Original subtitles

NARRATOR: Tonight on "Ice Road Truckers."

Not a whole lot of time left on these ice roads

to get these loads moved in here.

NARRATOR: As the end of this season nears--

This does not sound good.

NARRATOR: Ice breaks--

This is a bad situation.

NARRATOR: Tires shred--

Just felt a big boom in the truck.

It's gonna get a whole lot worse than it's been all season.

NARRATOR: And for some--

Don't die here, baby.

Come on.

NARRATOR: It could be the end of the road.

Everything's [bleep].

[music playing]

NARRATOR: Across Manitoba, winter is coming to an end.

Temperatures are rising.

And the rivalry between Polar and BP Express is heating up.

We're doing well.

We're doing very well.

NARRATOR: VP boss Hugh Rowland is

making sure his company grabs every remaining load they can.

We're going to [inaudible],, I think Oxford House.

But we got lots of loads of [inaudible]..

[inaudible]

We're doing really well, really pleased with ourselves.

VP Express is gonna haul away more loads than Polar

Industries.

I'll tell you that.

NARRATOR: While VP is spread across the winter roads,

rival Polar has gone all in on a risky contract to Utik Lake.

These roads are pretty unforgiving

and if you try and rush what you're doing,

you're gonna get into an accident.

NARRATOR: The trail to Utik is a 680-mile journey

over unmonitored roads and ice crossings.

This is probably the thinnest ice I've ever crossed before.

Whoa.

NARRATOR: So far, they've delivered half the cargo.

This is wild.

NARRATOR: But to cash in, they got to haul in the final loads

before the road melts away.

It never ends.

All right.

Just got to my pick up point.

I'm Peter.

- Nice to meet you, Peter. - Good to meet you.

So you coming to pick up the rock truck, eh?

Rock truck.

That's right.

Polar driver Lisa Kelly's hauling the next load bound

for Utik Lake.

And it's her heaviest of the season.

LISA KELLY: And I'm about to go down the--

the Utik Road.

I hear it's really rough.

The winter roads are gonna be really bumpy.

And so this thing's gonna be really heavy.

So I don't know.

I guess I'll find out.

NARRATOR: The 25-ton truck is a chance for her

to prove she can conquer the toughest mission Polar has

to offer.

It's like one of those things, it'll be a challenge

and it'll be fun and something new to learn.

And I think if you never challenge yourself,

then you never learn about yourself.

But you've got to get up and you gotta do something different.

You gotta do something hard.

I got this thing loaded up and chained down.

And away we go.

This thing is heavy.

All I know is this is riding really rough.

I'm only on the highway.

This Utik Lake road is a truck eater.

If I had doubts about any load this year, it was this one.

NARRATOR: As Lisa races her heavy payload toward Utik Lake,

back in Winnipeg--

Looks like I got a little bit of an oversized load

with this excavator.

NARRATOR: VP Express driver Todd Dewey's

got a monster haul of his own, a 40-ton excavator bound

for what's Wasagamack.

You know, we're getting real close to the end of the season

and to the end of the loads going to Wasagamack.

So this is kind of an important run to get up there.

You know, I mean, it's-- it needs to get moved.

I'm just gonna move.

NARRATOR: It's Todd's heaviest load of the season.

And there's over 600 miles to go.

I just got on the road with this excavator.

I can tell the way the truck's pulling, you know,

that it's-- it's definitely the heaviest load I've had on here.

Things are thought out and-- and warming up.

Ice road's gonna get real dangerous up there.

It's gonna be-- it's gonna get a whole lot worse than it's been

all season.

This is the hard--

hard push for Wasagamack.

You know, I got-- it's just me and Hugh on-- on the team.

So I got to keep pushing hard.

I'm gonna do what I do best, and that's drive this truck.

So I'll get to load there one way or another.

Shoot.

NARRATOR: Before he even hits the winter road--

Oh, [bleep].

NARRATOR: the weight of the heavy haul

deals a crushing blow to Todd's trailer.

I felt a big boom in the truck, which, naturally, means

that you lost a tire.

Well, this sucks.

Look at that [bleep] tire.

Real nice.

And it wasn't just one tire.

