall, Hugh's making the himself.
We've got fridges and stoves going to Wasagamack.
Got the fragile load.
They don't want anything to get broke when it gets there.
Okay, well, let's rock and roll.
Despite the odds against him, Hugh's doing whatever it takes to get his company back on track And take rival Polar Industries - down.
- I took a big leap of faith here, but VP Express is gonna work.
I'm going to bury Mark, and that's what's going to happen.
I'm gonna bury Polar Industries this year.
Fuck.
How's it going, Mark? Coffee time's over.
Polar boss Mark Kohaykewych doesn't scare - easy - How are things this morning? - Not bad.
- Good.
- Thanks for coming in early.
- Especially with Darrell Ward and Alex Debogorski onboard.
Today we're going to load you guys up the modular water treatment plant that's going up to the hydro dam site.
I've got one of the most important loads in Manitoba on my doorstep, handed to me, saying, "You know what, Mark? We have faith in the fact that you guys can pull this off.
" Polar's landed an exclusive deal, hauling a portable water treatment plant to a construction site near Gillam, Manitoba.
And the destination is so remote, the only way to get there is unmaintained road.
This is the lifeblood of the camp.
This is gonna supply water to years, so it's crucial that this thing get there in one piece and without a scratch.
The entire unit itself is ballparked around $7 million.
There's seven containers, so you do the math.
Look after it.
Respect that road.
It's got some pretty nasty corners in it.
There's been some fatalities.
They've had six wrecks there, and three bodies have come out.
This load's another notch on the load count here.
In terms of what's going on over at VP Express, I don't know.
There's been eight trucks sitting there since last - Thursday, Friday, so-- - I haven't seen anything on the road of VP's.
Only one truck that I had to rescue.
Well, good on you for helping.
Don't leave a guy out in the bush, that's for sure.
It's not his fault he's working for VP.
That's what I told him.
The future of VP Express is looking like the winter road season is right now-- slowly melting away.
Just going to check out my truck.
- I see that the fuel tank has rotated.
- The rugged road shook Alex's fuel tank loose, making it impossible for him to - fuel up.
- Well, what are we gonna do about that? What time does Joe come in? Around 7:00, 7:30.
What time is it now? - Why? - Well, I got one tank that's - rotated.
- Until the truck's repaired, Alex's critical haul is sidelined.
Yeah, I'm getting ready to leave.
I'm not waiting on anybody.
Alex and I are supposed to be running together, but Alex is still working on his truck.
- I need to get on the road.
- With the construction site waiting out to make good on his load, hoping Alex can catch up.
Yeah, there's no time to wait around for this shit.
These trucks should be ready to go all the time.
Whenever they hit the shop, they should be well-serviced and anything fixed right away, immediately.
- Back at the shop - Yeah, it's kind of frustrating waiting for repairs that should have been done over - the last two days.
- Alex is - still sitting.
- I guess this time of year, things are a little scrambled here.
I guess-- I expect things are kind of scrambled down the road at VP, too, with Hugh and-- Hugh and Vlad.
You can just imagine what kind of operation that is, but-- - Hey, Todd! - Hey, buddy.
- How's it going, man? - Good, good.
Todd Dewey's looking to make his second run - for VP Express.
- Headed back from the first one? - You bet.
Looking for a load today, ready to hit the road and get the - hell out of here.
- Well, something a little bit different this time.
They've gone up to Wasagamack, but they're already long gone.
Got you some maps printed up here, you got directions, so, yeah, so there's that.
I came in to get dispatched my second load.
Hugh, I don't know what's going on, but that fucking son of a bitch left me fucking behind and took off without me.
He's only got one trip under his belt.
And he's already on his own.
He knows I'm just-- I-- fuck, it's only my second run up here, you know, but at the same time, I'm thinking maybe this is one of his freaking little tests again that he's pulling.
So I'm thinking, "Todd, you've gotta get this job done.
You've gotta catch up to Hugh.
" Todd's out to impress Hugh by catching up to him on the road to Wasagamack, but already hours behind The newcomer will have to drive even faster and harder than the boss.
So this is a solo run for me.
I'm on my own 100% there.
A guy's got to be pretty self-sufficient up here.
You know, you got to be able-- you got to have the know-how, and, you know, it's kind of nerve-wracking.
If something happens, you are by yourself.
There ain't nobody here to help you.
Mom's not gonna cook you a hot meal.
Just rollin' with the punches, payin' attention to my map, get on the ice road, and start doing some real trucking.
Up ahead and already on the winter road I'm going all the way to Wasagamack tonight, you betcha.
Hugh's desperate to get VP Express back on track, I just want to get there.
I got a delicate load that they want to get up there and get dollied off, and I just want to make some fucking quick cash.
We've been taking four-day trips in here and babysitting everybody, so I'm going to cut her in half and do her in two.
He's racing to make this delivery in record time to - keep pace with Polar Industries.
- Sleep when you gotta sleep and fucking truck when you gotta truck, get them loads in there, and make a piss pot full of money.
Simple as that.
She's all about the dollar, - the long buck, the slow ride.
- Behind schedule on his half-million-dollar contract, Hugh's pulling out - all the stops.
- You gotta be joking.
Fucking brakes! Hold on, we got no trailer brakes.
Hugh's trailer brakes aren't responding, turing his load into 32,000-pound battering ram.
Gonna get rough in here.
This is fucked up.
- Coming up - Come on! Vp Express drives to survive God, I'm sick of the freaking bumps! And Polar Industries braves uncharted territory.
Oh, yeah, it's gonna be a rough one.
Easy, baby.
Oy, oy, oy, oy, oy.
On a mission to get VP Express back in the race Oh, for hold on.
We got no trailer brakes.
Hugh Rowland's trailer brakes are out.
Leaving him no way to maneuver the load.
- It's all over the place.
- On the straightaways, he can hammer down to keep it in line, but he's still gotta find a way to get the 53-foot trailer around the turns.
Easy, now.
Uh-oh.
Fuck.
Watch out! Come on! Hell, yeah! That's what you call drifting a 53-foot trailer around - a corner.
- While Hugh tries to keep his load and his company under control rival Lisa Kelly's upping the ante.
