Ice Road Truckers

Narrator: Now on "Ice Road Truckers"...

Alex: I'm all ready to take on what may come.

Narrator: Big loads...

Art: Oh no we're sliding into the ditch.

Narrator: mean bigger problems...

and disaster...

Art: Hang on.

Narrator: is always...

(Bleep)!

Narrator: just around the corner.

(Bleep)!

***

***

Narrator: For winter roads...

the ideal weather is a steady arctic freeze.

But this year's wild swings in temperature...

- And we just crawl through it, eh.

Narrator: have made the humps bigger...

Hang on.

Narrator: and the surfaces slicker...

Steph: Oh.

Narrator: In conditions like this...

Alex: Whoa, whoa, whoa.

Narrator: even a seasoned hand like Alex Debagorski...

Alex: Whoa, look at that

the back end just sort of shot out right there.

Narrator: can quickly lose control.

Alex: Whoa, whoa, whoa, no-no-no.

Whoa-whoa-whoa!

Oh crap...

I just did what I didn't want to do.

(Engine rumbles, tires spinning)

That's about all she wants to go.

Okay, I think it's time to put some chains on.

***

Alex: Yeah, we're gonna have some trouble

getting out of here now.

***

Oh, I'm screwed.

Narrator: 50 miles away...

- I like when you start out in the morning like this

and the sun is just coming up

and it's really nice here, eh.

Narrator: Art Burke is on his way

to the remote community of Deer Lake

with a haul that's near and dear to his heart.

Art: I got a zamboni back there.

A zamboni if you've ever watched the hockey games,

the zamboni is that rig that they send on to go round

and make the ice nice and smooth, eh.

Every little-little town and village in Canada

got one of those, eh.

Never know the next Wayne Gretzky

might come out of here, b'y.

All because I dragged up a brand new zamboni.

!

Yeah, if we had of had a zamboni down on the pond

down home when we were kids,

instead of Wayne Gretzky might have been Art Burke, b'y.

So this is pretty important to get this-get this in here.

Oh, we'll just mosey along here, b'y, get 'er done.

Narrator: As Art drives on to make hockey history...

95 miles away...

Alex: Ah-ah-ah.

It's not helping any.

Narrator: Alex has tried shoveling...

Narrator: and he's tried chains...

Alex: (Bleep).

Narrator: but now he's gonna need something else

to free him.

Alex: I just ripped my chains right off.

Instead of getting better it got worse.

Narrator: Just a day ago...

Alex: What the heck's going on here?

Narrator: Alex played the role of good Samaritan...

Alex: What's the matter with your truck?

- My brakes are locked solid. - I'll come give you a hand.

Okay, thanks.

Narrator: and freed a fellow trucker

who was stuck with frozen brakes.

Okay, good.

I have to figure something out.

Narrator: Now, when Alex needs help

to get out of an icy ditch...

Narrator: the trucker God's are listening.

Trucker: Problem?

Alex: I got a problem, big problem.

What do you think?

- You got a strap? I got a strap.

Trucker: I got a strap, yeah.

Oh, thanks for stopping.

Trucker: No problem.

Alex: I don't think I stand to hope a one ton pickup.

Trucker: We'll get you out of here.

Alex: Okay.

(Tire scrunch in the snow, chain clinks)

!

You know I got a bigger strap.

Maybe we should put that on?

Trucker: You're out.

Alex: Ha-ha.

Well guys... well great, thank you very much

I really, I really appreciate that.

Trucker: Okay.

Alex: Hey, thank you very much. I really appreciate it.

Trucker: You're welcome, glad to help.

- Okay. Thank you. - You're welcome.

Alex: Ready Freddy.

These two young fellas come along

with their-their big pickups and pulling trailers

and they helped me out.

They didn't leave me the way the people are driving by

leaving the guy that uh, we were helping yesterday.

I guess there's an example of karma.

I helped one guy the day before

and the next day somebody helped me.

Narrator: As Alex heads off to his next mission...

175 miles away...

Lisa: I am going to Kasabonaka

with a load of building materials

to build a nurses station.

Cause they don't have like a hospital or anything.

So that's kind of a big deal.

Narrator: Lisa Kelly's enjoying a fresh start of her own.

Lisa: This load is important to me

because this is my first contract, on my own again.

Oh no! Oh (bleep)! I'm gonna jackknife!

Narrator: An early season crash...

Lisa: I need money to fix the truck

and I need the truck to make money.

- Let's see if we can get this truck fixed up for you quick here.

Narrator: Forced Lisa to seek a loan from her former boss

and business competitor, Mark Kohakewych.

Now after hauling loads for Polar...

- I finally got my truck paid off

and the damages that was done.

Narrator: A contract with the Kasabonaka First Nation

could be Lisa's first profitable trip this winter...

- Getting this contract will be a big deal to me

cause I would really like to try again with this business.

Narrator: as long as she gets it there.

Lisa: I'm the first truck into Kasabonaka.

It's my first time in.

I have no idea what this road's like.

I have no idea if there's hills, nothing.

So it's all just kind of a crap shoot.

Narrator: While Lisa pushes on...

just 15 miles ahead...

Reno: We're headed up to Big Trout.

We're about fifty kilometers into the winter road.

Narrator: Reno Ward, son of the late Darrell Ward,

has stayed in the north to help keep a business alive.

Reno: Unfortunately with my dad passing

I knew there was a void here.

So we're gonna push on, hopefully get in here,

get unloaded and uh, get back on the road,

and go grab another load.

Narrator: Today Reno will be traveling much the same route

as Lisa before veering off and heading for his destination.

- Yeah, I got a pretty heavy load on

and it's really tight, windy, icy roads

so the ability to stop is slim to none.

Narrator: This rugged road also holds memories for Reno...

Darrell: What's one of the biggest things

you gotta worry about out here? - Ah, other people mostly.

- You never know when you're gonna meet something

coming around these corners.

Reno: I know I'm looking ahead.

- I know but I'm just reminding you.

Reno: I remember going through here with my dad.

You know just all those thoughts go through your head.

I remember as a kid just riding thousands

and thousands of miles with my dad

and knowing what my dad taught me about you know,

reading the road. So (bleep)!