It blew out two tires on the same axle

in the middle of the trailer.

To the rim is-- is literally hanging off the ground by about

an inch, an inch and a half.

We're gonna have to do some miles and do some backtracking.

What I'm going to do is go get these tires changed.

And then, I'll have to backtrack back and then

head to Wasagamack.

So that's the only possible solution we have.

So I'm just gonna have to do it.

So I'm gonna go chain up my axle and do what I got to do and hit

the road.

Hopefully, no other tires blow out.

NARRATOR: To make the truck drivable,

he's got a chain up the rear axle and limp 100 miles

to the closest shop.

That's it. It's chained up.

The best I can do is try to push it.

So here we go.

NARRATOR: Forced to retrace his steps,

the 40-ton haul is already giving Todd all he can handle.

All I can do now is hope and keep my fingers crossed

I can make it all the way on the tires I have left.

NARRATOR: While Todd backtracks, in the town of Oxford House--

So did you have any nightmares last night?

So you're really happy this morning then?

Oh, I'm happy every morning, boss.

Polar drivers Alex Debogorski and Art Burke

are just about to hit the road.

So you're leaving now?

I'm ready to go now, but--

I'm ready to go too.

NARRATOR: After helping Art make it

to a Utik Lake on their last trip,

Alex is heading out to pick up his next load.

This is quite the little rig, eh?

NARRATOR: Leaving Art to haul a Snowcat over the dangerous road

to Utik alone.

Yeah, just stay calm.

Oh, [bleep]. Yeah.

[inaudible]

I doubled up on me medication today.

OK. Well, I'm off.

- Take care, eh? - I'll see you in a couple days.

- See you later, buddy. - Thank you.

Hey, thank you.

And he's off.

I kind of hate to see him go.

Who am I gonna play with now?

NARRATOR: It's Art's first solo run of the season--

Oh, my god, Ben.

NARRATOR: And his chance to show Polar he

could cut it at his own.

[bleep],, let's go, [inaudible]..

Nothing.

NARRATOR: But there's no response when he hits the gas.

Holy [bleep].

We need a [bleep] mechanic here, eh?

I can't go like this, man.

I'm wondering if it's something in this that's [bleep] up.

NARRATOR: Art pumps the filter, trying

to get more fuel to the engine.

Maybe she'll work.

Maybe she won't.

Come on.

NARRATOR: The solution works, for now.

I'm going anyway.

[bleep] it, man.

It's still bright.

I'll [bleep] mount.

I'll limp the [bleep] sucker in.

I'll limp the [bleep] sucker out, so to speak.

NARRATOR: Determined to complete his first solo assignment,

Art can't afford to send his truck to the shop.

Maybe she might've picked up a little bit of dirt

and she blew it out or something.

I don't know.

NARRATOR: So he'll risk it, hoping his quick fix holds.

Let's go, boy.

We're out of here.

OK.

Shades on.

Seat in the upright position.

We'll be cruising along at 800 feet, hopefully

40 miles an hour.

NARRATOR: Art's moving forward, but there's

trouble on the horizon.

A Polar big rig headed for Utik Lake has jackknife,

blocking the road and putting the company's big job on hold.

Utik Lake's just--

just a nightmare and I'm struggling here.

This is gonna be tough.

NARRATOR: To try and clear the road, Mark's called in an ace.

I'm headed out to go rescue this truck that's

stuck in the middle of the road down here.

NARRATOR: Darrell Ward's racing to save Polar from a crisis.

I got a call from Mark that they were trying to haul a rock

truck in here and the guy got stopped.

And they tried to pull him out with the road grader.

Chain broke, went through the windshield.

And they had to take him out in urgent care.

So I'm gonna make an all night run here

to go clear the road out and get the truck out of the way.

Stopping traffic, stopping anybody from getting in and out

of here.

So only way to get the load moved in here

is for me to go clean up the mess

that somebody else left behind.

I think I'll walk down here, take a look-see,

see how far he's off the road.

Got his ass end in the snowbank.

They've got a lot of roads that need to come in here.

High stake game right now.

Not a whole lot of time left on these ice roads

to get these loads moved in here.