- Hey! - She delivered another load for Polar last night, and now she's scored a backhaul.
Okay.
I'm hauling this school bus back to Winnipeg.
I'm not entirely sure why.
Maybe it broke down and needs to be fixed or something.
Yeah, those are tight.
I've got stories I could tell about being on school buses.
The school buses do bring back memories because I used to drive one.
And I didn't drive a school bus because I wanted to.
I drove a school bus to get my CDL so I could drive a truck.
Okay, so my lights are working.
That's a good first sign.
And now I'm the truck driver hauling the school bus that I used to drive, so I guess it's kind of a nice, tidy package.
The school bus is a bonus for Polar and a blast from the past for the Alaskan icon.
I started driving a school bus when I was 21 years old, and I looked a lot younger, so what I'd do is I'd go in the back of the bus and just talk with my kids, the high school kids, and then you'd get the new kid come on the bus, you know, and they don't know what's going on, and they're like, "Where's the bus driver?" And we'd be like, "I don't know," and, like, all of us would start leaving, and they're like, "Where's the bus driver?" And I'm like, "I don't know.
I'm going to drive it.
" And I'd go up in the seat, and they're like, "Oh, my gosh!" And, like, my kids are just laughing.
It was so funny.
And you know how it was when you're a kid, and you're on the bus, and you're-- you think the bus driver's not looking in that big mirror, you know, and you're trying to switch seats, but you're not supposed to.
If one of the kids would get out of the seat, I'd try to hit the brakes right then and, like, knock 'em down the aisles, and then I'd be like, "Sorry, cat ran out in front of me.
Maybe you shouldn't have moved your seat.
" It was, like, kid-bowling down the aisle of the school bus.
And then I got called in at the school bus company, and they were like, "Using your brakes as disciplinary action is not acceptable.
" Like, "But that's all I've got!" Bus drivers are so underpaid.
They have to baby-sit 40 kids and drive professionally.
Yeah, yeah.
I don't even-- I don't even know how I did it.
I was so bad at it.
I don't even like kids.
While Lisa's riding high, back in Winnipeg, Art Burke is watching from the sidelines.
It's not a good situation at all.
The VP Express outcast's winter road season is - on hold.
- I just got back from Wasagamack last night.
Flew me in.
Truck is broke down again.
I waited there for hours.
Finally, Vlad showed up.
We drove up to the truck.
Took us five hours or whatever it was.
I don't think we spoke three words all the way up there.
I did everything that I could possibly do, and I can't get her going.
You must be fucking kidding me, man! Did you pull the pin? Yes, of course I pulled the pin! And he did everything he could possibly do, and he can't get - her going.
- We all set? - No.
- Finally, we threw the towel in on it.
And from there, I flew back to here.
And I'm not really very happy about this.
I didn't come down here for this shit.
Fucking truck.
Fucking everything.
I'm not making any money.
I would much rather be home.
I've been crawling in and out underneath the truck and broke down and trying to get things together now, since I came to this fucking hole, putting it bluntly.
This is my wonderful experience with VP.
I'm sorry I went there.
Maybe I should have went to Polar, I'm thinking to myself.
I don't know.
- 500 miles north - Well, I'm coming out of Oxford House to the end of the winter road, and I got this - school bus.
- Lisa Kelly's keeping the pressure on VP Express with a backhaul bound - for Winnipeg.
- It's been 40 and 50 below, and there's been a couple bridges on this road, because there's open water, and I don't understand how there is open water at 40 and 50 below 0.
This river crossing, it's like, this is, like, right down the street from the open water, and I don't get how we can cross this, but we had to have bridges - for that one.
- Up ahead, there's an ice crossing at the entrance to the winter road.
Drivers have to be alert for oncoming traffic.
I don't know.
Sketch.
But on the other side of the crossing rival Todd Dewey is racing to catch up with Hugh.
We're making an ice crossing here.
This is my second run.
It's a solo run, so-- and I got a pretty good sized loader on the back.
The weight limit's right up there close to the maximum for - the ice.
- And the newcomer isn't slowing down for the ice.
Fuck, you can hear that fuckin' ice just fuckin' cracking underneath here too.
God, I hate that fucking sound.
Who's on the ice right now? Is this our team? Before Lisa's had a chance to cross, she's beaten to - the punch by the competition.
- I don't like the idea of him - being on the ice.
- If anything is sounding funny or anything gonna happen, I'm out of here.
I'm out of this frickin' truck.
Near the weight limit, Todd is pushing the ice - as far as it can go.
- It creates a huge shock wave underneath there, and if that wave starts rolling out in front of you, it could crack the ice in front of you and break it up, and, you know, through you go.
You're done.
- It's game over.
- Big rigs create a wave under the ice that can last long after the truck passes.
If another driver attempts to cross before the water settles, the resulting waves could be fatal.
Why don't you come all the way off there, ding-dong? I see you, I see you, I see you.
Yeah, it looks like, you know, Team Polar was already parked here, and I kind of just did my thing there, and I didn't wait for them.
I just went.
And they might have been ready to cross the ice, but I really, you know, I really don't give a shit.
I got a load to deliver, and I got somewhere to be, and if they want to sit there and, you know, waste their time, then I'm gonna - go in front of them.
- To keep her load moving, Lisa's gotta face the weakened ice.
I don't want to go on it.
Fuck.
At the edge of - an ice crossing - I don't want to go on it.
Lisa Kelly's stuck on the wrong side of the ice.
Fuck.
VP Express rival Todd Dewey beat her to the crossing, weakening the ice with shock waves from his 35-ton load.
I'm not happy.
Oh.
I'm shaking pretty good, actually.
I can't see anything.
Whoa.
I gotta go ten across this thing.
Is this the river? I'm not driving on the cracks.
Okay, am I off it yet? I crossed the river.
That was, like, terrifying.
Glad to be on solid ground again.
Shot of adrenaline there.
It got me kind of shaking a little bit.
I won't fall asleep anytime soon, but it's highway from here on to Winnipeg, so I'm gonna go as far as my adrenaline shot lets me go.
The next morning, at Polar headquarters - Your truck's good to go.
