Ice Road Truckers

Narrator: Now...

Alex: This looks sketchy.

Narrator: On "ice road truckers"

Whoa!

Narrator: ...It's a nightmare for the drivers.

My motor just cut power.

She just cut half power on me.

Narrator: As the fight to keep moving...

Don't do this now.

lisa: Easy, easy, easy, easy!

Narrator: Quickly goes downhill.

Whoa.

Oh (bleep)!

Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!

Narrator: Throughout the north

El nino's wrath is crippling the ice road truckers.

The weather pattern is causing a severe heat wave

That could result in the shortest season on record.

Many of the roads needed to deliver vital supplies

Have yet to open.

And those that have are rapidly melting.

And deep in the canadian wilderness,

300 miles from winnipeg...

Art: Away we go again.

Narrator: Polar driver art burke's in the thick of it.

Racing back home after delivering his first haul of the season.

Nine hours of this, eh b'y.

Narrator: But the winter road out of remote wasagamack

Is quickly deteriorating

Right out from under his wheels.

(bleep)!

Hang on here.

Hang on here, hang on here.

Whoa!

Oh my god, my god, my god.

How the (bleep) am I gonna get out of this?

I'm pretty much (bleep).

We ran into this.

I don't know how deep that is.

But my arse came that far off the seat when I hit it,

So I assume it's about that deep.

And we were probably headed right into the swamp there.

So now,

I gotta figure out how in the hell

I'm gonna get out of this.

Narrator: Hundreds of miles from the nearest community

There's no help coming by anytime soon.

Be all (bleep) week with this.

Narrator: So it'll be up to the company wild card

To deal himself out of trouble.

- I try my best not to panic at this racket, eh.

and if we can't get it out we'll burn 'er.

Okay, b'y, keep your fingers crossed.

Okay, we gained about six inches there.

Every inch counts, buddy.

, we gained a foot or more there.

One more time, this is the biggie.

Come on, come on, come on, come on! Come on!

Nothing.

We're (bleep).

Narrator: While art's sidelined,

Back in winnipeg at polar headquarters...

- How much longer you got on this trailer?

We gotta get this thing out here quickly so.

Narrator: The boss is scrambling as roads are finally open,

But the window of opportunity could close fast.

- I've got loads piling up in my yard.

Customers are freaking, they're yelling.

Now that we've accepted a load it's our responsibility.

We gotta get them in.

We'll get this thing kicked out right away.

I've gotta get loads moving fast

And I need all the drivers I can get.

Narrator: So now he's looking to expand the team.

come in.

Steph: Mark? Mark: Yep.

Hi I'm steph.

Nice to meet you. Have a seat.

Narrator: And 22-year-old hopeful, steph custance,

Is looking for a shot on the ice.

- I'm a single mom, I'm 22, my son's five.

Whoa.

Son: Under ducking! Wee!

- After I had my son that's when I decided

To go for my beginner's

So I went and wrote the test and I passed it

And then I literally just jumped in a semi

And started driving.

- You're looking to be a driver on the ice roads?

Yeah, I'm hoping to be.

You got experience?

Very new, very new.

Why ice road trucking?

I like challenging myself.

I think this a good challenge for me and money's good.

- You are coming to me at the right time.

I desperately need driver's right now

But you're gonna die o there

If you don't know what you're doing.

I'm not gonna kid you.

- Being a single mom right from day one I got doubted.

From day one and on my odds and I beat them all

And that's what I plan on continuing to do.

I can do this. I know I can do this.

You know what?

Um, I'm gonna have to see what you're capable of doing

Before I send you out there.

- For sure. - Why don't you stick around

And I'll see if I can find some time for you this afternoon.

- Sounds good. Thank you. - All right. Nice meeting you.

- Nice meeting you. See you later.

Mark: I'm gonna put uh, steph through some tests here

And see what she's like behind the wheel.

We have a short window here

And we need to capitalize on it.

Are you the polar puppy?

Are you gonna tell daddy to give me a job?

Yeah? Yes, we're gonna hire you.

Narrator: As new blood hopes to break into the winter roads game,

In remote manitoba...

Alex: This stuff here sure doesn't look too good, does it?

Narrator: ...An ice road's legend returns

To help anchor the polar squad.

Look there's crack through it

Without anybody even driving on it.

I don't know what drives me to keep doing it.

I guess to some degree it's helped keep me sane.

Narrator: Alex debogorski has seen it all

In his 40 years on the ice.

Alex: Hold on!

Just about gone. Just about.

Where am I?

Whoa!

Narrator: And through the chaos, the 62-year-olds faith...

Alex: Did you lose some weight? - Nope.

- Are you wearing a corset? - No. - (laughs)

Narrator: ...And sense of humor have remained intact.

But now the grizzled vet

Faces a season unlike any other.

- This ice road trucking season looks like a disaster.

You see the fresh crack through there?

I see climate changing.

The temperature is too warm.

So it'll be a very challenging season.

Narrator: Alex's first big test,

A newly opened crossing that's the gateway

To the community of little grand rapids.

- I can't drive on this side. This side's blocked.

That's why there's red signs there,

Which means there's a problem with the ice.

So I mean, that's a concern.

Narrator: But warming temperatures

And a hot midday sun,

Have already taken their toll on the ice.

And now only a small section remains clear for travel.

- It's a short season and these people need these loads

And if the person doesn't get over

The loads not gonna get delivered.

Narrator: Despite the risk...

I'm gonna drive over it.

Narrator: Alex will brave the ice

With his 20 ton load of heating fuel

That the village is depending on.

- And we're gonna have the door open just in case.

When I say, "jump,"

I won't be here to say it a second time.

And we're gonna kind of roll across this broken ice

And hope for the best.

Definitely making a decent amount of noise.

Oh, this looks sketchy.

Hope it holds.

The ice looks really rough,

You know, like it, like it's been melted.

Narrator: The two mile ice crossing to little grand rapids is dissolving...

Alex: I hope it holds.

Narrator: ...And can barely sustain the weight

From his 20 ton haul.

- I think it might be a good idea to go and stand out

On the running boards.

All this crunchy ice here.

Narrator: To navigate a safe path through the shattered ice,

Alex deploys a veteran move.

This is a good place to stand

If you think there might be any problems,

It's an easy way, quick way to leave the scene,

The scene of the accident.

Narrator: Riding side saddle's dangerous,

But could also provide a life saving escape route

If the truck breaks through.

- Well, there's a little bit of water.