You can't have a truck sitting there blocking the road.

Just to got to keep sliding the ass

end of the trailer that way, til I can get that truck out

on the road.

NARRATOR: Moving the jackknifed rig should take an entire crew.

All right.

NARRATOR: But on this remote trail,

Darrell's got to operate the wench, drive his own truck,

and maneuver the wrecked one all by himself.

I got it in low gear.

So-- all right.

Come on, [bleep].

Move.

NARRATOR: Darrell's in a deadly balancing act

as he jumps from cab to cab.

If the stock rig suddenly comes free,

he'll be crushed between the two trucks.

One more try.

NARRATOR: Keeping the two big rigs from colliding

is taking everything the Montana legend's got.

Alone on the remote trail to Utik Lake--

One more try,

NARRATOR: Darrell Ward's trying to clear the road

and get Polar's contract back on track.

Watch it.

NARRATOR: Winching out the stranded truck

would be dangerous for an entire crew.

But the Montana legend's tackling it on his own.

Oh, no.

NARRATOR: With a bit of space between the trucks--

Come on.

NARRATOR: Darrell tries to gain enough traction

to pull the rig free.

Finally.

[bleep]

I'm getting too old to be doing this [bleep]..

NARRATOR: The road a Utik Lake is clear

and Polar is back in business.

You know, I had to do a little Montana ingenuity

to make it work out to get me here.

And this road is open.

Beware.

NARRATOR: But Darrell's night isn't over.

He's still got to deliver the wrecked load,

so Polar can get it in the books.

DARRELL WARD: I'm tired.

I don't feel good, but I've done enough for one day.

NARRATOR: 100 miles south--

I just got on the road past Oxford House

going to Utik Lake.

NARRATOR: The roads no longer blocked.

And Polar teammate Lisa Kelly's got a clear road ahead.

I'm just bouncing around like crazy in second gear.

NARRATOR: But hauling a 25-ton rock truck, melting trail

is anything but smooth sailing.

It was kind of a big risk for Polar

to take this particular contract,

because they could stay on smooth roads that don't destroy

trucks that are smaller--

smaller paying.

Or you can take a really high paying job,

like this one, and chance just destroying loads and trucks

and then costing more to fix than it was that it paid.

So I haven't broke anything.

But I can hear my air suspension working overtime back there.

[scream]

I don't think I've even been off roading in a semi before.

I mean, that other stuff was off roading,

but this is off roading, man.

This is not even ice.

It's like melty snow.

NARRATOR: As Lisa rattles towards Utik Lake,

off the grid, in Northwest Manitoba--

Let's see if I can push that pallet on the far side.

NARRATOR: Self-proclaimed King of Obsolete, Joey Barnes,

and apprentice Jonathan Weibe prepare

for the most challenging haul of the season.

We should be just about ready.

Loaded.

That's quite the workout.

But it's done right.

So now, we can head up there.

NARRATOR: The convoy's hauling building supplies

to Lac Brochet at the very end of the winter roads.

So basically, we're flying by the seat of our pants.

We want to make as much time as we can.

Let's get going.

NARRATOR: The King heads out for that 200-mile journey at 74

screaming forward.

Start heading on our way to Lac Brochet.

Well, we're hauling the filling material

for those three houses.

NARRATOR: The materials are essential for a new housing

project.

If they fail, the remote village will

have to wait another year for new homes.

We got all the big heavy stuff that you can't fly.

The road'll be closed here.

So we have to make it with this load.

NARRATOR: Hundreds of miles from other truckers,

few brave these melting roads this late in the season.

But for the King, it's a payday he can't refuse.

As the King heads north--

I feel like [bleep].

Been a-- been a rough-- been a rough road for me this trip.

NARRATOR: In Utik Lake, Polar driver Darrell Ward's woken up

on the wrong side of the bed.

DARRELL WARD: So I'm on my way.

I'm gonna pull out of here.

And I'm hoping to make Winnipeg.

I don't know if I'm gonna get that far.

I don't know.

I want to get somewhere warm.

NARRATOR: A late night clearing the Utik Lake road

has taken its toll on both Darrell and his truck.