- Alex Debogorski's - rig is repaired - Let's take it out of here.
And he can finally hit the road with the most expensive load Polar's hauled all season a million-dollar piece of a water treatment plant.
Okay, I just got to make sure my loads get there in one piece.
But he's got a day to make up to bring in the load on time.
Well, it's real nice to be on the road again.
The load doesn't feel too bad.
It's pulling pretty good.
Holy mackerel! Look at this little-- Now, there's an oversized load.
That's what you call an - oversized load of a problem.
- Not even at the winter road, Alex gets a reminder of the danger that - comes with tempting fate.
- This is what it looked like before.
Somebody's having a bad day.
Looks like they're building a bridge somewhere or Makes my problems look pretty small.
Like they say, when you-- when a person has a problem, there's always somebody having a bigger problem someplace.
It might be a good time to have a prayer.
Lord, have mercy on them guys in the upside-down truck and trailer.
Look after them.
Hopefully, nobody got hurt.
Thank you, Lord, for my problems being so insignificant.
Please look after my family and friends.
Keep them safe.
Give us all direction and guidance.
Help other people have a better day, especially those that are having a bad day.
In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen.
- 500 miles up the road - Making good time.
Alex had problems with his truck, so I'm out here running alone.
Darrell Ward's headed to the construction site with the other million-dollar module.
Hopefully, Alex will catch up with me.
He's gonna have to run all night if he's gonna do it.
It'll be another load for Team Polar and get Darrell one step closer to spending the summer with his reunited family.
You let things slip through your fingers, and now I'm don't have enough time left to-- to fulfill all the things that I want to.
My life has come full circle, from what my granddad taught me.
You know, my granddad taught me how to drive a truck.
I was sitting in the passenger seat.
"This is how you do it.
These are your brakes.
Release your brakes.
This is your transmission," you know? "Here you go.
Get her done.
Go drive around the fields, catch these combines," you know? Boy, I tell you what, if I screwed up and stopped when I shouldn't have and that combine spilt any grain on the ground, it was a boot in the ass, you know? Yeah, I saw my granddad just a couple months before he passed away.
That's all that he remembered, was the days that we harvested grain, you know? The man lived for it.
It was his livelihood.
Doesn't matter how much Alzheimer's or anything like that that he had.
Made him happy as could be to be able to sit there and tell you stories about it.
That's all you have here.
All the material shit and all the work you do and-- don't matter how much money you make and how many yachts you have and all of this shit you know? I hope you're making memories with that stuff because you come into this world with nothing, and the only thing you leave with is your memories.
- Coming up - Hang on.
- Oh, ho ho.
- The winter road takes no prisoners.
What the fuck? I'm in some big trouble.
In the Canadian wilderness The more loads I haul to Wasagamack, the more money I'm making.
That's a good deal for us.
Hugh Rowland's blazing down the road with no trailer brakes, trying to make good on VP Express's half-million-dollar contract.
Soon as they want the load, they get it.
That's what's happening.
Get 'em up and get 'em back.
'Cause VP Express is gonna fucking squash Polar in the load count this year.
That's our plan-- run Polar right out of dodge.
Yep.
Let's fucking put this fucker out of business.
He's determined to take down the competition, but recent snowfall turned this section of the road into - an icy minefield.
- This is pretty rough today, but we got ten hours yet.
I believe that the snow settled on this Fucking icy.
I can hardly steer.
Hang on.
She's a rough bitch.
Fuck me! Whoa.
Whoa! Woo-hoo! - Hell, yeah! - While Hugh hammers down 60 miles behind I'm on the home stretch now.
I'm feeling pretty good about being on the home stretch, you know.
It's about a six-, seven-hour drive I'm looking at, as long as everything goes smoothly, so I'm feeling pretty confident, and I think it's going to go okay here the rest of the way in.
Ice road rookie Todd Dewey's trying to catch up - with the boss.
- This trip I've been on the last few days here, I've pushed myself super hard, you know.
When you get as tired as I am, and been pushed as many hours as I've been pushing-- Are you kidding me? Better not be a frickin' air leak.
When your air valves start hissing like that, it usually means you have an air leak somewhere.
What the fuck? Stop.
My heater.
No heat coming out the heater.
I'm driving down the road here, and it sounds like either my heater motor's ready to blow up, or something's burning.
I can smell hot wires or hot plastic.
There's something burning.
So we might have just lost the heater.
That's kind of a big-- big deal.
With no heater in the truck, every window-- your front windows, defrosters, your side windows-- everything freezes up.
I mean frost, not just cold.
Frost will build up totally, and you have absolutely no visibility whatsoever.
A guy almost starts feeling like these winter roads are out to get you.
Every time you just blink your eyes for a second, the ice road just-- it just fucking throws something at you.
Ugh, fucking freezing.
Look.
I might have to take these things off too.
They're so dark right now.
My-- my windows are completely frosting over.
I can't see.
I might be in some big trouble.
Fuck.
Alone for the first time on the winter road, Todd's - gotta find a solution.
- I borrowed my wife's hair dryer, and I brought it for when my shoes got real wet or my boots got wet.
You know, I was able to stop and plug in and dry my boots.
But I had kind of a crazy thought.
With my windows freezing up and my heater out, I'm going to try to plug in the hair dryer and see if it'll run.
My power inverter will run the hair dryer long enough to thaw out my windows when they're freezing up on me, so I'm willing at this point to try just about anything.
You see it defrosting? You know, it's just an idea, and it looks like it's gonna work.
My window thawed out, I can see, and I might be able to let this thing run.
If I keep this heat blowing right on my window here, it might be just enough.
I'm going to let her crank and let her sit right here.
I wish I would have thought of it earlier.
I forgot I had that stupid hair dryer in my pack sack with all my extra warm clothes and all my crap.
You know, it doesn't hurt to have a little bit of common sense.
It might actually work.
"Danger.
Unmaintained road.
" This is the road I've been - looking for.
- Darrell Ward's in the final stretch to his million-dollar load's - destination.
- "Travel at your own risk.
Beware of potholes, soft shoulders, washboards, and drop-offs.
" Perfect.
He's trying to score big for Polar, but the last 50 miles of the journey are the most treacherous.
