Ice Road Truckers (2007) s08e03 Episode Script
Into the Vortex
Now on Ice Road Truckers Look how much snow is on this lake.
That's like ten feet high.
as the worst storm in decades erupts I wish the snow God would go fuck himself and get rid of this fucking snow.
This is gonna be terrible if this keeps up.
the best of the best are pushed to the limit Holy mackerel! I have absolutely no idea where the holes are.
and the battle for fortune on the winter roads Oh my gosh! becomes a battle for survival.
Buckle up! CGLB Weather, it is cold out there! We're down around -40, -45.
On the Canadian winter roads Road conditions just in; bad news, it is snowing and blowing.
The polar vortex, a cyclone of frigid air from the North Pole is creating a perfect storm.
We got a major snowfall happening right now, huge amounts of snow are falling, this is going to be really, really bad news for the drivers.
Record low temperatures, record snowfalls, and zero visibility are handcuffing all travel.
Barely passable.
Be careful if you're out there because you could be in some trouble.
Trucks and truckers aren't meant to drive in these conditions.
But with cargo that must be delivered on time to collect paycheques, drivers at Polar and VP Express can't afford to stay home.
It's still a dash for the cash, it don't matter who you are, you've gotta pull 'er together and you sleep in May.
In the heart of the storm This is not the best day to take on a new road.
Lisa Kelly is attempting the most ambitious mission of her career.
Travelling over 600 miles from Winnipeg, all the way to Big Trout Lake, further north into Ontario than any Polar driver has gone before.
Can't really steer a whole lot and I certainly can't get any traction.
But extreme conditions from the blizzard are making the challenging trip an increasingly dangerous one.
Super snowy and deep, and I have no idea, I've never been on this road so I have no idea what to expect.
I can't tell if it's gravel, or paved, or snow, or ice, I can't tell at all.
Who the hell knows how big this storm is.
Suddenly, through the snowfall, Lisa spots the first truck she's seen all day.
Hey, uh, southbound, you got a copy there? Hey, I was just wondering how far does this uh, this storm go, do you know? Oh, you guys aren't gonna go then, you're just camping out? Despite the dire warning Uh-oh, everybody else is camped out, not going.
I think, at this point, I'm the only one still moving.
Lisa rolls the dice onto one of the most remote winter roads in all of Canada.
You just drive, and it's crappy, and you take your time and you just try to make it through.
So, I mean, I'm gonna try to use my best judgment.
And if I get stuck, I'm on my own.
As Lisa rumbles on, her Polar team-mate braves another brutal Ontario trail.
Wish the snow God would go fuck himself and get rid of this fucking snow.
This is gonna be terrible if this keeps up.
Art Burke's barrelling forward, on the 450 mile route from Winnipeg to the tiny village of Deer Lake.
The snow is knee deep, you can't tell where the side of the road is here.
But with conditions nearly un-driveable Can't see a thing.
the plan may be on life support.
I tell you this snow, it's gonna add up.
I really don't like when it's snowing like this at all.
It's just I don't like it all over the fucking road because it makes the road slippery.
You gotta get good runs for these fucking hills.
To make it up this hill in the snow, he'll have to give it as much gas as he can.
But losing traction at the increased speed could lead to a crash into the ditch.
What the hell was that? Let's go back and look at this now.
Fuck! These are all broken.
Fuck.
Art's chains snapped while scaling the hill.
Well Without them, he'll have even less traction in the oncoming storm.
There's a lot of snow.
We're gonna wing it, eh.
But Art takes the risk, pressing forward with a bare set of tires.
Fuck it.
Snow that fucking deep, with no fucking chains on.
Fuck that.
Fuck it! While Art grinds towards Deer Lake his team-mate's putting the remote town in his rear view mirror.
It's snowing like a son of a bitch out.
This is definitely the most nervous run I've ever been on, that's for sure.
Todd Dewey's gunning for Winnipeg after delivering to Deer Lake early this morning.
It started just flat-out an hour ago, it was about an hour, it's already snowed a good 3-4 inches of snow.
But the heavy snowfall up north is crippling visibly.
This is it, this is the lake crossing.
You can't even see the lake.
And now he'll have to attempt the one mile, Meddick Lake ice crossing in near whiteout conditions.
You're standing in two feet of fresh snow on top of the ice.
So you can't really see the ice, you can't even see where the road is on the ice.
You honestly don't know what's gonna happen.
So I really need to just suck it up and get going.
It's total whiteout condition, I can't see where-where I'm steering on the lake.
I can't see nothin'.
Holy smokes.
Coming up If I get stuck no one is coming along to help me.
The road least travelled.
Oh my gosh.
In a blinding whiteout It's a total whiteout condition, I can't see where-where I'm steering on the lake.
Todd Dewey's playing a guessing game on the Meddick Lake ice crossing.
The visibility is absolutely zero, I can't see in any direction.
I'm trying to figure out where the road is on the ice.
Holy smokes.
It's a great, big snow blizzard, and there's already four or five inches of fresh snow.
You can't even see where the road is.
Unable to see more than a few yards ahead, and with the snow pile almost two feet high I don't even know if I'm in the deep snow, not in the deep snow, I cannot tell.
it's impossible for Todd to gauge where the ice might be too thin to pass, or even if he's going in the right direction.
