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NARRATOR: On this episode
of "Ice Road Truckers,"

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00:00:08,931 --> 00:00:11,689
a massive rollover
nearly takes a life.

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00:00:11,827 --> 00:00:12,965
And he was laying right here.

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I'd run him over.

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NARRATOR: Lisa's brake failure
causes a runaway truck.

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I'm trying to stop.

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NARRATOR: And new dangers emerge
from the darkness of night.

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Hitting a moose, it was
like hitting a brick wall.

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There he goes right now.

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NARRATOR: At the top of the
world, there's a job only a few

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would dare.

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Just when you thought extreme
trucking couldn't get more

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dangerous, ice road
truckers take on Alaska.

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It's four weeks into Alaska's
brutal ice road season.

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Truckers have already faced
an onslaught of breakdowns--

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This sucks.

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NARRATOR: --whiteouts--

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Can't see at all.

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NARRATOR: And rollovers.

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This is the worst season
that I've been through as far

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as that many blows.

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The roads are just getting
really exciting and dangerous

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at the same time.

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NARRATOR: Carlile truckers
have hauled more than 500 loads

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to the oil fields
of Prudhoe Bay,

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but there's still
1,500 more to go.

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Last night, a fierce snowstorm
left dozens of truckers

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stranded in Coldfoot, the
halfway point and only truck

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stop on the ice road.

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Eight inches of fresh
powder has buried the road.

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OK, we're going
to head off here.

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NARRATOR: But ice road
trucker Jack Jessee

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is on a mission to go south,
even if it means hitting

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the ice before the snow plows.

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We're going to shoe out--
go out and give it a try this

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morning.

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NARRATOR: He's back
hauling an empty trailer,

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but there's a heavy haul
waiting for him in Fairbanks

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with a weighty
paycheck to go with it.

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There's about eight inches
of fresh snow on the ground,

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so we'll be dealing with
a lot of one-lane roads.

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Gonna be hard to see the edges.

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NARRATOR: Jack's a pro and has
driven in conditions far worse

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than this, but right behind
him is young gun Lisa Kelly.

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RADIO: Having fun yet?

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I'm having a blast, are you?

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RADIO: [laughing] Yeah.

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NARRATOR: She's hauling
two stacked empty trailers

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and is eager to get
her next big load.

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I saw Jack this morning
at the breakfast table.

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I'm like, Jack, which
way are you going?

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South.

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I'm going with you.

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Yeah, Lisa wanted to follow
me on this on the way home.

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And safety in numbers, actually.

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It's a really good thing.

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NARRATOR: This is only Lisa's
second season on the Dalton.

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She's already delivered
her first heavy haul

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and made it through a blinding
whiteout over Atigun Pass.

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I already can't hardly see,
and I'm barely moving here.

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NARRATOR: But she's never
driven through snow drifts

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like this where you can't
see the edge of the road

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and could drive
off at any moment.

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I wasn't brave
to do it by myself.

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Jack's the one in front.

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He's our fearless leader.

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Any new driver, we
don't send them out here

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to cut their own
throats, you know?

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We try to give
advice when needed,

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and they try to stick her
with experienced drivers.

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Just want to go to Fairbanks.

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Just wanna get to Fairbanks.

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Fairbanks.

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And I'm not guaranteeing
I won't go in the ditch.

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In the eight years
I've been up here,

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this is probably so far the
worst start of the winter.

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So far this winter's
been pretty intense.

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Right now the snow
is what the problem is.

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I still just can't
see the road, though.

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Between these two
berms somewhere.

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NARRATOR: As Lisa
strains to see the road,

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she slows down and then
loses sight of Jack.

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I can kind of see Jack's
tracks in front of me.

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That's it.

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Looks like one lane.

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NARRATOR: After all
the effort to team up,

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Lisa now finds
herself all alone.

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100 miles from
Deadhorse at a place

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called Slope Mountain,
last night's storm

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nearly proved fatal.

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A truck traveling
at 50 miles per hour

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with a full load of drill pipe
caught the edge of the road.

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The rig flipped over twice and
rolled down the icy embankment.

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The driver was thrown from the
cab into the frozen tundra.

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He managed to drag himself up
onto the road, where ice road

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trucker Richard Merrill
was the first to spot him.

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Just glad he had a
flashlight in his hand.

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Because it was snowing, it was
dark, you couldn't see nothing.