My load seems to be riding all right, my straps are staying tight, so keep your fingers crossed there.
Million-dollar load and a dangerous road.
Doesn't get any better than that.
Ow.
Too bad I wasn't hauling dynamite.
Yeah, it's gonna be a rough one.
"Unmaintained," no shit.
On an unmaintained road in northern Manitoba "Unmaintained," no shit.
They don't even plow this one.
Darrell Ward's hauling a million-dollar load - for Polar Industries - You can't even tell where the shoulder is.
Getting too close to these edges and that shoulder will suck you right off in it and lay you over on your side.
You know, then you're out here where you can freeze to death if nobody comes along.
Keep her in the middle.
Right down the middle.
Ah, I see a crane parked over there.
That must be my offload.
This must be my location.
Got my load here on time.
Million-dollar load down a dangerous road.
I'm the man for the job.
Darrell's delivery keeps Polar in the lead, but the contract isn't complete unless Alex gets his load to the construction site.
Get this shit done and get out of here.
Alex, you out there? Maybe he had to stop by the church.
I don't know.
- 700 miles south - Back in Winnipeg, back to - reality.
- Lisa Kelly is also bringing in her backhaul.
I don't want to hang out in Winnipeg too log.
I want to, like, get my laundry done, get a good, nice meal, fix a few things, then head out again.
Okay.
So how'd it go? - So much fun.
- Good.
Get some rest.
- We got some more loads for you.
- Yeah? Yep.
Okay, cool.
Polar's racking up the loads, and Mark's got no intention of letting up on the competition.
We just keep trucking.
I mean, we just keep moving freight.
Polar Industries keeps getting bigger and better and bigger and better.
I'd be very surprised if VP's still down the road next season.
I'd be very surprised to see if they're there in a couple months from now.
- Back up north - Well, I'm Boy, does it look quitting time.
Hopefully, the boys don't leave by the time we get there.
Alex Debogorski's trying to deliver his million-dollar module before the facility shuts down for the night.
We're almost there.
We've almost made it.
He's closing in, but still has to drive the last 50 miles of unmaintained road.
Easy, baby.
Oh, oh, here we go.
This washboard's where you dig potholes and attach them to each other.
It's like all this is a solid row of potholes right down your lane.
There's one hole, and that's another hole, all in a row.
Oy, oy, oy, oy, oy.
There's a broken spring right there.
Well, I see a camp.
Some equipment.
- Hey! - How are you, sir? - How are you? - Well, we've had an interesting day, but we're glad to be here.
- Yeah? - Despite leaving - a day late - That's where we're getting unloaded.
- Okay, good.
The 40-year veteran delivers for Polar.
It was a good day.
I got the load delivered, even though we almost missed the cutoff time because they quit at 5:30 and we got here at about They set it on the ground, blocked it up.
They're gone for supper.
God bless you guys.
Happy, happy.
Quack, quack.
Team Polar's brought in their latest round of loads Oh, yeah.
- But rival Hugh Rowland's not giving up the fight.
- Hang on.
That's a rough fucking stretch of road there.
Yeah, we're just coming into Wasagamack now.
Fuck, it's been a long, hard go at her.
We made some good time, but that last fucking 60 clicks fucking knock your teeth right out of your fucking head, she's so fucking damn rough.
But we're here.
That's the main thing.
We'll get this one delivered, grab another one, and head out.
Get the fuck out of dodge the first thing in the morning.
I don't know if Todd's still coming or if he stayed in Norway House.
Who knows if he got out of there? Want her in here? We got up here in record fucking time.
I guess we'll just drop her, lock her, and call her a day.
After taking matters into his own hands, the boss scores another load for VP Express.
One down! One down! Yes! But just 50 miles back down the road - Damn it! - Todd's not far behind.
First half of the trip went awesome.
Second half is just going to shit.
- Just flat going to shit.
- He's giving his hair dryer a chance to cool down, but the windows are cooling down faster.
I shouldn't be driving this fast on the ice road.
It's pretty dangerous, but my windows are just about frozen up.
Fucking kicks up onto the windows.
It's just enough from before to-- just barely melts, and then frickin' just freezes up, so I'll go ahead and try to push through and get there and shut this truck down for the night.
Ah, I'm sick of the frickin' bumps! This does not look good.
Doesn't-- hold on, buddy.
Ah, we're getting close, though.
We're getting close.
Oh, shit.
Better slow down for these ones.
Gosh, I almost feel like I've been kicked in the nuts for the last four hours.
But the prize is that we caught up to Hugh.
That's the prize.
I just pulled into Wasagamack here.
After nearly two days of hard driving, Todd catches up to the boss and brings in a load for VP Express.
I came in here.
I was looking for Hugh.
And when Hugh wakes up in the morning, he'll find Todd's truck just a few yards away.
You know, I had a big goal to catch up with Hugh, and I'm here.
That's a pretty good pat on my back.
Get a few hours rest here and get unloaded first thing in the morning and roll out of here.
This is, uh, this is a big night for me, you know? I've come a long ways away from home.
I don't have my wife to hug and kiss or my kids to hold onto, so this is a big deal to me.
You know, I miss my family horribly, more than-- more than words can even explain.
But I got a job to do, and it's gotta happen.
- Here comes the circus.
- Next time - Agh! On an explosive Ice Road Truckers I have a disgruntled employee who is a security * at my building.
Hugh takes the fight to the street.
Oh, fuck.
He's got the cops behind him.
Oh, this is gonna hurt a little.
And * gets rough for Polar.
Holy shit.
As their season goes up in flames.
Holy mackerel.
Get out of the truck.
Oh!
- Polar Industries - goes for the gold.
- This hydro project is - multi-billions of dollars.
- At VP Express You get them loads in there and you make a piss pot full of money.
The boss goes for broke.
We got no trailer brakes.
And two rivals collide on the ice.
Team Polar was already parked here, but, you know, I really - don't give a shit.
- I'm shaking pretty good, actually.
Whoa.
In Winnipeg, at VP Express headquarters I'll let you know once they're delivered.