My tire chains are tore all to [bleep] after last night.

So kinda don't have the best traction in the world.

Even with the tire chains I got on,

I got busted crosslinks and [inaudible] disaster.

NARRATOR: Darrell's trying to race back to Polar

to grab one more load for the season.

But his busted chains are making traction tough

over the rugged road.

I gotta keep my eyes open, make sure there's

no sinkholes or soft spots.

[bleep]

You know, this road's getting awful slick.

Come around a corner, [inaudible]

trailer wants to slide off the side.

I only got one tire turning.

You know, kind of hard to go anywhere when you're

[bleep] ain't working.

NARRATOR: Only one set of drive wheels is getting power.

And broken chains mean no traction.

Tire chains are totally destroyed.

I don't even know if I got enough traction to get out

here.

I only got one [bleep] tire spinning.

NARRATOR: Darrell unhooks to get over the hump.

But now, he needs a plan to get that trailer over too.

Well, I'm gonna see if I can't drag this [bleep] through here.

About the only chance I got.

NARRATOR: By winching the trailer,

Darrell hopes to drag it over the hill,

so he can get the load back to Winnipeg.

Everything [bleep].

I never thought I'd walk away from anything,

but I'm about to walk away from this [bleep] deal.

NARRATOR: Just south of Utik Lake--

What a battle this is.

NARRATOR: The winter roads may have finally broken

Darrell Ward.

Divider don't work.

Can't even make it through a hump in the road.

NARRATOR: With busted chains and no power

going to his rear drive wheels, the Montana legend's

struggling to get this haul down the road.

I never thought I'd walk away from anything,

but I'm not to walk away from this [bleep] deal.

It's not wanting to move.

You know, I've been [inaudible] in the mud

and I've dealt with the [bleep].

If I do have mechanical problems,

I always figure out a way to get out of it.

No job's finished unless it's complete.

When I'm hired to do a job, I'm gonna give it everything I got.

Enough [bleep] around.

NARRATOR: Determined to get the trailer to Winnipeg,

Darrell tries to pull it over the hill one more time.

[engine revving]

I'm moving.

[inaudible]

I just got this [bleep].

NARRATOR: He hooks the trailer back up to his rig.

[bleep] thing won't pull it's own head out of its [bleep]

ass.

OK.

NARRATOR: But with a busted truck and over 400 miles to go,

it's gonna be a rough road ahead.

All I got's rear wheel drive.

Can't pull thing uphill hardly.

This road is [bleep].

Took me forever to get it winched back forward.

Destroyed my [bleep] tire chains.

I've had it up to here.

NARRATOR: As Darrell steers his broken truck towards Winnipeg,

at a repair shop, BP Express driver Todd Dewey's also

trying to get back on the road.

Here's my old tire.

And there's the new tire.

NARRATOR: After blowing out two tires, a new set is thrown on.

Keep your fingers crossed, hit the ice road hard,

and hope you make it.

NARRATOR: Todd's been sidelined for a day.

Just part of the job.

Now, it looks like we're back in business.

NARRATOR: And now, he's restarting the mission.

But he's lost valuable time hauling one of the last pieces

of BP's Wasagamack contract.

I'm running late and I'm not on schedule by no means.

But I'm gonna push hard for the rest of the day

and try to get into Wasagamack, at least by late this evening,

get this loader dumped.

We got a lot of ground to cover.

NARRATOR: On the road to Utik Lake--

The most important thing is to get this load in here.

NARRATOR: After yesterday's engine trouble,

Art Burke's hammering down, hauling a Snowcat

on his first solo run of this season.

[inaudible]

This is a long hill here.

Hope the old girl makes it.

It's touch a go, buddy.

Not much power in it.

Don't die here, baby. Come on.

Come on. Come on.

Come on.

You can do it.

This is what happens to this thing.

I don't know what the [bleep] is going on.

NARRATOR: Once again, his truck's lost power.

Just [bleep] want to go.

But this time, he's 200 miles down the unmonitored road.

My plan is to take this [bleep] filter and flush it

out.

I don't know what the [bleep] this has got to do with anyway,

but it seems to work.

OK, buddy.