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And when you're coming
on a hill like this,

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you're not in the left lane,
you're on your side of the road

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because you don't know
what's coming at you.

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And he was laying right here.
I'd run him over.

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I just got him up
off the ground,

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load him up in the truck,
tried to comfort him and get

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him to pump three.

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So you know, I knew
he was hurting.

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NARRATOR: With the nearest
hospital more than 400 miles

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away, Richard drove the injured
trucker to a pipeline service

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unit.

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From there he was
medevaced to Anchorage.

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Looks pretty violent.

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This makes me sick
to my stomach.

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I bet you he come
right out that window.

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That makes me sick.

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I can't even look at it anymore.

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NARRATOR: Even veterans never
get used to the deadly forces

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of this road.

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Southbound on the
ice, Lisa Kelly

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is alone, pushing through
eight inches of deep snow.

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Think he's up there.

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NARRATOR: Finally, she
spots Jack's tail lights.

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I think so.

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Our radios are important
because that is our lifeline.

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Because we don't get phone
service, we don't get anything.

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And the radios are
how the truckers

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tell other truckers that the
road's good, or not good,

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or somebody's coming,
and somebody spun out,

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don't come over the
hill and kill us.

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OK, I just met the one
way coming back at you.

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It's coming north?

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NARRATOR: Snowplows
are now on the move,

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racing to open up the road
for truckers headed north.

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LISA KELLY: Oh
gosh, he's hauling.

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Look at the trees falling.

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It's awesome.

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Hey, Lisa?

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LISA KELLY: What's--
what's up, Jack?

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Got a northbound that's
dropping into the [inaudible]

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out there, he just came
from the chain up area.

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So hold up here for him.

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LISA KELLY: All right.

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NARRATOR: On the ice, northbound
trucks have the right of way.

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Southbounders must often pull
over to allow more wide loads

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to pass safely.

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Lisa strains to find
the next pull-out,

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but the heavy snow blankets
the edge of the road.

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LISA KELLY: Cannot not
fall off the road here?

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Wait, is this it?

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NARRATOR: She misses
it completely.

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I don't know how I'm
going to move over here.

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NARRATOR: As the other
truck barrels toward her,

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she tries to slow down.

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[radio chatter]

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[truck horn]

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150 miles from
Fairbanks and headed

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00:10:13,379 --> 00:10:18,241
southbound, the
Dalton ace Jack Jessee

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leads the less experienced
Lisa Kelly through eight inches

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of fresh snow.

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Got a northbound that's
dropping into the [inaudible]

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out there.

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NARRATOR: And if that's
not dangerous enough,

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Lisa discovers she has no
brakes as an 18-wheeler barrels

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straight towards her.

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I'm trying to stop, I promise.

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00:10:53,689 --> 00:10:57,827
[truck horn]

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NARRATOR: She bears
down on the brake

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pedal with all her weight.

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Good gosh, that
took everything I had.

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00:11:33,068 --> 00:11:35,103
I'm sorry, I didn't know
I was at [inaudible]

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because I didn't see the pull
out, and then I can't stop, so.

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00:11:40,379 --> 00:11:41,724
RADIO: Not a problem.

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00:11:47,206 --> 00:11:49,068
RADIO: [inaudible] Kim's
coming out of the guard

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00:11:49,206 --> 00:11:51,000
rail [inaudible] right now.

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NARRATOR: Jack Jessee
has seen it all

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and knows this mistake well.

176
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She-- she actually just
forgot to dry her brakes off.

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NARRATOR: When driving in
fresh powder, snow and ice

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00:12:03,344 --> 00:12:06,379
accumulate in this space between
the brake pad and the drum,

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00:12:06,517 --> 00:12:08,310
rendering the brakes useless.

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00:12:08,448 --> 00:12:11,000
Truckers must pump the
brakes periodically

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00:12:11,137 --> 00:12:13,896
to build up heat
and dry them out.

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If you never touch
your brakes driving

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00:12:15,689 --> 00:12:18,379
through lot of loose snow
like this, you will--

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00:12:18,517 --> 00:12:19,689
you will never have any brakes.

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LISA KELLY: Good gosh.

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NARRATOR: Just outside
of Deadhorse, the road

187
00:12:40,379 --> 00:12:45,000
has been cleared, and Hugh
Rowland is southbound.

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00:12:45,137 --> 00:12:47,172
HUGH ROWLAND: Loading
up, take the southbound.