Owners Vlad "The Mad Russian" Pleskot and Hugh Rowland are working on a half-million-dollar contract, but they're having trouble keeping up with demand.
- Thank you.
- What'd he say? Those first couple of loads, they were pretty happy, so now they are swamping us with more and more loads, so we got a lot of loads to pick up and go.
Now we just need some guys to do it.
They've got ice road rookie Todd Dewey showing promise after one trip.
- There's nothing I can do.
- But newcomer Art Burke's struggling, and his broken-down rig has the company falling behind.
We'll get 'em up there.
You cannot do everything by yourself.
With his back against the wall, Hugh's making the himself.
We've got fridges and stoves going to Wasagamack.
Got the fragile load.
They don't want anything to get broke when it gets there.
Okay, well, let's rock and roll.
Despite the odds against him, Hugh's doing whatever it takes to get his company back on track And take rival Polar Industries - down.
- I took a big leap of faith here, but VP Express is gonna work.
I'm going to bury Mark, and that's what's going to happen.
I'm gonna bury Polar Industries this year.
Fuck.
How's it going, Mark? Coffee time's over.
Polar boss Mark Kohaykewych doesn't scare - easy - How are things this morning? - Not bad.
- Good.
- Thanks for coming in early.
- Especially with Darrell Ward and Alex Debogorski onboard.
Today we're going to load you guys up the modular water treatment plant that's going up to the hydro dam site.
I've got one of the most important loads in Manitoba on my doorstep, handed to me, saying, "You know what, Mark? We have faith in the fact that you guys can pull this off.
" Polar's landed an exclusive deal, hauling a portable water treatment plant to a construction site near Gillam, Manitoba.
And the destination is so remote, the only way to get there is unmaintained road.
This is the lifeblood of the camp.
This is gonna supply water to years, so it's crucial that this thing get there in one piece and without a scratch.
The entire unit itself is ballparked around $7 million.
There's seven containers, so you do the math.
Look after it.
Respect that road.
It's got some pretty nasty corners in it.
There's been some fatalities.
They've had six wrecks there, and three bodies have come out.
This load's another notch on the load count here.
In terms of what's going on over at VP Express, I don't know.
There's been eight trucks sitting there since last - Thursday, Friday, so-- - I haven't seen anything on the road of VP's.
Only one truck that I had to rescue.
Well, good on you for helping.
Don't leave a guy out in the bush, that's for sure.
It's not his fault he's working for VP.
That's what I told him.
The future of VP Express is looking like the winter road season is right now-- slowly melting away.
Just going to check out my truck.
- I see that the fuel tank has rotated.
- The rugged road shook Alex's fuel tank loose, making it impossible for him to - fuel up.
- Well, what are we gonna do about that? What time does Joe come in? Around 7:00, 7:30.
What time is it now? - Why? - Well, I got one tank that's - rotated.
- Until the truck's repaired, Alex's critical haul is sidelined.
Yeah, I'm getting ready to leave.
I'm not waiting on anybody.
Alex and I are supposed to be running together, but Alex is still working on his truck.
- I need to get on the road.
- With the construction site waiting out to make good on his load, hoping Alex can catch up.
Yeah, there's no time to wait around for this shit.
These trucks should be ready to go all the time.
Whenever they hit the shop, they should be well-serviced and anything fixed right away, immediately.
- Back at the shop - Yeah, it's kind of frustrating waiting for repairs that should have been done over - the last two days.
- Alex is - still sitting.
- I guess this time of year, things are a little scrambled here.
I guess-- I expect things are kind of scrambled down the road at VP, too, with Hugh and-- Hugh and Vlad.
You can just imagine what kind of operation that is, but-- - Hey, Todd! - Hey, buddy.
- How's it going, man? - Good, good.
Todd Dewey's looking to make his second run - for VP Express.
- Headed back from the first one? - You bet.
Looking for a load today, ready to hit the road and get the - hell out of here.
- Well, something a little bit different this time.
They've gone up to Wasagamack, but they're already long gone.
Got you some maps printed up here, you got directions, so, yeah, so there's that.
I came in to get dispatched my second load.
Hugh, I don't know what's going on, but that fucking son of a bitch left me fucking behind and took off without me.
He's only got one trip under his belt.
And he's already on his own.
He knows I'm just-- I-- fuck, it's only my second run up here, you know, but at the same time, I'm thinking maybe this is one of his freaking little tests again that he's pulling.
So I'm thinking, "Todd, you've gotta get this job done.
You've gotta catch up to Hugh.
" Todd's out to impress Hugh by catching up to him on the road to Wasagamack, but already hours behind The newcomer will have to drive even faster and harder than the boss.
So this is a solo run for me.
I'm on my own 100% there.
A guy's got to be pretty self-sufficient up here.
You know, you got to be able-- you got to have the know-how, and, you know, it's kind of nerve-wracking.
If something happens, you are by yourself.
There ain't nobody here to help you.
Mom's not gonna cook you a hot meal.
Just rollin' with the punches, payin' attention to my map, get on the ice road, and start doing some real trucking.
Up ahead and already on the winter road I'm going all the way to Wasagamack tonight, you betcha.
Hugh's desperate to get VP Express back on track, I just want to get there.
I got a delicate load that they want to get up there and get dollied off, and I just want to make some fucking quick cash.
We've been taking four-day trips in here and babysitting everybody, so I'm going to cut her in half and do her in two.
He's racing to make this delivery in record time to - keep pace with Polar Industries.
- Sleep when you gotta sleep and fucking truck when you gotta truck, get them loads in there, and make a piss pot full of money.
Simple as that.
She's all about the dollar, - the long buck, the slow ride.
- Behind schedule on his half-million-dollar contract, Hugh's pulling out - all the stops.
- You gotta be joking.
Fucking brakes! Hold on, we got no trailer brakes.
Hugh's trailer brakes aren't responding, turing his load into 32,000-pound battering ram.
Gonna get rough in here.
This is fucked up.
- Coming up - Come on! Vp Express drives to survive God, I'm sick of the freaking bumps! And Polar Industries braves uncharted territory.
Oh, yeah, it's gonna be a rough one.
Easy, baby.
Oy, oy, oy, oy, oy.