I'm trying to keep spotted on the ice that looks like it's got the less snow on it, and stay right there.
Because if you get too off to the right or to the left, you're going to plough into the deep five feet of snow, and you're gonna be stuck out here on the ice, and that's not good.
Even though the snow is on top but you can hear it cracking.
But the ice isn't Todd's only concern Oh, my frickin' door is open on my side.
In the swirling winds, his cargo hatch popped open.
Now my door, my little door compartment didn't shut when I shut it.
Inside is his emergency gear, a must-have in conditions like these.
And I can't stop on the ice.
So Todd throws caution to the wind I gotta get out, I can't stop on the ice.
Whoa.
Come on! Got it! The door is shut now! Ha ha ha! Oh! The hatch is shut, but he's still gotta conquer the final quarter mile of the crossing.
Come off the ice, baby, come on, get me off this ice.
Come on, come on, come on, come on.
Finally! Yeah, baby! Off the ice, yes! But I know it ain't over.
Todd's relief is short-lived as he's still got over into the blizzard.
This whole road is gonna be a nightmare.
While Polar's on the move Back in Winnipeg Okay, you said, Red Sucker Lake, all right.
So is VP Express.
Did you say Polar? And they've landed a contract that's sure to sting their rival.
Oh, I see, I see.
In this case, yeah, I'll do it.
Okay.
Thanks.
Bye bye.
There's a trailer in the Red Sucker Lake, that's sitting there since last year that Polar rented, and they never paid.
Oh yeah.
So these trailer guys, they want us to go out there and repo the trailer for them.
Fucking A.
Eh, let's do 'er.
Last year, Polar rented a trailer for a run to Red Sucker Lake, but never returned it.
Now the trailer company wants it back, so they've hired VP to repo it for a big bounty.
They said, will you-- repo this trailer for you and we'll pay you full load, like the full price for a full load.
So I mean that's, you know, that's five grand going in there and getting that trailer.
That's a no brainer, right? You know, who we could get? Alex is up at Thompson and he's bobtailin'.
Do you think Alex can handle this one? Oh, for sure.
Even if he worked for Polar last year? That'll just rub salt in the wound.
The repo mission requires a savvy veteran at the helm, so within hours I'm going to Red Sucker Lake to take the trailer, turn around and drag it out the other way.
VP's got Alex Debogorski on the case.
The road to Red Sucker is one of the roughest in Manitoba.
So it's got about four to six inches of snow on it.
This area mostly powdered.
And in the blizzard, it'll be worse than ever.
Lots of tight curves, lots of up and downs.
I've got no trailer behind me to hang on to me.
Driving bobtail I have to be careful because the truck is so short, if you start to slide, it's easy to lose control.
Holy mackerel! Round and round, up and down.
All the potholes are camouflaged, eh, just hiding there, just when I come up, they jump out and grab the wheel.
While Alex takes on the Manitoba winter roads, in Ontario I'm a little nervous because we got snow, and then we got the hills, and like no one else is going.
And if I get stuck, no one is coming along to help me.
Lisa Kelly is the only trucker remaining on the road to big trout lake.
I'm just following these like, faint, little tracks that are almost all snowed in.
I mean I have my fingers crossed I'm going in the right direction.
The snowfall's increased to three feet, and winds are creating near whiteout conditions.
Oh, my gosh.
Really bumpy.
But the Polar driver's daring to push forward, and still has over 100 miles to go.
Yeah, I don't know if I'm going the right way.
I feel like I am.
So a moderate S-bend after a hill.
Okay, let's see if we can find a moderate S-bend, and see if I'm on the right road.
Lisa needs to hit the turnoff to Big Trout Lake, but roads like this aren't found on any GPS.
I didn't think this would be so complicated.
So she'll have to rely on old-fashioned maps.
There's no mile markers, no signs, just trees.
Crap.
I don't know what's going on.
I gotta pull over.
I'm just so confused by the map.
Our turn is Kingfisher-Big Trout turnoff, I feel like it's this road, but we're trying to turn here, and we're over here somewhere.
A check of the map confirms she's missed her turn off.
I gonna try-- I'm gonna try turn around.
So she'll have to reposition and turn back around.
Careful.
Fuck! But manoeuvring the big rig through the quickly mounting snow is anything but a sure bet.
This is not easy, it's a 48-foot trailer.
So it's not exactly the easiest trailer in the world.
If I can just keep it there, I might be okay.
Come on, don't get stuck on that side.
No, I'm gonna jackknife it.
I'm just getting stuck.
This is not a good place to turn around.
Oh no! I'm stuck.
In the heart of the blizzard This is not easy, it's a 48-foot trailer.
Oh, don't get stuck on that side.
No, I'm gonna jackknife it.
Fuck! After trying to reposition her rig Oh no! I'm stuck.
Lisa Kelly's stuck in over three feet of snow.
The only driver remaining on the remote trail to Big Trout.
If Lisa can't get herself out of this jam, there's no one else to help her.
The Alaskan pro's only hope is to throw on chains and pray it's enough to get through the massive snowfall.
Try.