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00:12:47,310 --> 00:12:50,103
Headed for Coldfoot first,
then on into Fairbanks.

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00:12:57,655 --> 00:13:01,000
NARRATOR: On this trip, Hugh
hauls what may be the smallest

191
00:13:01,137 --> 00:13:03,931
load of the season.

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00:13:04,068 --> 00:13:07,551
This here is my load,
three pounds of paperwork.

193
00:13:07,689 --> 00:13:11,620
It says right here,
three pounds paperwork.

194
00:13:11,758 --> 00:13:14,862
And I got an empty van.

195
00:13:15,000 --> 00:13:16,758
This is all we got to haul back.

196
00:13:16,896 --> 00:13:20,655
Getting paid regardless.

197
00:13:20,793 --> 00:13:23,413
NARRATOR: But a bigger load
would mean a bigger paycheck.

198
00:13:23,551 --> 00:13:26,517
Hugh's mission is to get back
to Fairbanks in a single day

199
00:13:26,655 --> 00:13:28,482
to pick up some real freight.

200
00:13:28,620 --> 00:13:31,448
So far, the polar bear
is holding his own

201
00:13:31,586 --> 00:13:33,896
on America's most
dangerous road.

202
00:13:34,034 --> 00:13:35,689
HUGH ROWLAND: It's it
a lot of fun to drive,

203
00:13:35,827 --> 00:13:36,724
I'll tell you that.

204
00:13:36,862 --> 00:13:39,586
No I ain't been scared, nope.

205
00:13:39,724 --> 00:13:43,689
NARRATOR: He's
confident as ever,

206
00:13:43,827 --> 00:13:46,655
but still requires the
supervision of haul road

207
00:13:46,793 --> 00:13:48,620
veteran Phil Kromm.

208
00:13:48,758 --> 00:13:49,931
RADIO: What are you doing, Phil?

209
00:13:50,068 --> 00:13:52,034
Just motoring along.

210
00:13:52,172 --> 00:13:54,413
How about you?

211
00:13:54,551 --> 00:13:56,827
HUGH ROWLAND: It's
been a good ride.

212
00:13:56,965 --> 00:13:57,896
Probably so.

213
00:14:00,965 --> 00:14:02,758
All in all, Phil's a good guy.

214
00:14:02,896 --> 00:14:05,137
We're basically on the
same page with everything.

215
00:14:05,275 --> 00:14:07,413
I might be a little bit
more risk-taking than Phil,

216
00:14:07,551 --> 00:14:10,448
but Phil's been on this road
a lot longer than I have.

217
00:14:10,586 --> 00:14:13,620
NARRATOR: Hugh's only been here
a few weeks yet he's already

218
00:14:13,758 --> 00:14:15,448
living up to his reputation.

219
00:14:15,586 --> 00:14:20,517
He's got kind of a-- a
pretty colorful personality.

220
00:14:20,655 --> 00:14:23,931
Maybe-- maybe a little wild.

221
00:14:24,068 --> 00:14:25,379
Yeehaw!

222
00:14:25,517 --> 00:14:27,379
Woohoo!

223
00:14:27,517 --> 00:14:30,310
[laughter]

224
00:14:36,379 --> 00:14:40,896
NARRATOR: 100 miles south of
Deadhorse, north slope police

225
00:14:41,034 --> 00:14:43,862
officer Steve Lee is on
the scene to investigate

226
00:14:44,000 --> 00:14:47,206
last night's crash.

227
00:14:47,344 --> 00:14:49,137
This may be where he
rolled the first time.

228
00:14:56,586 --> 00:14:59,586
Now, the truck
rolled, and this--

229
00:14:59,724 --> 00:15:02,689
all this debris right
here may be the--

230
00:15:02,827 --> 00:15:06,172
where the first
rollover occurred.

231
00:15:06,310 --> 00:15:09,310
You can tell by looking at the
cab that it's been on the cab.

232
00:15:09,448 --> 00:15:10,724
It broke off the exhaust.

233
00:15:15,172 --> 00:15:19,413
NARRATOR: When the massive
cab came to a violent halt,

234
00:15:19,551 --> 00:15:24,068
it ejected the driver
across the tundra.

235
00:15:24,206 --> 00:15:25,931
This is where he
went down in the snow.

236
00:15:26,068 --> 00:15:31,103
This is where he ended up,
so I'd say it's probably

237
00:15:31,241 --> 00:15:33,551
25 feet from the truck.

