Ice Road Truckers

Narrator: Now on "ice road truckers"...

Art: So far I'd say this is the worst road yet.

I've never been on them,

I don't know what to expect.

Narrator: ...The drivers take on new frontiers.

- I can see how they call this the death road.

I'm on the road!

Narrator: New blood...

Holy (bleep)!

Welcome to the ice road, baby.

Narrator: And...

It was somewheres around here

Where I almost went through.

Narrator: ...And an old nemesis.

- I gotta be (bleep) to be doing this.

Narrator: The ice road truckers could be facing

Their warmest and shortest season on record.

Open trails could be closed at any time.

And some roads may never open at all.

So the company's are doing what they can to survive.

Darrell: Alberta's a long ways from here.

Narrator: For darrell and lisa

That means expanding the map into a new province.

- You got them loaded up and ready to go?

Long ways to alberta but I'm on it.

All right, yep thanks, bye.

Fort chip, alberta.

P.

It may be a long ways away but it pays good. - Okay.

- I don't know what the road conditions like up there.

Stories I've heard is it's a very rough road.

We got this new contract going to alberta.

It gives us the opportunity to expand into a new province,

Grow this company.

Well, let's get out of here. Alberta.

It's gonna be a long drive.

I've heard these roads are real dangerous,

But we're gonna take the risk to make this company survive.

Narrator: Darrell and lisa will be venturing farther

Than they've ever been before.

Hauling 50 tons of heating supplies

Over 1000 miles from winnipeg

To distant fort chipewyan

Over a trail nicknamed the death road.

I've never been on 'em.

I don't know what to expect

But these communities depend on it.

I depend on it; this trucking company depends on it.

Narrator: Traveling this far for a company with a two truck fleet

Could be an overreach,

But if they pull it off

It'll be their biggest payout to date.

Hope for the best.

Narrator: Back in winnipeg...

Good to go.

Narrator: ...Polar is looking to expand their team.

Just days ago...

- Don't let me down. I'm gonna give you a shot.

- Yeah. Awesome, thank you. - All right? Welcome aboard.

Narrator: ...22-year-old steph custance,

Finally got the green light to join the ice roads battle.

Mark: It's a short season and uh,

I've gotta get loads moving fast

And I need all the drivers I can get.

I'm gonna take a chance on, on steph.

Narrator: Now the rookies gearing up for her first run,

But she won't be flying solo.

- Todd? - Yeah.

- Hey, steph. - Stephanie. Nice to meet ya.

- Yeah, I'll be convoying out with you.

Narrator: She'll be learning from polar's best,

Company top dog, todd dewey.

- You know what you signed up for?

- I don't really know exactly what to expect.

- Well, you're in for one hell of a rodeo then, aren't ya?

My first impression of stephanie is she's a rookie

With zero experience.

That's a recipe for nothing but disaster.

You know, it's hard to say how dangerous it's gonna be.

It's dangerous no matter what. - Yeah.

- But with the weather we're having this year

And everything that's going on,

I-I'm nervous about it myself.

I have no idea what to expect.

I don't know what's coming but I'm excited.

Whatever man, let's go, hammer down.

- So let's hit the road. Let's get out of here and uh,

See what hells gonna throw our way this year.

Okay.

Sounds good, steph.

Narrator: The convoy's mission:

Retrieve two trailers that were forced to be abandoned last winter.

But to get them todd and steph must travel

500 grueling miles to shamattawa,

One of the most remote destinations

On the manitoba winter roads.

- Here we go. Are you ready to roll?

- (bleep) right. Todd: (on radio) okay dokey.

Narrator: It's an assignment that would be a challenge for a veteran,

But for a rookie it'll be a trial by fire.

- Got a little spunk to her I'll tell you that.

We'll see how she feels at the end of the day

Or should I say at the end of the trip.

- Out on the open road. yeah.

I'm doing it. (laughs)

doing it.

Narrator: While the newcomer heads out on her first trip,

400 miles to the northeast...

(bleep)

Narrator: ...The company wild card

Is putting his veteran skills to the test.

Narrator: Art burke's headed down one of the most

Notorious trials in all of ontario.

- I'm off to sachigo lake this morning

With a load of building supplies.

It's pretty heavy I can tell by the feel.

I'd say we're maxing right to the (bleep).

It's a heavy load.

Narrator: Sachigo lake falls on the outskirts of the winter road system

Over 500 rugged miles from winnipeg.

- So far I say this is the worst road yet.

Yet.

Narrator: The route's littered with uneven hills

And punishing rocks that are breaking through

Under the crumbling muskeg.

Art: I don't wanna get stuck in here,

Cause if you get stuck

God knows how long you're stuck.

Narrator: This season the deteriorating roads

Have already stopped drivers in their tracks.

- I can't (bleep) around, can't (bleep) around.

Narrator: And no one knows it more than art...

Hang on here.

whoa!

Narrator: ...Who was stranded for nearly 24 hours

On his first trip.

Well, isn't this wonderful?

.

christ.

Oh my goodness, b'y.

I can look forward to...

I don't know how many hours of this.

I guess there's a bright side to this:

If I ever get on one of them electrical bulls

I'll be able to hang on like a bastard.

Oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh.

Well, I've come to this fork in the road.

Here we go again, eh.

Narrator: From here there are two ways

To get to sachigo lake.

A longer path with plenty of extra rocky miles

And a shorter one but loaded with a three mile ice crossing.

- This looks like the spot last year

And last year I went that way

And that's where I almost went through the ice.

Art: Whoa!

Broke through the (bleep) ice, man.

It's almost like flipping a coin, kind of thing, right.

Which way do I go here?

So...

If I cross that piece of ice,

Road's are way shorter, eh.

So I'm gonna try it and see what happens.

Narrator: Art makes the call:

He'll face off with the crossing

That nearly cost him his life last season.

- If I'm sorry I did this, well, I'll be sorry I did this.

Narrator: Deep in the canadian wilderness...

I'm on the road!

I'm on the winter road.

We're (bleep) heading to shamattawa, bud.

- This is your big debut right here, girl.

This is what you've been waiting for.

Narrator: Polar's convoy of todd dewey

And rookie steph custance

Are pushing down one of the toughest roads in manitoba.

It's a good feeling to...

Be here,

It's a good feeling to be here.

Every (bleep) bump is a good feeling to be here.

This means a lot; this is money for my kid.

Everything I do in my life is for my kid.

Keeping my fingers crossed.

Just paying attention to her.

I got her right in front of me, right in my sights,

I see everything she's doing.

I really want her to just get the feeling of the roads,

You know, how it's throwing the truck around.

Narrator: It's steph's first trip on the winter roads.

All right, hang on.

this is gonna get rough.

Copy that.

Narrator: And the trail's packed with new challenges

Around every turn.

Todd: (on radio) watch it.