Come on! Let me out of here.
Okay.
Onward! Yes! Back on track We'll try this way.
Lisa finds the turn off to Big Trout Lake These are really bad days to be taking this crap on.
But she'll be the only driver for the next 100 miles as she battles towards the drop off point.
This could get rough.
While Lisa rolls on, back in Winnipeg Well, what the fuck.
I'm showing that I've got plenty of battery.
Darrell Ward can't even get out of the yard.
Yeah, it's cold out here, this truck has been sitting for a couple of days.
Fuck! Come on.
I've had problems here, at Polar, with the mechanics in the past and these trucks.
Their maintenance and their service is kind of lax.
Well, I guess I'll grab my paper work, go in and do my paper work, and let them know my truck don't start.
With the truck in the shop, Darrell could be out multiple loads and multiple paycheques.
I'm not making any money.
Out of coffee.
I've been sitting here drinking coffee all day long.
Uh, coffee's good.
The more coffee I drink, the more ambitious I am, you know, it gives me that caffeine rush and I want to go drive my truck.
But I don't have a truck to drive because it belongs to Polar, and Polar's trucks are junk.
I've got two loads since I've been here.
Something's gotta change around here.
But Darrell's downed truck is just one of Polar's worries Polar Industries.
Into Red Sucker Lake? Oh, you gotta be kidding me.
News of rival VP's repo mission is reaching Polar boss, Mark Kohaykewych.
Just got word that the guys at VP Express are gonna go try and take this trailer out of Red Sucker Lake, illegally.
Alex Debogorski's within hours of snagging the trailer, claiming a bounty for VP Express, and sticking it to his old boss.
I've been in this legal battle with this trailer that got left last year in Red Sucker Lake.
It's my business, it's my problem, they're going to go try and repo this stuff, like under whose direction? But Mark's not going down without a fight.
This is typical VP style.
This isn't gonna happen, not on my watch.
We're gonna put a stop to this one way or another.
Yeah, I just got word from one of my drivers that VP has been hired by the trailer clowns to go get this trailer out.
Refusing to let Hugh and Vlad get the best of him, Mark puts in a call to connections up north.
Well, whatever you can do on your end to make this hap-- to make this stop.
I trust you'll look after it, thank you.
Bye bye.
These guys are gonna look like a bunch of idiots.
They're trying to make me look stupid, they're going to look stupid in the end.
Coming up Uh-oh, looks bad up there, man.
The floodgates open You've got to be kidding me.
And later It's slick out.
Rolling towards disaster Oh my gosh! Weather conditions; wind gusting to 60 kilometres per hour, blowing snow giving poor visibility The blizzard that's pounding the winter roads is increasing in intensity.
Conditions are so extreme that virtually every trucker has chosen to stay on the sidelines.
But in remote Ontario Still five inches, six inches of snow I'm trudging through.
Still no tracks but mine.
I wanna get there so that I know that there is an end to this road.
Lisa Kelly has navigated her way over the unmarked trail to her destination.
I'm just rolling into Big Trout here.
Get this stuff offloaded.
And with the run complete, she's travelled further north into Ontario than any other Polar driver, notching another load for the team.
Instead of waiting in town, Lisa jumps back into the fray.
And I am now departing empty, with no backhaul.
But on her return trip, she'll have to do it without a load helping to weigh her down.
It's slick out.
Creating a lethal combination of weak traction into the teeth of the whipping wind.
I guess I'll just get out there and find out.
While Lisa presses forward, back at Polar headquarters, Darrell is still stuck in neutral.
Here I am broke down, the truck's sitting in the shop.
You know, I came up here to work, I didn't come up here to fuck off.
Darrell.
Mark, how's it going? Good, how are you doing buddy? - Not good.
- What's going on? Oh you know, just everything.
Truck's broke down, I've only made two runs since I've been here.
I mean it's, it's trucking, Darrell.
Oh, I know it's trucking but I've just been, you know, I do need to get loads.
Darrell came in complaining, complaining trucks weren't ready, complaining this wasn't ready, you know typical Darrell hot-head stuff.
At the end of the day, he's got to be a team player.
You know, we had this conversation last year.
You came in here, you were upset about things.
Yeah.
I told you, I said are you in-- I want, I want as many loads as I can get, that's why I'm here, you know.
Let's get on the road.
We've got too much shit to move.
Not until Monday, you know what I mean? Things happen.
I mean, how long have you been doing this for? You know, I apologize if it's not up to your standards.
You know, I can understand why Hugh and Vlad moved on, started their own business.
You know, maybe these guys are all moving on for a reason? While Polar faces trouble in the office, it's even worse on the road.
What in the hell?! It's gettin' kind of nasty out again.
Art Burke's pushing deep into Ontario with over 100 miles to go to remote Deer Lake.
I wish it would stop snowing.
Fuck! All fucking shit.
But the worst storm in decades is making for a brutal ride.
Hopefully this is gonna quit, eh.
And now, an ice crossing packed with over two feet of snow brings the run to a halt.
Holy fuck, man, she's not a very nice day.
See all this snow sitting on it is heavy, eh, and there's tonnes, and tonnes, and tonnes of this stuff on the lake.