238
00:15:33,689 --> 00:15:34,862
Let's go up and look inside.

239
00:15:41,068 --> 00:15:42,103
Well, here's his other shoe.

240
00:15:54,793 --> 00:15:56,517
Something here.

241
00:15:56,655 --> 00:15:58,000
Let's see.

242
00:15:58,137 --> 00:16:00,137
Oh, a bible.

243
00:16:00,275 --> 00:16:03,000
I guess those are good
things to carry with you.

244
00:16:03,137 --> 00:16:04,413
NARRATOR: Fortunately,
the trucker

245
00:16:04,551 --> 00:16:07,827
missed a high-pressure
gas line by mere inches.

246
00:16:07,965 --> 00:16:09,137
He's lucky, you know.

247
00:16:09,275 --> 00:16:11,206
If he'd have rolled, and
it would have dug up the--

248
00:16:11,344 --> 00:16:16,551
the-- the pipeline here, we
could've had a natural gas

249
00:16:16,689 --> 00:16:18,103
explosion.

250
00:16:18,241 --> 00:16:21,931
And the guy that was
driving most likely

251
00:16:22,068 --> 00:16:23,965
would not be around.

252
00:16:24,103 --> 00:16:30,551
When they move this thing out,
gonna have to be awful careful.

253
00:16:41,379 --> 00:16:45,413
NARRATOR: 250 miles
south in Coldfoot.

254
00:16:45,551 --> 00:16:48,586
I could use a nice
neck massage right now.

255
00:16:48,724 --> 00:16:50,275
NARRATOR: Alex
Debogorski is just

256
00:16:50,413 --> 00:16:52,172
getting started on the day.

257
00:16:52,310 --> 00:16:54,965
We had a good night's sleep,
so can head for Prudhoe Bay

258
00:16:55,103 --> 00:16:56,896
now, do most of our
drive in the daytime.

259
00:16:59,448 --> 00:17:00,758
NARRATOR: He's
still headed north

260
00:17:00,896 --> 00:17:02,758
to complete his second trip.

261
00:17:02,896 --> 00:17:04,896
Yesterday a broken
trailer spring

262
00:17:05,034 --> 00:17:08,965
put him half a run behind
Hugh in the dash for the cash.

263
00:17:09,103 --> 00:17:10,241
Well I've always--

264
00:17:10,379 --> 00:17:12,793
I've always got a-- a
few more loads than Alex.

265
00:17:12,931 --> 00:17:15,448
He-- he gets out there
pretty hard, but I--

266
00:17:15,586 --> 00:17:17,620
I know he's starting to
slow down here a little bit.

267
00:17:21,241 --> 00:17:23,896
NARRATOR: Alex is hauling a
stack load of drill pipe bound

268
00:17:24,034 --> 00:17:24,896
for the oilfields.

269
00:17:33,793 --> 00:17:36,586
He's traveling with Dalton
veteran Jack McCann, who

270
00:17:36,724 --> 00:17:39,862
carries a fleet
of pickup trucks.

271
00:17:40,000 --> 00:17:43,310
Alex, you gonna
call me back there?

272
00:17:43,448 --> 00:17:44,310
All right, by golly.

273
00:17:48,000 --> 00:17:49,931
NARRATOR: They convoy
towards the shelf,

274
00:17:50,068 --> 00:17:55,551
a treacherous incline cut
into the mountainside.

275
00:17:55,689 --> 00:17:58,413
One wrong move here and
it's several hundred feet

276
00:17:58,551 --> 00:17:59,206
to the bottom.

277
00:18:07,000 --> 00:18:10,206
We're just
approaching the shelf,

278
00:18:10,344 --> 00:18:12,137
and I think we're going
to be chaining up.

279
00:18:12,275 --> 00:18:14,586
Because they had the fresh
snow the night before,

280
00:18:14,724 --> 00:18:18,241
they had somebody blocking the
road because they spun out.

281
00:18:18,379 --> 00:18:22,793
NARRATOR: Tire chains on
this stretch are essential.

282
00:18:22,931 --> 00:18:25,310
So we're going to have
the chaining experience.

283
00:18:25,448 --> 00:18:28,758
We're going to be
on the chain gang.

284
00:18:28,896 --> 00:18:32,551
A good time will be had by all.

285
00:18:32,689 --> 00:18:34,379
NARRATOR: It's a new
experience for Alex,

286
00:18:34,517 --> 00:18:37,586
since chains are not used
on the Canadian ice roads.