If that's the only time I got to do it, it's good.

Now, if it makes any difference or not, time will tell.

OK.

Here we go.

Look at the way that [bleep] when I do that, eh?

Away we go again, buddy.

NARRATOR: As Art battles his way to Utik Lake, 300 miles north,

NARRATOR: As Art battles his way to Utik Lake, 300 miles north,

the King of Obsolete and apprentice Jonathan

are trying to deliver building materials before the route

to Lac Brochet melts away.

The Lac Brochet road is a minefield

of waterholes, where flowing water runs just

beneath the surface.

As temperatures rise, so does the water,

putting more and more pressure on the melting ice.

NARRATOR: The fragile ice cracks under the weight of the King's

haul.

NARRATOR: But there's still one more truck to get through.

On the melting road to Lac Brochet--

[bleep].

NARRATOR: The King of Obsolete's convoy parker,

Jonathan, broke through the ice.

And now, he can't get the trailer out.

[bleep].

This is a bad, bad situation.

I noticed a little hole when Joey went through.

I tried to ride it a little bit higher.

And I felt the track come over.

Went straight into the hole.

If the load of building supplies is lost,

his clients' housing project will be shut down for the year.

And the King will be out thousands of dollars.

So I broke it up for you.

Oh, no.

I totally blame you.

Yeah.

100%.

Yeah.

NARRATOR: The King's gotta pull the rig out with his screaming

Ford.

But one wrong move could send both trucks crashing

through the ice.

Well, you kind of screwed up the water hole, Jonathan.

JONATHAN WEIBE: I know.

It's the Joey Barnes swimming pool.

I made it across.

I'm heavy.

I broke up the ice.

Jonathan drove out there just like Wiley the Coyote

and fell through.

We write the book.

We write the stories.

We choose our life.

Well, let's get going.

It's cold.

NARRATOR: Despite breaking through,

the convoy reaches their destination

and the housing supplies are safely offloaded.

Now, to go freeze my fingers.

[inaudible] do up a whole bunch of houses real nice

for them.

And then, they've got all that they need for the year.

The season's coming to an end.

You can see, I already broke through the ice there.

That's why, when we get the little bit of a season to go,

it's hammer time.

Get everything that you can get in.

We made it.

We got a load. We got a story.

We had fun.

NARRATOR: 300 miles southeast--

Holy, holy, holy, holy, holy, boy.

Clinkety, clinkety, clankety, bang, bang.

NARRATOR: After limping his truck up the winter road--

My work here is almost done, buddy.

NARRATOR: Polar driver Art Burke delivers his Snowcat

to Utik Lake.

Well, I feel great.

[bleep] happens, eh?

But we made it.

I didn't think we were gonna.

Truck is working like [bleep].

I'm gonna have to pump it all the way back to Winnipeg.

I don't give a [bleep] if I got to pump it

or not, as long as we get there, eh?

NARRATOR: Art's first solo trip is a success,

making him two for two with his new employer.

A pleasure doing business with you.

NARRATOR: As night falls on one of Manitoba's toughest roads--

I'm gonna push all the way through tonight,

til I get to Wasagamack.

NARRATOR: BP Express driver Todd Dewey

is trying to make up time.

I got him an oversized, really heavy excavator on the back.

This is the heaviest load of the season, right

at the last push of the season.

NARRATOR: He's a day behind after his 40-ton heavy haul

blew two tires, before he even reached the winter road.

It's real vital important that I keep my truck and the trailer

right in the dead center as all possible,

because the temperatures were warm all day today,

above freezing.

So the road is going to [bleep].

Road is tore up.

NARRATOR: Warming temperatures are melting the road out

from under him.

Jiminy Christmas.

NARRATOR: And now, he's got to cross the ice.

Yeah, you know, about 190 clicks in on the--

on the ice road here.

This is the big-- the big, big ice crossing right here.

You know, it's about 2 o'clock in the fricking morning.

I'm by myself, tired, and I'm cracking my door.

I've been pushing hard all day.

And just a lot of [bleep] on a guy's

shoulders for one day and one night.

And the-- and the sad part about it

is, the fun ain't even over yet.