As the heavy snowfall weighs down the ice, the pressure forces water to seep through the cracks, and the weakened spots become potential death traps for passing rigs.
Makes it a little more tricky.
Despite the threat of mounting snow weighing on the ice Okay, buddy.
Away we go! Art takes the gamble.
There's that much fucking snow here.
More and more that we're trotting through.
A quarter mile in Uh-oh, that looks bad up there, man.
the nightmare scenario becomes reality.
The weight of the snow has got the water pushed right up through up here, look.
You gotta be kiddin' me.
Oh boy.
On McInnis Lake ice crossing There's that much fucking snow here.
Art Burke's facing a weighty challenge.
Uh-oh.
Looks bad up there, man.
Pressure from the heavy snowfall is causing the ice to crack and water's seeping through.
You gotta be kiddin' me.
Oh boy.
That's what freaks me out.
I'm gonna take that as a sign that this fucking ice is dangerous as fuck.
Go on, boy.
With over a half mile left to go, all Art can do is keep a steady pace and hope the ice holds out.
This is a long lake, man.
I'll be glad to get off of this one.
I want to get through this in one piece, eh.
I got a little sweetheart in Yellowknife that I love dearly, not to mention a whole family and everything up there.
I don't want anything to fucking happen to me.
We're away again, boy.
We're off the ice.
We can relax now.
Fucking shit! Once across So we made 'er.
Art makes it to the drop-off point in Deer Lake and despite the blizzard, Polar banks another load.
I got it all off, everything went good.
Mission complete.
But now It's snowing again.
It's been snowing now for the past two days.
He'll have to turn and burn right back into the heart of the storm.
There's a lot of snow, so I hope to God we don't get stuck tonight.
Away we go, that's all we can do.
But Art's not the only Polar driver in the thick of it.
I may as well close my eyes, that's how much I can see right now.
Lisa Kelly's 100 miles out of Big Trout Lake on her way back to Winnipeg.
I am now empty with no backhaul.
It's far worse than when we were loaded.
But her empty trailer is barely holding on through the ferocious winds and snowy terrain.
I either get to my destination or I'm in the ditch somewhere.
I don't anticipate it's gonna be any easier.
Hills are going to trip me up because I don't have any weight on the drives.
The light load means little traction, a worst case scenario as she hits a run of steep hills.
Yeah, so this is not gonna be fun.
The incline requires added speed This could get rough.
and will put Lisa and her empty trailer to the test.
Come on! I'm slowing down.
But the deep snowfall is proving to be a tough opponent.
Oh my gosh! I don't think I'm gonna make it.
Fucking shit! All Lisa can do is roll the rig back and try again.
Dug in even deeper the storm's won this battle.
I'm not going anywhere.
Lisa's stranded, and out of options, hundreds of miles from help.
There's no way to get out of here.
Coming up - What's this? - Busted.
We did something wrong.
I'm the bad guy.
In the middle of a massive storm, Polar and VP Express are battling Mother Nature and each other.
You said, Red Sucker Lake VP has set out to repo a Polar trailer and reap the big reward.
That'll just rub salt in the wound.
Yep.
But Mark's looking to throw a wrench into their plans.
Well, whatever you can do on your end to make this hap-- to make this stop.
north of Winnipeg I finally arrived in Red Sucker, so now I've gotta go find the trailer.
Alex Debogorski closes in on the pick up point.
What's this? I got a red-- I got a police light behind me.
How's it goin'? Okay.
Okay, well, what do you guys, what do you want? I understand.
They have to immediately escort us out of town, they're basically kicking us out of town.
Back at Polar headquarters Really? Oh, that's great news.
Mark gets word from his connections up north.
That's awesome! All right.
Thank you for looking after that for me.
All right, take care.
That's awesome.
I just got a call that these-- these guys tried to get in, grab this trailer.
If I was VP I'd be very ashamed of themselves right now.
This is definitely at the top of the lists of the book called "Exercises In Futility.
" Hundreds of miles from home Alex has become a pawn in the chess game between Polar and VP Express.
For some reason, every time the police turn the red light on you just like, I feel like I'm the bad guy, I did something bad, I did something wrong.
So I'm the bad guy.
That was a hard day on the job.
While Alex is chased out of town If I make it through this it's gonna be a fucking miracle.
Polar driver Art Burke's fighting the storm, struggling to get back to Winnipeg.
Okay, we've got to give her a little fuel to get up this hill here, boy.
But with only a lightweight trailer behind him, and deep snow ahead Let's hope I don't fuck up! each hill will be a knockdown drag out battle.
Hang on! Come on, baby, you can do it! Fuck.
We're in too deep there, unh.
I don't think I'm gonna be able to pull this off.
As the deep freeze of night sets in Polar's fortunes and their drivers' survival We are not going anywhere.
are fading fast This is a nightmare.
Next time on Ice Road Truckers These are the most extreme conditions that I have ever travelled on.
The drivers took the risk Ah! Real screwed.
And now, they're paying the price.
I'm running out of fuel, and I'm completely out of fucking patience.
As the storm of the century About as bad as it gets right here.
turns the winter roads I'm just spinning my wheels on this fucking path.
into hell on Earth.