On a mission to get VP Express back in the race Oh, for hold on.
We got no trailer brakes.
Hugh Rowland's trailer brakes are out.
Leaving him no way to maneuver the load.
- It's all over the place.
- On the straightaways, he can hammer down to keep it in line, but he's still gotta find a way to get the 53-foot trailer around the turns.
Easy, now.
Uh-oh.
Fuck.
Watch out! Come on! Hell, yeah! That's what you call drifting a 53-foot trailer around - a corner.
- While Hugh tries to keep his load and his company under control rival Lisa Kelly's upping the ante.
- Hey! - She delivered another load for Polar last night, and now she's scored a backhaul.
Okay.
I'm hauling this school bus back to Winnipeg.
I'm not entirely sure why.
Maybe it broke down and needs to be fixed or something.
Yeah, those are tight.
I've got stories I could tell about being on school buses.
The school buses do bring back memories because I used to drive one.
And I didn't drive a school bus because I wanted to.
I drove a school bus to get my CDL so I could drive a truck.
Okay, so my lights are working.
That's a good first sign.
And now I'm the truck driver hauling the school bus that I used to drive, so I guess it's kind of a nice, tidy package.
The school bus is a bonus for Polar and a blast from the past for the Alaskan icon.
I started driving a school bus when I was 21 years old, and I looked a lot younger, so what I'd do is I'd go in the back of the bus and just talk with my kids, the high school kids, and then you'd get the new kid come on the bus, you know, and they don't know what's going on, and they're like, "Where's the bus driver?" And we'd be like, "I don't know," and, like, all of us would start leaving, and they're like, "Where's the bus driver?" And I'm like, "I don't know.
I'm going to drive it.
" And I'd go up in the seat, and they're like, "Oh, my gosh!" And, like, my kids are just laughing.
It was so funny.
And you know how it was when you're a kid, and you're on the bus, and you're-- you think the bus driver's not looking in that big mirror, you know, and you're trying to switch seats, but you're not supposed to.
If one of the kids would get out of the seat, I'd try to hit the brakes right then and, like, knock 'em down the aisles, and then I'd be like, "Sorry, cat ran out in front of me.
Maybe you shouldn't have moved your seat.
" It was, like, kid-bowling down the aisle of the school bus.
And then I got called in at the school bus company, and they were like, "Using your brakes as disciplinary action is not acceptable.
" Like, "But that's all I've got!" Bus drivers are so underpaid.
They have to baby-sit 40 kids and drive professionally.
Yeah, yeah.
I don't even-- I don't even know how I did it.
I was so bad at it.
I don't even like kids.
While Lisa's riding high, back in Winnipeg, Art Burke is watching from the sidelines.
It's not a good situation at all.
The VP Express outcast's winter road season is - on hold.
- I just got back from Wasagamack last night.
Flew me in.
Truck is broke down again.
I waited there for hours.
Finally, Vlad showed up.
We drove up to the truck.
Took us five hours or whatever it was.
I don't think we spoke three words all the way up there.
I did everything that I could possibly do, and I can't get her going.
You must be fucking kidding me, man! Did you pull the pin? Yes, of course I pulled the pin! And he did everything he could possibly do, and he can't get - her going.
- We all set? - No.
- Finally, we threw the towel in on it.
And from there, I flew back to here.
And I'm not really very happy about this.
I didn't come down here for this shit.
Fucking truck.
Fucking everything.
I'm not making any money.
I would much rather be home.
I've been crawling in and out underneath the truck and broke down and trying to get things together now, since I came to this fucking hole, putting it bluntly.
This is my wonderful experience with VP.
I'm sorry I went there.
Maybe I should have went to Polar, I'm thinking to myself.
I don't know.
- 500 miles north - Well, I'm coming out of Oxford House to the end of the winter road, and I got this - school bus.
- Lisa Kelly's keeping the pressure on VP Express with a backhaul bound - for Winnipeg.
- It's been 40 and 50 below, and there's been a couple bridges on this road, because there's open water, and I don't understand how there is open water at 40 and 50 below 0.
This river crossing, it's like, this is, like, right down the street from the open water, and I don't get how we can cross this, but we had to have bridges - for that one.
- Up ahead, there's an ice crossing at the entrance to the winter road.
Drivers have to be alert for oncoming traffic.
I don't know.
Sketch.
But on the other side of the crossing rival Todd Dewey is racing to catch up with Hugh.
We're making an ice crossing here.
This is my second run.
It's a solo run, so-- and I got a pretty good sized loader on the back.
The weight limit's right up there close to the maximum for - the ice.
- And the newcomer isn't slowing down for the ice.
Fuck, you can hear that fuckin' ice just fuckin' cracking underneath here too.
God, I hate that fucking sound.
Who's on the ice right now? Is this our team? Before Lisa's had a chance to cross, she's beaten to - the punch by the competition.
- I don't like the idea of him - being on the ice.
- If anything is sounding funny or anything gonna happen, I'm out of here.
I'm out of this frickin' truck.
Near the weight limit, Todd is pushing the ice - as far as it can go.
- It creates a huge shock wave underneath there, and if that wave starts rolling out in front of you, it could crack the ice in front of you and break it up, and, you know, through you go.
You're done.
- It's game over.
- Big rigs create a wave under the ice that can last long after the truck passes.
If another driver attempts to cross before the water settles, the resulting waves could be fatal.
Why don't you come all the way off there, ding-dong? I see you, I see you, I see you.
Yeah, it looks like, you know, Team Polar was already parked here, and I kind of just did my thing there, and I didn't wait for them.
I just went.
And they might have been ready to cross the ice, but I really, you know, I really don't give a shit.
I got a load to deliver, and I got somewhere to be, and if they want to sit there and, you know, waste their time, then I'm gonna - go in front of them.
- To keep her load moving, Lisa's gotta face the weakened ice.
I don't want to go on it.
Fuck.
At the edge of - an ice crossing - I don't want to go on it.
Lisa Kelly's stuck on the wrong side of the ice.
Fuck.
VP Express rival Todd Dewey beat her to the crossing, weakening the ice with shock waves from his 35-ton load.
I'm not happy.
Oh.
I'm shaking pretty good, actually.
