Ice Road Truckers (2007) s08e01 Episode Script

There's nothing made up about these ice roads.
It's one of the most dangerous jobs in the world.
I've had a lot of friends and relatives die because of this ice road stuff.
It's really life and death out here.
But when you live, you have a good story.
It is dangerous.
There's not a doubt about it.
But that's the excitement, you know? Puts the shiver up your spine, that shot of adrenaline.
You know what? That's the adventure that I'm looking for.
NARRATOR: In the remote frozen frontier of northern Canada These roads aren't a joke.
They're the baddest fucking ice roads of North America.
The toughest job in the world-- (Honking horn) --just got tougher.
NEWSCASTER: It's a record breaking cold they have a name for.
- The polar vortex.
- Polar vortex-- Polar vortex-- NEWSCASTER #2: Sub-zero, bone chilling, wind-whipping cold.
NEWSCASTER #3: All these brutal temperatures definitely taking their toll.
A polar vortex, a cyclone of frigid air from the North Pole, slams into North America, bringing the worst winter in a century, and wreaking havoc on the ice roads.
Look it.
There's snow.
Towering snow.
Plowing fresh snow! Blinding white-outs.
It's snowing like a son-of-a-bitch outside.
The visibility is absolutely zero.
I can't see in any direction.
And Arctic conditions.
I don't quite know where the ditches are.
Push drivers to their physical and emotional breaking points.
All you guys do is come in here and give us shit! - I asked you-- - We weren't even fucking moving! Into the element.
We just hit 'er hard, and suffer the consequences.
They push farther than ever.
This is the kind of place city-slickers only dream of in their nightmares! Over the least travelled and longest winter road in the world, stretching nearly 500 miles.
The Guinness Book of World Records for the longest winter road.
This season, the ice road truckers go where they've never gone before.
The winter roads have just opened for business.
And in Winnipeg the multi-million dollar haul war between Polar and VP Express is on.
When we started this company, it was basically on whim, and we were pissed off at the guy down the road there.
And we vowed to each other that we were gonna get everything we could get, and he's not gonna get anything.
Those guys basically took every single one of my customers, contacted them and said, "Hey, I'll just undercut Polar's price and I'll try and get the freight.
" So they're still riding my coattails.
After running neck and neck last season, both companies are back, and they're amping up their game.
This year, we're running which is basically double what we had last year.
VP Express owner, Hugh Rowland, is setting his sights high.
Basically, we wanna become one of the biggest ice road companies in North America, and which we will be.
But Polar boss Mark Kohaykewych has a bold new battle plan to fight back.
We wanna reach the most remote regions of Canada this year.
We wanna go to places we haven't been before, no matter how remote, or how crazy of a destination it is.
And Mark's counting on two tested field generals to lead the charge into the unknown.
First ice crossing.
First one of the season.
First one of the season.
Lisa Kelly and Darrell Ward are reenlisting with Polar, wasting no time getting freight across the ice.
If I go through the ice, don't-- don't-- You don't want me to come try to rescue you with my truck? Well throw me an anchor.
(Laughing) This season, the Montana legend is looking to maintain his status as Polar's top dog.
I came up here last year as my first year with Polar and by the time the season was over last year, I was their go-to guy.
When they needed something done that they didn't think anybody else could handle, they'd call me.
Lisa's proving her team loyalty.
Hugh offered me a job last year, and quite honestly, I just wanted to hear him say it.
After rejecting a higher offer from Hugh.
(Laughing) Hello? Oh, yeah, no I don't think I'm gonna come work for you this year.
No, I know, calm down.
It's okay.
But, yeah, I'm gonna have to turn you down on that.
LISA: Let's roll, baby! Hauling construction supplies to the remote village of Garden Hill, the convoy is attempting the first crossing of the season.
Whoa Sign right here on the left says "Thin Ice.
" DARRELL: I wish they wouldn't put those "Thin Ice" signs out here.
Isn't that just kind of a given? Yeah, no shit, right? NARRATOR: This early, the fragile ice has just formed.
As a big rig moves across, the ice bends under the heavy weight, creating a pressure wave that can grow strong enough to burst through.
All right, I'm gonna head across this ice crossing.
I don't know how thick the ice is.
All right, here I come.
DARRELL: I think you're quite a bit heavier than I am, so I'll keep an eye on you.
NARRATOR: Lisa crawls forward.
Now, twice as much weight pressures the ice.
It's always weird to be driving across the ice and you look over and you see a boat next to you.
Hi, boat.
DARRELL: I can hear it cracking.
I got my trusty screwdriver, my ice pick.