Anybody who's got any ideas of doing this for a fucking job, might wanna get themselves checked out.
That's like ten feet high.
as the worst storm in decades erupts I wish the snow God would go fuck himself and get rid of this fucking snow.
This is gonna be terrible if this keeps up.
the best of the best are pushed to the limit Holy mackerel! I have absolutely no idea where the holes are.
and the battle for fortune on the winter roads Oh my gosh! becomes a battle for survival.
Buckle up! CGLB Weather, it is cold out there! We're down around -40, -45.
On the Canadian winter roads Road conditions just in; bad news, it is snowing and blowing.
The polar vortex, a cyclone of frigid air from the North Pole is creating a perfect storm.
We got a major snowfall happening right now, huge amounts of snow are falling, this is going to be really, really bad news for the drivers.
Record low temperatures, record snowfalls, and zero visibility are handcuffing all travel.
Barely passable.
Be careful if you're out there because you could be in some trouble.
Trucks and truckers aren't meant to drive in these conditions.
But with cargo that must be delivered on time to collect paycheques, drivers at Polar and VP Express can't afford to stay home.
It's still a dash for the cash, it don't matter who you are, you've gotta pull 'er together and you sleep in May.
In the heart of the storm This is not the best day to take on a new road.
Lisa Kelly is attempting the most ambitious mission of her career.
Travelling over 600 miles from Winnipeg, all the way to Big Trout Lake, further north into Ontario than any Polar driver has gone before.
Can't really steer a whole lot and I certainly can't get any traction.
But extreme conditions from the blizzard are making the challenging trip an increasingly dangerous one.
Super snowy and deep, and I have no idea, I've never been on this road so I have no idea what to expect.
I can't tell if it's gravel, or paved, or snow, or ice, I can't tell at all.
Who the hell knows how big this storm is.
Suddenly, through the snowfall, Lisa spots the first truck she's seen all day.
Hey, uh, southbound, you got a copy there? Hey, I was just wondering how far does this uh, this storm go, do you know? Oh, you guys aren't gonna go then, you're just camping out? Despite the dire warning Uh-oh, everybody else is camped out, not going.
I think, at this point, I'm the only one still moving.
Lisa rolls the dice onto one of the most remote winter roads in all of Canada.
You just drive, and it's crappy, and you take your time and you just try to make it through.
So, I mean, I'm gonna try to use my best judgment.
And if I get stuck, I'm on my own.
As Lisa rumbles on, her Polar team-mate braves another brutal Ontario trail.
Wish the snow God would go fuck himself and get rid of this fucking snow.
This is gonna be terrible if this keeps up.
Art Burke's barrelling forward, on the 450 mile route from Winnipeg to the tiny village of Deer Lake.
The snow is knee deep, you can't tell where the side of the road is here.
But with conditions nearly un-driveable Can't see a thing.
the plan may be on life support.
I tell you this snow, it's gonna add up.
I really don't like when it's snowing like this at all.
It's just I don't like it all over the fucking road because it makes the road slippery.
You gotta get good runs for these fucking hills.
To make it up this hill in the snow, he'll have to give it as much gas as he can.
But losing traction at the increased speed could lead to a crash into the ditch.
What the hell was that? Let's go back and look at this now.
Fuck! These are all broken.
Fuck.
Art's chains snapped while scaling the hill.
Well Without them, he'll have even less traction in the oncoming storm.
There's a lot of snow.
We're gonna wing it, eh.
But Art takes the risk, pressing forward with a bare set of tires.
Fuck it.
Snow that fucking deep, with no fucking chains on.
Fuck that.
Fuck it! While Art grinds towards Deer Lake his team-mate's putting the remote town in his rear view mirror.
It's snowing like a son of a bitch out.
This is definitely the most nervous run I've ever been on, that's for sure.
Todd Dewey's gunning for Winnipeg after delivering to Deer Lake early this morning.
It started just flat-out an hour ago, it was about an hour, it's already snowed a good 3-4 inches of snow.
But the heavy snowfall up north is crippling visibly.
This is it, this is the lake crossing.
You can't even see the lake.
And now he'll have to attempt the one mile, Meddick Lake ice crossing in near whiteout conditions.
You're standing in two feet of fresh snow on top of the ice.
So you can't really see the ice, you can't even see where the road is on the ice.
You honestly don't know what's gonna happen.
So I really need to just suck it up and get going.
It's total whiteout condition, I can't see where-where I'm steering on the lake.
I can't see nothin'.
Holy smokes.
Coming up If I get stuck no one is coming along to help me.
The road least travelled.
Oh my gosh.
In a blinding whiteout It's a total whiteout condition, I can't see where-where I'm steering on the lake.
Todd Dewey's playing a guessing game on the Meddick Lake ice crossing.
The visibility is absolutely zero, I can't see in any direction.
I'm trying to figure out where the road is on the ice.
Holy smokes.
It's a great, big snow blizzard, and there's already four or five inches of fresh snow.
You can't even see where the road is.
Unable to see more than a few yards ahead, and with the snow pile almost two feet high I don't even know if I'm in the deep snow, not in the deep snow, I cannot tell.
it's impossible for Todd to gauge where the ice might be too thin to pass, or even if he's going in the right direction.