I can't see anything.
Whoa.
I gotta go ten across this thing.
Is this the river? I'm not driving on the cracks.
Okay, am I off it yet? I crossed the river.
That was, like, terrifying.
Glad to be on solid ground again.
Shot of adrenaline there.
It got me kind of shaking a little bit.
I won't fall asleep anytime soon, but it's highway from here on to Winnipeg, so I'm gonna go as far as my adrenaline shot lets me go.
The next morning, at Polar headquarters - Your truck's good to go.
- Alex Debogorski's - rig is repaired - Let's take it out of here.
And he can finally hit the road with the most expensive load Polar's hauled all season a million-dollar piece of a water treatment plant.
Okay, I just got to make sure my loads get there in one piece.
But he's got a day to make up to bring in the load on time.
Well, it's real nice to be on the road again.
The load doesn't feel too bad.
It's pulling pretty good.
Holy mackerel! Look at this little-- Now, there's an oversized load.
That's what you call an - oversized load of a problem.
- Not even at the winter road, Alex gets a reminder of the danger that - comes with tempting fate.
- This is what it looked like before.
Somebody's having a bad day.
Looks like they're building a bridge somewhere or Makes my problems look pretty small.
Like they say, when you-- when a person has a problem, there's always somebody having a bigger problem someplace.
It might be a good time to have a prayer.
Lord, have mercy on them guys in the upside-down truck and trailer.
Look after them.
Hopefully, nobody got hurt.
Thank you, Lord, for my problems being so insignificant.
Please look after my family and friends.
Keep them safe.
Give us all direction and guidance.
Help other people have a better day, especially those that are having a bad day.
In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen.
- 500 miles up the road - Making good time.
Alex had problems with his truck, so I'm out here running alone.
Darrell Ward's headed to the construction site with the other million-dollar module.
Hopefully, Alex will catch up with me.
He's gonna have to run all night if he's gonna do it.
It'll be another load for Team Polar and get Darrell one step closer to spending the summer with his reunited family.
You let things slip through your fingers, and now I'm don't have enough time left to-- to fulfill all the things that I want to.
My life has come full circle, from what my granddad taught me.
You know, my granddad taught me how to drive a truck.
I was sitting in the passenger seat.
"This is how you do it.
These are your brakes.
Release your brakes.
This is your transmission," you know? "Here you go.
Get her done.
Go drive around the fields, catch these combines," you know? Boy, I tell you what, if I screwed up and stopped when I shouldn't have and that combine spilt any grain on the ground, it was a boot in the ass, you know? Yeah, I saw my granddad just a couple months before he passed away.
That's all that he remembered, was the days that we harvested grain, you know? The man lived for it.
It was his livelihood.
Doesn't matter how much Alzheimer's or anything like that that he had.
Made him happy as could be to be able to sit there and tell you stories about it.
That's all you have here.
All the material shit and all the work you do and-- don't matter how much money you make and how many yachts you have and all of this shit you know? I hope you're making memories with that stuff because you come into this world with nothing, and the only thing you leave with is your memories.
- Coming up - Hang on.
- Oh, ho ho.
- The winter road takes no prisoners.
What the fuck? I'm in some big trouble.
In the Canadian wilderness The more loads I haul to Wasagamack, the more money I'm making.
That's a good deal for us.
Hugh Rowland's blazing down the road with no trailer brakes, trying to make good on VP Express's half-million-dollar contract.
Soon as they want the load, they get it.
That's what's happening.
Get 'em up and get 'em back.
'Cause VP Express is gonna fucking squash Polar in the load count this year.
That's our plan-- run Polar right out of dodge.
Yep.
Let's fucking put this fucker out of business.
He's determined to take down the competition, but recent snowfall turned this section of the road into - an icy minefield.
- This is pretty rough today, but we got ten hours yet.
I believe that the snow settled on this Fucking icy.
I can hardly steer.
Hang on.
She's a rough bitch.
Fuck me! Whoa.
Whoa! Woo-hoo! - Hell, yeah! - While Hugh hammers down 60 miles behind I'm on the home stretch now.
I'm feeling pretty good about being on the home stretch, you know.
It's about a six-, seven-hour drive I'm looking at, as long as everything goes smoothly, so I'm feeling pretty confident, and I think it's going to go okay here the rest of the way in.
Ice road rookie Todd Dewey's trying to catch up - with the boss.
- This trip I've been on the last few days here, I've pushed myself super hard, you know.
When you get as tired as I am, and been pushed as many hours as I've been pushing-- Are you kidding me? Better not be a frickin' air leak.
When your air valves start hissing like that, it usually means you have an air leak somewhere.
What the fuck? Stop.
My heater.
No heat coming out the heater.
I'm driving down the road here, and it sounds like either my heater motor's ready to blow up, or something's burning.
I can smell hot wires or hot plastic.
There's something burning.
So we might have just lost the heater.
That's kind of a big-- big deal.
With no heater in the truck, every window-- your front windows, defrosters, your side windows-- everything freezes up.
I mean frost, not just cold.
Frost will build up totally, and you have absolutely no visibility whatsoever.
A guy almost starts feeling like these winter roads are out to get you.
Every time you just blink your eyes for a second, the ice road just-- it just fucking throws something at you.
Ugh, fucking freezing.
Look.
I might have to take these things off too.
They're so dark right now.
My-- my windows are completely frosting over.
I can't see.
I might be in some big trouble.
Fuck.
Alone for the first time on the winter road, Todd's - gotta find a solution.
- I borrowed my wife's hair dryer, and I brought it for when my shoes got real wet or my boots got wet.
You know, I was able to stop and plug in and dry my boots.
But I had kind of a crazy thought.
With my windows freezing up and my heater out, I'm going to try to plug in the hair dryer and see if it'll run.
My power inverter will run the hair dryer long enough to thaw out my windows when they're freezing up on me, so I'm willing at this point to try just about anything.
You see it defrosting? You know, it's just an idea, and it looks like it's gonna work.
My window thawed out, I can see, and I might be able to let this thing run.
If I keep this heat blowing right on my window here, it might be just enough.
I'm going to let her crank and let her sit right here.