I figure if my truck goes through, I can jump, and stab in and-- Oh, look at that big crack.
Look at that big crack! All right, I made her across, Lisa.
I'm gonna sit right here and make sure you make it.
We made it.
I guess we'll roll outta here, huh? That's a big 10-4, there.
We're alive.
Let's go get some fuel and breakfast.
That's right.
Well, one crossing down.
As Darrell and Lisa try to deliver before the polar vortex unleashes its fury, another driver is gearing up for the fight on the winter roads.
TODD: The biggest reason I'm coming back up here on the ice roads again, is 'cause I'm an aggressive guy.
I'm a very competitive guy.
Whether it's right or wrong to be competitive, I like being competitive.
I wanna be the #1 dog truck driver.
You know, I worked for Hugh and Vlad last year.
In Hugh's eyes, you will always be fucking #2.
Todd Dewey's back.
But this season, he's ditched VP and hitched a new ride with Polar.
Mark's offered me good money this year.
He's offered me actually better money.
So why not? And Mark sent Todd on a special mission.
500 miles north, to the end of the winter roads, with a grader that will be used to plow a new road, even deeper into the wilderness.
This is it, buddy! I found my first great, big ice crossing.
The ice crossing at Split Lake has just opened.
If the ice breaks it's a 100-foot plummet to the bottom.
And Todd'll be the first driver attempting to cross it.
Little nervous, you know, but at the same time, that's part of the job.
This is an adventure.
This is what the ice road is all about.
Carrying a 35-ton grader, Todd barely slides under the weight limit.
If you go through the ice up here, there ain't no going home, because you ain't gonna get out, and that's a scary frickin' thought.
(Ice cracking) You get so many emotions and everything that floods you when you stare at that ice.
You don't even know how long you're sitting there, starting at it, thinking, "All right, let's do this.
" And then you actually slide it into gear.
Got your brakes released.
And then you find yourself still sitting there, hesitating, 'cause your mind is so flooded with everything.
I got a wife, kids.
I wanna go home at the end of the year.
Show on the road.
Listen, it takes a lot to get me fucking nervous.
And I'm nervous.
Oh, don't shake around.
Don't shake around.
Don't shake around.
Oh it throws the weight more and more when you do that.
Shit! Listen, I know you like to ask me questions while I'm doing this, but if I go through, you're going with me, and we're both fucking dead.
You're going down with the truck and you ain't coming back.
You're done.
You're life's over.
NARRATOR: Coming up Oh, we might not be able to get him out.
Polar breaks apart.
NARRATOR: On Manitoba's remote Split Lake Don't shake around.
Don't shake around.
Don't shake around.
Oh, it throws the weight more and more when you do that.
Shit! Todd Dewey's pushing his luck, hauling a massive 35-ton grader over freshly frozen ice.
Listen, I know you like to ask me questions while I'm doing this, but if I go through, you're going with me, and we're both fucking dead.
You're going down with the truck and you ain't coming back.
You're done.
You're life's over.
Come on, just get across the fucking ice.
(Ice cracking) Oh, for goodness sakes.
Dude, I can see the end of the road.
We're getting close to the end.
It can't come soon enough.
Hold on.
Come on, girl.
Off the ice.
You know, I'm running a little bit behind schedule.
I'm not sure how far I still have to go.
This was kind of untravelled road, but that's the way it goes.
You don't know what's gonna come your way.
You know, it's just part of the job.
Back at Polar Headquarters Another road warrior is preparing for battle.
I'm a very, very revengeful man, like, awful re-- to the point where it's almost over the top.
And he's looking to burn the company that fired him last year.
You like little notes? I got a little note for you.
You guys go fuck yourselves.
There's your little note.
See you round, bud.
Take care.
You know, people say you gotta forget it, you gotta forget it, you gotta forget it, you gotta forget it, and I say, "No, no, no.
I don't forget.
" And they say, "Oh, it's eating you up.
Oh, boy, it's like acid eating your brain out.
" Well, no, no, no.
It doesn't work like that with me.
I just take the acid and I put it in a little box, and I set it over here in the back of my mind, and the first fucking chance that I get, you're getting that right in the face.
It's awful, eh? (Laughing) What are we gonna do this year? Are we gonna start Art Burke off on the right team, or are we gonna go test the waters over there? I already tested the other team.
I didn't even look in that direction - when I went by this morning.
- All right, good.
After delivering the winning load for them last season, Art Burke's reenlisting with Team Polar.
I enjoyed the last, when I was here-- the last part of the season, right? I'd like to do a whole season here.
Absolutely.