I'm trying to keep spotted on the ice that looks like it's got the less snow on it, and stay right there.
Because if you get too off to the right or to the left, you're going to plough into the deep five feet of snow, and you're gonna be stuck out here on the ice, and that's not good.
Even though the snow is on top but you can hear it cracking.
But the ice isn't Todd's only concern Oh, my frickin' door is open on my side.
In the swirling winds, his cargo hatch popped open.
Now my door, my little door compartment didn't shut when I shut it.
Inside is his emergency gear, a must-have in conditions like these.
And I can't stop on the ice.
So Todd throws caution to the wind I gotta get out, I can't stop on the ice.
Whoa.
Come on! Got it! The door is shut now! Ha ha ha! Oh! The hatch is shut, but he's still gotta conquer the final quarter mile of the crossing.
Come off the ice, baby, come on, get me off this ice.
Come on, come on, come on, come on.
Finally! Yeah, baby! Off the ice, yes! But I know it ain't over.
Todd's relief is short-lived as he's still got over into the blizzard.
This whole road is gonna be a nightmare.
While Polar's on the move Back in Winnipeg Okay, you said, Red Sucker Lake, all right.
So is VP Express.
Did you say Polar? And they've landed a contract that's sure to sting their rival.
Oh, I see, I see.
In this case, yeah, I'll do it.
Okay.
Thanks.
Bye bye.
There's a trailer in the Red Sucker Lake, that's sitting there since last year that Polar rented, and they never paid.
Oh yeah.
So these trailer guys, they want us to go out there and repo the trailer for them.
Fucking A.
Eh, let's do 'er.
Last year, Polar rented a trailer for a run to Red Sucker Lake, but never returned it.
Now the trailer company wants it back, so they've hired VP to repo it for a big bounty.
They said, will you-- repo this trailer for you and we'll pay you full load, like the full price for a full load.
So I mean that's, you know, that's five grand going in there and getting that trailer.
That's a no brainer, right? You know, who we could get? Alex is up at Thompson and he's bobtailin'.
Do you think Alex can handle this one? Oh, for sure.
Even if he worked for Polar last year? That'll just rub salt in the wound.
The repo mission requires a savvy veteran at the helm, so within hours I'm going to Red Sucker Lake to take the trailer, turn around and drag it out the other way.
VP's got Alex Debogorski on the case.
The road to Red Sucker is one of the roughest in Manitoba.
So it's got about four to six inches of snow on it.
This area mostly powdered.
And in the blizzard, it'll be worse than ever.
Lots of tight curves, lots of up and downs.
I've got no trailer behind me to hang on to me.
Driving bobtail I have to be careful because the truck is so short, if you start to slide, it's easy to lose control.
Holy mackerel! Round and round, up and down.
All the potholes are camouflaged, eh, just hiding there, just when I come up, they jump out and grab the wheel.
While Alex takes on the Manitoba winter roads, in Ontario I'm a little nervous because we got snow, and then we got the hills, and like no one else is going.
And if I get stuck, no one is coming along to help me.
Lisa Kelly is the only trucker remaining on the road to big trout lake.
I'm just following these like, faint, little tracks that are almost all snowed in.
I mean I have my fingers crossed I'm going in the right direction.
The snowfall's increased to three feet, and winds are creating near whiteout conditions.
Oh, my gosh.
Really bumpy.
But the Polar driver's daring to push forward, and still has over 100 miles to go.
Yeah, I don't know if I'm going the right way.
I feel like I am.
So a moderate S-bend after a hill.
Okay, let's see if we can find a moderate S-bend, and see if I'm on the right road.
Lisa needs to hit the turnoff to Big Trout Lake, but roads like this aren't found on any GPS.
I didn't think this would be so complicated.
So she'll have to rely on old-fashioned maps.
There's no mile markers, no signs, just trees.
Crap.
I don't know what's going on.
I gotta pull over.
I'm just so confused by the map.
Our turn is Kingfisher-Big Trout turnoff, I feel like it's this road, but we're trying to turn here, and we're over here somewhere.
A check of the map confirms she's missed her turn off.
I gonna try-- I'm gonna try turn around.
So she'll have to reposition and turn back around.
Careful.
Fuck! But manoeuvring the big rig through the quickly mounting snow is anything but a sure bet.
This is not easy, it's a 48-foot trailer.
So it's not exactly the easiest trailer in the world.
If I can just keep it there, I might be okay.
Come on, don't get stuck on that side.
No, I'm gonna jackknife it.
I'm just getting stuck.
This is not a good place to turn around.
Oh no! I'm stuck.
In the heart of the blizzard This is not easy, it's a 48-foot trailer.
Oh, don't get stuck on that side.
No, I'm gonna jackknife it.
Fuck! After trying to reposition her rig Oh no! I'm stuck.
Lisa Kelly's stuck in over three feet of snow.
The only driver remaining on the remote trail to Big Trout.
If Lisa can't get herself out of this jam, there's no one else to help her.
The Alaskan pro's only hope is to throw on chains and pray it's enough to get through the massive snowfall.
Try.
Come on! Let me out of here.
Okay.
Onward! Yes! Back on track We'll try this way.