287
00:18:43,172 --> 00:18:46,965
Pretty hard to do that when
you're huffing and puffing.

288
00:18:47,103 --> 00:18:49,310
All right, we're just
going to roll this ahead,

289
00:18:49,448 --> 00:18:50,448
see if we can hook them up.

290
00:18:56,413 --> 00:18:58,724
How's that look?

291
00:18:58,862 --> 00:19:00,241
Does that look OK over there?

292
00:19:03,241 --> 00:19:06,137
Next we'll be embarrassing
myself and my--

293
00:19:06,275 --> 00:19:08,068
my chaining capabilities here.

294
00:19:08,206 --> 00:19:10,344
This is supposed
to be the easy one.

295
00:19:13,413 --> 00:19:15,413
How's that look, Jack?

296
00:19:15,551 --> 00:19:16,724
That looks good.

297
00:19:16,862 --> 00:19:18,137
Is the other one OK too?

298
00:19:18,275 --> 00:19:19,413
Yeah, I got it.

299
00:19:19,551 --> 00:19:20,241
OK.

300
00:19:28,103 --> 00:19:30,793
NARRATOR: Alex begins
the great ascent.

301
00:19:30,931 --> 00:19:34,482
Well, we're northbound
up the shelf, which

302
00:19:34,620 --> 00:19:37,241
is the last challenge
before Atigun Pass.

303
00:19:44,482 --> 00:19:47,551
Stay over to my side of the
road just in case I spin out,

304
00:19:47,689 --> 00:19:50,310
and then if I do, then there'll
be room for everybody to drive

305
00:19:50,448 --> 00:19:51,620
up and down and laugh at me.

306
00:19:56,034 --> 00:19:58,655
NARRATOR: The goal-- pick the
right gear that will get him

307
00:19:58,793 --> 00:20:02,310
to the top, because
downshifting in the middle

308
00:20:02,448 --> 00:20:05,344
could end in disaster.

309
00:20:05,482 --> 00:20:07,896
I can't remember what gear
I need to go up on this one.

310
00:20:10,896 --> 00:20:12,482
I guess we're gonna
find out really quick.

311
00:20:17,448 --> 00:20:23,344
NARRATOR: Alex hits a
gear that's too high

312
00:20:23,482 --> 00:20:25,000
and doesn't give
him enough traction.

313
00:20:30,000 --> 00:20:32,620
He quickly downshifts.

314
00:20:32,758 --> 00:20:36,379
Let's get down, let's
hold here and stay here.

315
00:20:36,517 --> 00:20:41,379
NARRATOR: But mistakenly
drops two whole gears.

316
00:20:41,517 --> 00:20:44,379
That was not my plan there.

317
00:20:44,517 --> 00:20:49,689
NARRATOR: The truck slows
to a frightening crawl

318
00:20:49,827 --> 00:20:52,413
and then comes to
a complete stop.

319
00:20:55,931 --> 00:21:00,275
This is the last place an
ice road trucker wants to be.

320
00:21:00,413 --> 00:21:02,241
Getting started
again on this hill

321
00:21:02,379 --> 00:21:05,379
could send Alex sliding
backwards down the mountain

322
00:21:05,517 --> 00:21:07,000
side.

323
00:21:07,137 --> 00:21:10,000
ALEX DEBOGORSKI: Oh Lord, Lord,
what did I get myself in for?

324
00:21:15,103 --> 00:21:18,793
NARRATOR: 60 miles north of
Coldfoot, Alex Debogorski

325
00:21:18,931 --> 00:21:22,137
missed a gear and is now
stopped dead in his tracks

326
00:21:22,275 --> 00:21:26,103
on the icy slope
known as the shelf.

327
00:21:26,241 --> 00:21:29,689
Getting going again means
fighting the force of gravity.

328
00:21:29,827 --> 00:21:33,206
One slip on the ice could
send Alex sliding backwards

329
00:21:33,344 --> 00:21:36,206
to the bottom.

330
00:21:36,344 --> 00:21:38,172
He eases into first gear.

331
00:21:42,758 --> 00:21:45,068
The tires hold.

332
00:21:45,206 --> 00:21:46,551
He pushes into second.

333
00:21:52,103 --> 00:21:54,344
ALEX DEBOGORSKI: Going on
a pretty low gear here.