You know what, I gotta have you back.
You brought in the tie-breaker load.
I gotta have you back.
That's right, too, eh? That's right, so let's get you to work.
He came through for us.
It's the least I could do is get him back here for a full season and show him the right way things are done here in Manitoba.
Like Darrell and Lisa, Art's hauling a load of construction supplies over the treacherous route to Garden Hill.
Okay, boys and girls.
We're finally ready to go here.
We're happy.
But with a late start, he'll have to hustle to make up time.
Gonna make our debut.
Fuck.
That was the shittiest place I ever worked in my fucking life.
And I mean that from the bottom of my heart.
Oh, well.
Life goes on, eh? Way better off now.
While one driver's looking to make a clean start another is shaking things up.
I've spoken to Hugh a number of times, since the last season.
And, you know, he expressed an interest.
He'd like me to come to work for him.
I'm always kind of curious-- Well, how would we work together? We could make a pretty powerful team, I think, if we could work together.
You know, we should be able to stand back to back and make a pretty big cloud of dust.
The season, ice road legend, Alex Debogorski, is joining forces with old rival, Hugh Rowland and VP Express.
You're looking good.
Did you lose some weight? No.
You've been working out or what? No.
Are you wearing a corset? (Laughing) Me and Alex have known each other for 30 years.
Over 30 years.
We like to compete and get the most trips.
I don't know, he's fucking old as dirt, eh? (Laughing) Our rivalry's always been fun.
My god, I think I found my arch-nemesis.
Alex has always been a good ice road trucker.
Between me and him, we probably got more experience than everybody here put together.
VP snagged their biggest contract to date, hauling construction supplies for a new civic arena in remote St.
Theresa Point.
But the 650-mile route is one of the most challenging and feared in all of Manitoba.
In the name of Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Thank you dear God for all your blessings and help that you give us every day, especially the blessing of help we don't realize we're receiving from you.
On Alex's final run last season, the old pro tempted fate.
And his long career nearly came to a sudden end.
I pray that we have a safe season.
Give us direction and guidance.
Protect our friends and families.
Please keep us safe in Jesus' name, amen.
Now Alex is heading right back on the same roads that almost cost him his life.
Away we go.
(Honking horn) There we go! We're trucking! Well, I guess they're gonna call me the Preacher Man.
I've been called a lot worse things than that.
And with the worst winter in 100 years on the way, it'll be more dangerous than ever.
Am I dangling on too fast for you, Preacher Man, or are we doing good? (Laughing) Come on, baby! Coming up Well, we're off to a good fucking start.
- Polar gets stopped.
- Fuck.
Sinking in pretty good.
In their tracks.
Dammit! NARRATOR: The battle on the winter roads is underway.
ALEX: I just passed marker 150 on St.
Theresa Point Road.
Makes for a little nicer ride if I go a little slower, don't bounce up and down, shake up my innards so badly, eh? And Alex Debogorski's hauling his first load for VP Express, along the notorious bone-crushing road to St.
Theresa Point.
Goodness grief! (Indistinct radio static) Well, that must be Art in the background.
I thought it was Hugh, but it sounds maybe it was Art.
Just like old times, boy.
We'll be running together.
Yeah, we'll have some time to give you a counselling session.
(Laughing) I could fucking use one! On his way to Garden Hill, Polar driver Art Burke catches up to former teammate and old friend, Alex.
ART: Honest to Jesus, I thought I was fucking fresh here, boy.
I just got out here not so long ago, boy.
Right back in it again.
Didn't learn nothing.
Remember, Art? You said you weren't gonna swear this year.
You said you were gonna clean up your mouth.
How's that working? Fucking damn near impossible.
So which way are you going? Did you go right through Theresa point, or are you actually turning? I'm just going down-- You're going to St.
Theresa, you said earlier? Well, you said you're going to Garden Hill.
Yeah, that's before St.
Theresa's, though.
I think it is.
I go off there, somewhere.
Get the map, boy.
What the fuck's he talking about? Got the map in there.
I gotta check this thing out, boy.
I'm gonna stop right here.
Well, there's Garden Hill.
I never passed any signs for God's Lake or God's River.
Fuck all, did you? You see any of that? I think we're along here somewhere.
ALEX: Are you okay? You going the right direction? Yeah, well that's where we fucked up.
We're on the wrong road, boy.
Fucking almighty.
Art's going the wrong way, and with all probability, he's drove all day, and he's gonna have to turn around, and go all the way back to Norway House and start over again.
He's gonna be literally frothing.
Poor Art! This guy here.
I'm gonna ask this guy here what the fuck is going on.