I wish I would have thought of it earlier.
I forgot I had that stupid hair dryer in my pack sack with all my extra warm clothes and all my crap.
You know, it doesn't hurt to have a little bit of common sense.
It might actually work.
"Danger.
Unmaintained road.
" This is the road I've been - looking for.
- Darrell Ward's in the final stretch to his million-dollar load's - destination.
- "Travel at your own risk.
Beware of potholes, soft shoulders, washboards, and drop-offs.
" Perfect.
He's trying to score big for Polar, but the last 50 miles of the journey are the most treacherous.
My load seems to be riding all right, my straps are staying tight, so keep your fingers crossed there.
Million-dollar load and a dangerous road.
Doesn't get any better than that.
Ow.
Too bad I wasn't hauling dynamite.
Yeah, it's gonna be a rough one.
"Unmaintained," no shit.
On an unmaintained road in northern Manitoba "Unmaintained," no shit.
They don't even plow this one.
Darrell Ward's hauling a million-dollar load - for Polar Industries - You can't even tell where the shoulder is.
Getting too close to these edges and that shoulder will suck you right off in it and lay you over on your side.
You know, then you're out here where you can freeze to death if nobody comes along.
Keep her in the middle.
Right down the middle.
Ah, I see a crane parked over there.
That must be my offload.
This must be my location.
Got my load here on time.
Million-dollar load down a dangerous road.
I'm the man for the job.
Darrell's delivery keeps Polar in the lead, but the contract isn't complete unless Alex gets his load to the construction site.
Get this shit done and get out of here.
Alex, you out there? Maybe he had to stop by the church.
I don't know.
- 700 miles south - Back in Winnipeg, back to - reality.
- Lisa Kelly is also bringing in her backhaul.
I don't want to hang out in Winnipeg too log.
I want to, like, get my laundry done, get a good, nice meal, fix a few things, then head out again.
Okay.
So how'd it go? - So much fun.
- Good.
Get some rest.
- We got some more loads for you.
- Yeah? Yep.
Okay, cool.
Polar's racking up the loads, and Mark's got no intention of letting up on the competition.
We just keep trucking.
I mean, we just keep moving freight.
Polar Industries keeps getting bigger and better and bigger and better.
I'd be very surprised if VP's still down the road next season.
I'd be very surprised to see if they're there in a couple months from now.
- Back up north - Well, I'm Boy, does it look quitting time.
Hopefully, the boys don't leave by the time we get there.
Alex Debogorski's trying to deliver his million-dollar module before the facility shuts down for the night.
We're almost there.
We've almost made it.
He's closing in, but still has to drive the last 50 miles of unmaintained road.
Easy, baby.
Oh, oh, here we go.
This washboard's where you dig potholes and attach them to each other.
It's like all this is a solid row of potholes right down your lane.
There's one hole, and that's another hole, all in a row.
Oy, oy, oy, oy, oy.
There's a broken spring right there.
Well, I see a camp.
Some equipment.
- Hey! - How are you, sir? - How are you? - Well, we've had an interesting day, but we're glad to be here.
- Yeah? - Despite leaving - a day late - That's where we're getting unloaded.
- Okay, good.
The 40-year veteran delivers for Polar.
It was a good day.
I got the load delivered, even though we almost missed the cutoff time because they quit at 5:30 and we got here at about They set it on the ground, blocked it up.
They're gone for supper.
God bless you guys.
Happy, happy.
Quack, quack.
Team Polar's brought in their latest round of loads Oh, yeah.
- But rival Hugh Rowland's not giving up the fight.
- Hang on.
That's a rough fucking stretch of road there.
Yeah, we're just coming into Wasagamack now.
Fuck, it's been a long, hard go at her.
We made some good time, but that last fucking 60 clicks fucking knock your teeth right out of your fucking head, she's so fucking damn rough.
But we're here.
That's the main thing.
We'll get this one delivered, grab another one, and head out.
Get the fuck out of dodge the first thing in the morning.
I don't know if Todd's still coming or if he stayed in Norway House.
Who knows if he got out of there? Want her in here? We got up here in record fucking time.
I guess we'll just drop her, lock her, and call her a day.
After taking matters into his own hands, the boss scores another load for VP Express.
One down! One down! Yes! But just 50 miles back down the road - Damn it! - Todd's not far behind.
First half of the trip went awesome.
Second half is just going to shit.
- Just flat going to shit.
- He's giving his hair dryer a chance to cool down, but the windows are cooling down faster.
I shouldn't be driving this fast on the ice road.
It's pretty dangerous, but my windows are just about frozen up.
Fucking kicks up onto the windows.
It's just enough from before to-- just barely melts, and then frickin' just freezes up, so I'll go ahead and try to push through and get there and shut this truck down for the night.
Ah, I'm sick of the frickin' bumps! This does not look good.
Doesn't-- hold on, buddy.
Ah, we're getting close, though.
We're getting close.
Oh, shit.
Better slow down for these ones.
Gosh, I almost feel like I've been kicked in the nuts for the last four hours.
But the prize is that we caught up to Hugh.
That's the prize.
I just pulled into Wasagamack here.
After nearly two days of hard driving, Todd catches up to the boss and brings in a load for VP Express.
I came in here.
I was looking for Hugh.
And when Hugh wakes up in the morning, he'll find Todd's truck just a few yards away.
You know, I had a big goal to catch up with Hugh, and I'm here.
That's a pretty good pat on my back.
Get a few hours rest here and get unloaded first thing in the morning and roll out of here.
This is, uh, this is a big night for me, you know? I've come a long ways away from home.
I don't have my wife to hug and kiss or my kids to hold onto, so this is a big deal to me.
You know, I miss my family horribly, more than-- more than words can even explain.
But I got a job to do, and it's gotta happen.
- Here comes the circus.
- Next time - Agh! On an explosive Ice Road Truckers I have a disgruntled employee who is a security * at my building.
Hugh takes the fight to the street.
Oh, fuck.
He's got the cops behind him.
Oh, this is gonna hurt a little.
And * gets rough for Polar.
Holy shit.
As their season goes up in flames.
Holy mackerel.
Get out of the truck.
Oh!