Lisa finds the turn off to Big Trout Lake These are really bad days to be taking this crap on.
But she'll be the only driver for the next 100 miles as she battles towards the drop off point.
This could get rough.
While Lisa rolls on, back in Winnipeg Well, what the fuck.
I'm showing that I've got plenty of battery.
Darrell Ward can't even get out of the yard.
Yeah, it's cold out here, this truck has been sitting for a couple of days.
Fuck! Come on.
I've had problems here, at Polar, with the mechanics in the past and these trucks.
Their maintenance and their service is kind of lax.
Well, I guess I'll grab my paper work, go in and do my paper work, and let them know my truck don't start.
With the truck in the shop, Darrell could be out multiple loads and multiple paycheques.
I'm not making any money.
Out of coffee.
I've been sitting here drinking coffee all day long.
Uh, coffee's good.
The more coffee I drink, the more ambitious I am, you know, it gives me that caffeine rush and I want to go drive my truck.
But I don't have a truck to drive because it belongs to Polar, and Polar's trucks are junk.
I've got two loads since I've been here.
Something's gotta change around here.
But Darrell's downed truck is just one of Polar's worries Polar Industries.
Into Red Sucker Lake? Oh, you gotta be kidding me.
News of rival VP's repo mission is reaching Polar boss, Mark Kohaykewych.
Just got word that the guys at VP Express are gonna go try and take this trailer out of Red Sucker Lake, illegally.
Alex Debogorski's within hours of snagging the trailer, claiming a bounty for VP Express, and sticking it to his old boss.
I've been in this legal battle with this trailer that got left last year in Red Sucker Lake.
It's my business, it's my problem, they're going to go try and repo this stuff, like under whose direction? But Mark's not going down without a fight.
This is typical VP style.
This isn't gonna happen, not on my watch.
We're gonna put a stop to this one way or another.
Yeah, I just got word from one of my drivers that VP has been hired by the trailer clowns to go get this trailer out.
Refusing to let Hugh and Vlad get the best of him, Mark puts in a call to connections up north.
Well, whatever you can do on your end to make this hap-- to make this stop.
I trust you'll look after it, thank you.
Bye bye.
These guys are gonna look like a bunch of idiots.
They're trying to make me look stupid, they're going to look stupid in the end.
Coming up Uh-oh, looks bad up there, man.
The floodgates open You've got to be kidding me.
And later It's slick out.
Rolling towards disaster Oh my gosh! Weather conditions; wind gusting to 60 kilometres per hour, blowing snow giving poor visibility The blizzard that's pounding the winter roads is increasing in intensity.
Conditions are so extreme that virtually every trucker has chosen to stay on the sidelines.
But in remote Ontario Still five inches, six inches of snow I'm trudging through.
Still no tracks but mine.
I wanna get there so that I know that there is an end to this road.
Lisa Kelly has navigated her way over the unmarked trail to her destination.
I'm just rolling into Big Trout here.
Get this stuff offloaded.
And with the run complete, she's travelled further north into Ontario than any other Polar driver, notching another load for the team.
Instead of waiting in town, Lisa jumps back into the fray.
And I am now departing empty, with no backhaul.
But on her return trip, she'll have to do it without a load helping to weigh her down.
It's slick out.
Creating a lethal combination of weak traction into the teeth of the whipping wind.
I guess I'll just get out there and find out.
While Lisa presses forward, back at Polar headquarters, Darrell is still stuck in neutral.
Here I am broke down, the truck's sitting in the shop.
You know, I came up here to work, I didn't come up here to fuck off.
Darrell.
Mark, how's it going? Good, how are you doing buddy? - Not good.
- What's going on? Oh you know, just everything.
Truck's broke down, I've only made two runs since I've been here.
I mean it's, it's trucking, Darrell.
Oh, I know it's trucking but I've just been, you know, I do need to get loads.
Darrell came in complaining, complaining trucks weren't ready, complaining this wasn't ready, you know typical Darrell hot-head stuff.
At the end of the day, he's got to be a team player.
You know, we had this conversation last year.
You came in here, you were upset about things.
Yeah.
I told you, I said are you in-- I want, I want as many loads as I can get, that's why I'm here, you know.
Let's get on the road.
We've got too much shit to move.
Not until Monday, you know what I mean? Things happen.
I mean, how long have you been doing this for? You know, I apologize if it's not up to your standards.
You know, I can understand why Hugh and Vlad moved on, started their own business.
You know, maybe these guys are all moving on for a reason? While Polar faces trouble in the office, it's even worse on the road.
What in the hell?! It's gettin' kind of nasty out again.
Art Burke's pushing deep into Ontario with over 100 miles to go to remote Deer Lake.
I wish it would stop snowing.
Fuck! All fucking shit.
But the worst storm in decades is making for a brutal ride.
Hopefully this is gonna quit, eh.
And now, an ice crossing packed with over two feet of snow brings the run to a halt.
Holy fuck, man, she's not a very nice day.
See all this snow sitting on it is heavy, eh, and there's tonnes, and tonnes, and tonnes of this stuff on the lake.
As the heavy snowfall weighs down the ice, the pressure forces water to seep through the cracks, and the weakened spots become potential death traps for passing rigs.