You wanna go to Garden Hill? Yeah.
I gotta go back, don't I? Yeah.
- So I'm going the wrong way.
- Yeah.
How far is Garden Hill past Wasagamack? I guess I gotta go up there and turn around, boy.
Probably.
Thank you! NARRATOR: Art's wrong turn will force him to burn 12 crucial hours, backtracking through the night.
Well, we're off to a good fucking start! And derails Polar on their very first day.
150 miles north I'm gonna have to just hammer down here a little bit and see if I can't try to make up a little bit of time.
Teammate Todd Dewey's hustling to complete his special mission for Polar.
This is the first time we've been on this ice road.
You know, I'm kind of like the scout.
Go out and go find the place, you know, find your way there, get that grader unloaded.
It's a big deal.
Got a lot of responsibilities on my shoulder this trip.
But we'll get 'er done, one way or another.
There's no turning around now.
The grader will be used to build a new ice road, extending Polar's reach farther north.
But being the first to blaze a trail over the remote road is pushing him and his 35-ton load, to the limit.
Now you see why I put so many chains on that grader.
'Cause that's a lot of weight.
When that grader's on there, rocking on the trailer like that, that's a lot of weight, pushing and pulling out.
So it's just bumpy and groovy and it pulls your frickin' truck and bounces you round and yanks you off the road.
Hang on.
Good sweet lord.
Well, there's a skinny, little, frickin', no-good nothing.
Getting pretty narrow through here, though.
Ooh! Fuck! Sinking in pretty good.
NARRATOR: Near the end of the winter road Now you see why I put so many chains on that grader.
Todd Dewey's trying to stretch Polar farther than they've ever gone before.
Hang on! Good sweet lord! Getting pretty narrow through here, though.
Ooh! Fuck! Sinking in pretty good.
We just got stuck.
We're stuck.
Just slid off the road.
You could see what type of road we're on.
Look at this.
The ground's really tore up.
It's in horrible frickin' shape.
Once my back axle caught the snow bank, it just sucked my trailer into the snow bank.
So I'm stuck.
There's no going anywhere.
We're in the middle of nowhere.
It's-- you know, 40 below outside.
It's freezing cold.
It's just fucked.
The whole fucking situation's fucked.
Dammit! I gotta warm up, though.
I'm fucking cold.
We're gonna have night creeping right up on our ass here, shortly.
Yeah, we're still Yeah.
As temperature's plummet Here's the satellite phone.
Todd tries his last lifeline.
I don't even know how this thing turns on.
Oh, wait.
Yeah, that's not gonna work.
Son of a bitch.
Yeah, we're fucking stuck.
We ain't going anywhere.
Son of a fucking bitch.
As night falls (Honking horn) Hang on.
Bump.
Polar teammates Lisa Kelly and Darrell Ward are 14 hours into their haul to Garden Hill.
Pressing through the night to try and deliver on time.
Oh, my lord.
Was not expecting that.
Holy bump, Batman! Ugh! Ugh! Ugh! Where the fuck's a Zamboni when you need one? Smooth this shit out.
Oh We got a truck wrecked up here.
Slid backwards or some shit.
I don't know what he's got going on.
LISA: Do we need to stop? DARRELL: Yeah, copy that.
A jackknifed rig blocks the road, and slams the convoy to a halt, putting Lisa and Darrell's run in jeopardy.
LISA: Oh, my gosh.
Looks likes what happened is he took for the hill, and didn't make it, and from what I'm guessing, is he started coming backwards downhill, and got stuck.
With no help for miles in any direction DARRELL: I'm just trying to think that maybe I ought to just, uh pull him out.
It's up to the Montana legend to get the big rig free.
You're the driver of the truck? How did you end up this way? How many times have you backed down this hill and tried to hit it? Twice.
Twice.
I see you tire tracks coming off over here.
How long you been driving truck? Two days.
Two days?! This guy's been driving for two days.
He's running up this road with no tire chains on.
Spins out on the hill, comes backwards, ends up jackknifed.
Screws everybody up.
It's, uh a rookie move on an old man's part.
How much weight you got on this? Oh.
We might not be able to get him out.
The trailer's hauling over 43,000 pounds, and on the narrow road, there's no good angle to tow it.
LISA: It's moving.
Slowly but surely.
(Chain snapping) NARRATOR: On the road to Garden Hill a jackknifed big rig's halted Darrell and Lisa's run.
And Polar's big expansion plan is on ice.
I can't get enough angle on it.
(Chain snapping) Not gonna be able to do it.
The weight of the trailer proves too much for the chain.
That's Darrell's hook.