NARRATOR: Over a melting ice crossing--

Yeah.

You know, it's been a pretty stressful freaking day.

And now, I'm crossing the ice.

NARRATOR: BP Express driver Todd Dewey's

trying to get a 40-ton excavator to Wasagamack.

Listening to the ice crack at 2 o'clock

in the morning underneath your tires.

Yeah, a little-- little--

just a little stressful.

Little scarier, definitely, towards the end of the season

on these ice roads.

I'm just not gonna take any chances.

You know, this is a heavy ass load.

The big cracks, I'm jumping.

You go in the water this time of night, you're done.

Almost there, baby.

Come on.

I think I'm off of it.

That's one less weight off the shoulders right there.

NARRATOR: With the ice crossing behind him,

Todd closes in on the offload side.

TODD DEWEY: Hopefully, I can get a few hours sleep in Wasagamack

here.

NARRATOR: The newcomer's heaviest haul of the season

is delivered.

BP Express chalks up another load.

You know, it was real important for this load

to get here as soon as possible, because this is the last--

the last big push for the Wasagamack contract.

And this was a big push for me.

It was-- it's been a hard-- it's been a hard trip

to get this load here.

That's a huge accomplishment.

That says a lot for a guy.

That's proof enough on why Hugh should not

be back for next year.

NARRATOR: While Todd calls it a night,

the competition's still rolling.

Holy rock and roll.

NARRATOR: Lisa Kelly's hauling her heaviest load

of this season, trying to come complete Polar's Utik Lake

contract.

Looks like there's a lake up ahead.

About to go down on the ice right now.

NARRATOR: To reach the remote lodge,

she'll have to get the rock truck over the unmonitored Utik

Lake ice crossing.

Just another crackly lake.

This whole lake is shifting.

It's way too much noise.

You know firework sounds?

And then, there's big boom and then

there's lots of little crackles after it?

That's what this sounds like.

Boom.

These are definitely the loudest.

Like, really loud.

Here.

Take this heavy thing across these lakes that are melting.

Almost to the other side.

Think I'm getting onto the land here.

There.

Glad to be off that one.

NARRATOR: After a grueling journey,

Lisa finally makes it to the lodge.

It's looks like I'm to the lake now

where the drop site is.

Made it.

NARRATOR: It's another score for Team Polar

and brings them one step closer to the big pay day

once all the loads reach the lodge.

Made it here and didn't lose the rock truck.

Got it delivered.

So yay.

Yeah. Thanks.

Have good trip.

Yeah.

You know, it was a high risk job.

And got it here in one piece.

So I hope Mark's glad that I made it here.

I mean, it was an oversized and heavy rock truck

and made it down one of these bad, bad roads and survived.

I hope-- I hope he's pleased.

Woohoo.

Yeah.

NARRATOR: Off the winter roads--

Just about pulling into Winnipeg right now.

NARRATOR: At 4 in the morning, Darrell Ward's long trip

is finally coming to an end.

I've gave them all I've got.

I pushed this truck to the limit and I pushed myself

to the limit.

This truck is tired and I am tired.

NARRATOR: But after his bold rescue

on the trail to Utik Lake, his truck's

in no shape to haul another load.

I know there isn't any time left on these ice roads.

I know the ice is getting thinner.

If I got to wait for days for this truck to get fixed,

I'm gone.

NARRATOR: The Montana legend may have just made his final run

of the season and Polar's chances of winning the load

count could be melting away.

Boom.

I had to sacrifice my loads, so I

could get the road open so these other guys could

get the loads moving.

Now, I'm sitting back in Winnipeg getting my truck fixed

because of it.

How many loads did it cost me?

I don't know.

[inaudible]

NARRATOR: Next time on "Ice Road Truckers."

Hang onto your shorts.

NARRATOR: The season's speeding to an end.

There was some water on it back there.

So it's definitely melting.

Sharp corner, sharp corner, sharp corner.

NARRATOR: And to win the battle, no load's too big.

No road's off limit.

And no one--

Come on, baby.

Don't die out here

NARRATOR: Wants to get left behind.

Oh, [inaudible] spot here on the ice, [inaudible]..

Oh my god.