Makes it a little more tricky.
Despite the threat of mounting snow weighing on the ice Okay, buddy.
Away we go! Art takes the gamble.
There's that much fucking snow here.
More and more that we're trotting through.
A quarter mile in Uh-oh, that looks bad up there, man.
the nightmare scenario becomes reality.
The weight of the snow has got the water pushed right up through up here, look.
You gotta be kiddin' me.
Oh boy.
On McInnis Lake ice crossing There's that much fucking snow here.
Art Burke's facing a weighty challenge.
Uh-oh.
Looks bad up there, man.
Pressure from the heavy snowfall is causing the ice to crack and water's seeping through.
You gotta be kiddin' me.
Oh boy.
That's what freaks me out.
I'm gonna take that as a sign that this fucking ice is dangerous as fuck.
Go on, boy.
With over a half mile left to go, all Art can do is keep a steady pace and hope the ice holds out.
This is a long lake, man.
I'll be glad to get off of this one.
I want to get through this in one piece, eh.
I got a little sweetheart in Yellowknife that I love dearly, not to mention a whole family and everything up there.
I don't want anything to fucking happen to me.
We're away again, boy.
We're off the ice.
We can relax now.
Fucking shit! Once across So we made 'er.
Art makes it to the drop-off point in Deer Lake and despite the blizzard, Polar banks another load.
I got it all off, everything went good.
Mission complete.
But now It's snowing again.
It's been snowing now for the past two days.
He'll have to turn and burn right back into the heart of the storm.
There's a lot of snow, so I hope to God we don't get stuck tonight.
Away we go, that's all we can do.
But Art's not the only Polar driver in the thick of it.
I may as well close my eyes, that's how much I can see right now.
Lisa Kelly's 100 miles out of Big Trout Lake on her way back to Winnipeg.
I am now empty with no backhaul.
It's far worse than when we were loaded.
But her empty trailer is barely holding on through the ferocious winds and snowy terrain.
I either get to my destination or I'm in the ditch somewhere.
I don't anticipate it's gonna be any easier.
Hills are going to trip me up because I don't have any weight on the drives.
The light load means little traction, a worst case scenario as she hits a run of steep hills.
Yeah, so this is not gonna be fun.
The incline requires added speed This could get rough.
and will put Lisa and her empty trailer to the test.
Come on! I'm slowing down.
But the deep snowfall is proving to be a tough opponent.
Oh my gosh! I don't think I'm gonna make it.
Fucking shit! All Lisa can do is roll the rig back and try again.
Dug in even deeper the storm's won this battle.
I'm not going anywhere.
Lisa's stranded, and out of options, hundreds of miles from help.
There's no way to get out of here.
Coming up - What's this? - Busted.
We did something wrong.
I'm the bad guy.
In the middle of a massive storm, Polar and VP Express are battling Mother Nature and each other.
You said, Red Sucker Lake VP has set out to repo a Polar trailer and reap the big reward.
That'll just rub salt in the wound.
Yep.
But Mark's looking to throw a wrench into their plans.
Well, whatever you can do on your end to make this hap-- to make this stop.
north of Winnipeg I finally arrived in Red Sucker, so now I've gotta go find the trailer.
Alex Debogorski closes in on the pick up point.
What's this? I got a red-- I got a police light behind me.
How's it goin'? Okay.
Okay, well, what do you guys, what do you want? I understand.
They have to immediately escort us out of town, they're basically kicking us out of town.
Back at Polar headquarters Really? Oh, that's great news.
Mark gets word from his connections up north.
That's awesome! All right.
Thank you for looking after that for me.
All right, take care.
That's awesome.
I just got a call that these-- these guys tried to get in, grab this trailer.
If I was VP I'd be very ashamed of themselves right now.
This is definitely at the top of the lists of the book called "Exercises In Futility.
" Hundreds of miles from home Alex has become a pawn in the chess game between Polar and VP Express.
For some reason, every time the police turn the red light on you just like, I feel like I'm the bad guy, I did something bad, I did something wrong.
So I'm the bad guy.
That was a hard day on the job.
While Alex is chased out of town If I make it through this it's gonna be a fucking miracle.
Polar driver Art Burke's fighting the storm, struggling to get back to Winnipeg.
Okay, we've got to give her a little fuel to get up this hill here, boy.
But with only a lightweight trailer behind him, and deep snow ahead Let's hope I don't fuck up! each hill will be a knockdown drag out battle.
Hang on! Come on, baby, you can do it! Fuck.
We're in too deep there, unh.
I don't think I'm gonna be able to pull this off.
As the deep freeze of night sets in Polar's fortunes and their drivers' survival We are not going anywhere.
are fading fast This is a nightmare.
Next time on Ice Road Truckers These are the most extreme conditions that I have ever travelled on.
The drivers took the risk Ah! Real screwed.
And now, they're paying the price.
I'm running out of fuel, and I'm completely out of fucking patience.
As the storm of the century About as bad as it gets right here.
turns the winter roads I'm just spinning my wheels on this fucking path.
into hell on Earth.
Anybody who's got any ideas of doing this for a fucking job, might wanna get themselves checked out.