Broke it in half.
Let's get 'er out of the strap.
So Darrell will use what's left and make one last ditch effort.
I want it as short as it'll go.
Okay.
Yeah.
All right! I found a guy who said there's no problem on this road.
Right.
He said, "We went up and there's no hill, there's no nothing.
" Just talked to him at the junction.
Don't ever believe what you hear on these roads.
(Laughing) All right.
Chain's cheap compared to my downtime sitting here.
I had to get him off the road so I could go.
I'm outta here.
Let's roll, baby! DARRELL: Yep, I'm good to go.
While Team Polar gets back on the road Oh VP boss Hugh Rowland delivers to St.
Theresa Point for the company's big arena project, and draws first blood in the battle with Polar.
We made her into St.
Theresa.
Real good time tonight.
We're pretty happy with that.
But 50 miles back (Honking horn) Holy mackerel.
This is a pretty good clam here.
The rough road's giving 40-year pro Alex Debogorski all he can handle.
Oh! And the second half of VP's haul has yet to be delivered.
Well, right now, my biggest concern is staying on the road.
Climbing the hills.
Not spinning out and making myself a bunch of work.
Considering I'm going between I'm having trouble passing rabbits, let alone worrying about anything else.
I keep dragging my feet like this, I'm gonna get into St.
Theresa Point too late to unload my load.
What's this? We got an ice road.
I'm not real excited about this.
Just as he closes in on his destination, the old veteran faces one last hurdle.
Ice road maximum vehicles over seven tonnes.
My left leg's seven tonnes.
Much as I talk about, you know, you shouldn't worry till the time comes to worry, I'm a worrier.
Last year we lost a crawler tractor and a grader in Northern Ontario.
Life of-- The guys drowned.
And we lost a snowcat up on the Arctic ice, out of Tuktoyaktuk, where a fellow about 60 years old went through the ice.
Same thing.
Life was lost.
Here we go.
Alex rolls forward.
Well, I'm just going on the ice here.
And tempts fate once again.
Oh this is not good.
Well, I open the door in case I need to leave in a hurry.
Your door isn't open? Well, I guess keep the camera rolling after I leave, please.
NARRATOR: On the remote trail to St.
Theresa Point First sign the ice is gonna go is the water is over your head.
It can be that quick.
VP Express driver Alex Debogorski is attempting the first night crossing of the winter road season.
But the fresh ice is struggling to support his 18 ton load.
(Ice cracking) Okay, well, here's the shoreline.
Finally More excitement for today.
Alex conquers the crossing.
St.
Theresa Point.
And delivers the big money haul, putting a second load on the books for VP Express.
Well, thanks, God.
I made it here in one piece.
They're happy with the load.
They signed the bill.
Looks like money in the bank.
A good time was had by all.
As morning breaks LISA: I'm pulling in to Garden Hill.
Me and Darrell drove all night.
Polar drivers Lisa Kelly and Darrell Ward arrive at Garden Hill.
And with their two deliveries, the count's all tied up.
(Laughing) It's been one heck of a run.
Oh, my gosh, I wanna go to bed.
Finally, I'm outta here.
But not all Polar drivers have completed their missions.
ART: I'm sick and tired of driving this truck.
We fucking threw away a day yesterday.
So now we gotta have the hammer down today to make that up.
I was positive that I was going the right way.
After his wrong turn, Art Burke's already wasted a day backtracking.
With over 100 miles still to go, Polar's contract and Art's job are on the line.
I'm getting sick of driving these fucking ice roads anyway, to tell you the truth.
I'm gonna start a whorehouse or something.
I'll have to discuss this with the old lady first, of course.
And near the end of the winter roads Hello? Todd Dewey's still stranded after enduring a night of 40-below temperatures.
We had a signal, and now no signal now.
Fuck! With his big rig trapped, and no one around for miles-- God dang, it just-- just frickin' figures.
It's a battle for survival.
When you're going somewhere you've never been, and there's no help around, and you're completely by yourself, 100% that's when it finally sinks into your head "Holy shit! I'm completely isolated.
I'm completely by myself.
" Well, that "Oh, shit" moment could possibly be your last moment.
Holy sweet lord NARRATOR: This season, on Ice Road Truckers Whoa Can we break any more shit? Is it possible? (Explosion) LISA: Woo! Holy cow.
The drivers face their toughest season ever.
Looks like the snow's getting a little deeper here.
As the worst winter in 100 years bears down.
Stop, stop, stop! Darrell, stop, stop! The storm is far from over.
It's been snowing now for three days.
And shows no mercy.
LISA: Aah!