334
00:21:54,482 --> 00:21:56,689
I'm in second gear, so I
gotta put a lot of power

335
00:21:56,827 --> 00:22:00,103
to the road, which is, you know,
not real good if it's really

336
00:22:00,241 --> 00:22:03,068
slippery because that'll
make you slip through.

337
00:22:03,206 --> 00:22:06,586
NARRATOR: As Alex creeps
along, the road narrows.

338
00:22:06,724 --> 00:22:10,620
The cliffs become more steep.

339
00:22:10,758 --> 00:22:15,482
ALEX DEBOGORSKI: Over
there, 500,000 feet down.

340
00:22:15,620 --> 00:22:20,000
So what makes it treacherous
is if a guy spins out,

341
00:22:20,137 --> 00:22:23,172
the concern is sounds like
he's going backwards down

342
00:22:23,310 --> 00:22:24,724
these hills, and a
lot of trucks have

343
00:22:24,862 --> 00:22:26,689
been lost by going
backwards down the hill

344
00:22:26,827 --> 00:22:29,344
and then over the guardrail.

345
00:22:29,482 --> 00:22:31,551
If a person goes over that
edge, lose their truck,

346
00:22:31,689 --> 00:22:32,793
and lose the driver, too.

347
00:22:35,965 --> 00:22:40,034
NARRATOR: His tires barely
gripping the ice, Alex rounds

348
00:22:40,172 --> 00:22:41,344
the top of the shelf.

349
00:22:41,482 --> 00:22:43,689
ALEX DEBOGORSKI: Look at
that, made it to the top.

350
00:22:43,827 --> 00:22:47,448
NARRATOR: But he still has 75
miles of treacherous terrain

351
00:22:47,586 --> 00:22:48,551
to go.

352
00:22:48,689 --> 00:22:50,965
I ended up having
to start over.

353
00:22:51,103 --> 00:22:53,724
I get to start over
on the shelf now.

354
00:22:53,862 --> 00:22:55,172
Add that to the list.

355
00:22:58,724 --> 00:23:02,137
NARRATOR: 127 miles from
Fairbanks, Jack and Lisa

356
00:23:02,275 --> 00:23:06,482
are racing back to
get their next loads

357
00:23:06,620 --> 00:23:10,206
and the northbound traffic is
out in force, trying to make up

358
00:23:10,344 --> 00:23:13,517
for lost time.

359
00:23:13,655 --> 00:23:16,482
[radio chatter]

360
00:23:18,103 --> 00:23:21,413
You wanna move over at all?

361
00:23:21,551 --> 00:23:24,379
Guess not.

362
00:23:24,517 --> 00:23:27,103
NARRATOR: With increased
speed comes an increased risk

363
00:23:27,241 --> 00:23:28,482
of going into the ditch.

364
00:23:28,620 --> 00:23:30,103
Two kinds of
drivers on the road--

365
00:23:30,241 --> 00:23:33,103
ones that have been in a ditch
and the ones that are gonna go

366
00:23:33,241 --> 00:23:34,931
in a ditch.

367
00:23:35,068 --> 00:23:37,551
But the funny part is that the
ones that actually say that

368
00:23:37,689 --> 00:23:40,586
have usually already
been in a ditch.

369
00:23:40,724 --> 00:23:41,413
I can say that.

370
00:23:45,034 --> 00:23:47,965
NARRATOR: As word of the road's
most recent crash spreads

371
00:23:48,103 --> 00:23:52,344
along the Dalton, it's a grim
reminder of just how many lives

372
00:23:52,482 --> 00:23:53,413
have been lost.

373
00:23:53,551 --> 00:23:59,137
Right here's where John died.

374
00:23:59,275 --> 00:24:06,241
He was heading north and just
got close, just kind of rolled

375
00:24:06,379 --> 00:24:07,068
over.

376
00:24:07,206 --> 00:24:10,344
Wasn't a pretty sight.

377
00:24:10,482 --> 00:24:15,344
Kind of messed the guys up that
showed up on the scene first.

378
00:24:15,482 --> 00:24:17,689
NARRATOR: More
than 35 steel white

379
00:24:17,827 --> 00:24:21,793
crosses honor the dead on
this side of the haul road.

380
00:24:21,931 --> 00:24:23,344
None of this--

381
00:24:23,482 --> 00:24:25,586
none of this freight we're
moving is worth anybody's life.

382
00:24:31,034 --> 00:24:34,275
NARRATOR: 100 miles south
of Deadhorse, a big rig

383
00:24:34,413 --> 00:24:36,275
ran off the road and
flipped over twice.

384
00:24:43,517 --> 00:24:45,551
Recovery specialist
Ben Krakowski

385
00:24:45,689 --> 00:24:48,827
races to the scene to retrieve
the truck and its load of drill

386
00:24:48,965 --> 00:24:49,655
pipe.

387
00:24:54,206 --> 00:24:57,965
The 42 pieces of pipe are
worth half a million dollars.

388
00:24:58,103 --> 00:25:01,551
Ben has to work quickly to
prevent a logjam of trucks

389
00:25:01,689 --> 00:25:03,689
from backing up on the ice.

390
00:25:03,827 --> 00:25:05,551
All the pressure is on me.

391
00:25:05,689 --> 00:25:07,965
You don't wanna-- you don't
want to keep them guys tied up.

392
00:25:08,103 --> 00:25:10,344
You do what you gotta do,
but you do it kind of quick

393
00:25:10,482 --> 00:25:13,000
so they can get going, you
open it up as much as you

394
00:25:13,137 --> 00:25:14,758
can so they can get through.

395
00:25:25,655 --> 00:25:29,206
NARRATOR: He begins by hooking
two heavy duty steel cables

396
00:25:29,344 --> 00:25:30,758
to the front of the truck.

397
00:25:30,896 --> 00:25:32,758
BEN KRAKOWSKI: These
inner brackets inside here

398
00:25:32,896 --> 00:25:34,965
are bolted directly
to the frame,

399
00:25:35,103 --> 00:25:39,172
so we got something solid
we can really pull on.

400
00:25:39,310 --> 00:25:42,655
Because we're going to do
some heavy pulling here.

401
00:25:42,793 --> 00:25:44,068
NARRATOR: The
cables are connected

402
00:25:44,206 --> 00:25:46,655
to two high-powered
winches on the tow truck.

403
00:26:03,655 --> 00:26:06,000
Slowly, the cab inches
up the snow bank.

404
00:26:16,551 --> 00:26:17,896
BEN KRAKOWSKI: OK.

405
00:26:18,034 --> 00:26:19,827
Now we got the tractor
up on the road,

406
00:26:19,965 --> 00:26:24,620
we'll bring the trailer
up out of there.

407
00:26:24,758 --> 00:26:27,206
Well, there is a pile of
snow down here, isn't there?

408
00:26:27,344 --> 00:26:28,482
Yeah, there is.

409
00:26:28,620 --> 00:26:30,172
NARRATOR: Ben and his
team attach two cables

410
00:26:30,310 --> 00:26:31,482
to the underside of the trailer.

411
00:26:31,620 --> 00:26:33,068
BEN KRAKOWSKI:
Don't get no grease

412
00:26:33,206 --> 00:26:35,448
on my [bleep] damn [bleep] now.
- It's gettin' on my clothes.

413
00:26:35,586 --> 00:26:36,482
BEN KRAKOWSKI: That's OK.

414
00:26:40,482 --> 00:26:43,344
The landing gear, just
watch it in case it digs in.

415
00:26:43,482 --> 00:26:45,000
It should slide over the top.

416
00:26:48,137 --> 00:26:52,068
Just stand somewhere and
holler if it don't look right.

417
00:26:52,206 --> 00:26:53,931
NARRATOR: They manage
to drag the trailer

418
00:26:54,068 --> 00:26:55,586
to the top of the incline.

419
00:26:55,724 --> 00:26:57,068
BEN KRAKOWSKI: Oh crap.

420
00:26:57,206 --> 00:26:58,965
NARRATOR: But they can't
get enough leverage

421
00:26:59,103 --> 00:27:00,724
to drag it onto the road.

422
00:27:00,862 --> 00:27:04,862
Ben now has to improvise,
and he has no time to waste.

423
00:27:05,000 --> 00:27:07,758
Can get that loader just
kind of across this way here,

424
00:27:07,896 --> 00:27:10,620
and all he's gonna do is
hold onto that front end.

425
00:27:10,758 --> 00:27:14,068
NARRATOR: He uses a loader to
help stabilize the trailer,

426
00:27:14,206 --> 00:27:16,344
then he repositions
the tow truck

427
00:27:16,482 --> 00:27:19,034
to pull from the back end.

428
00:27:19,172 --> 00:27:20,517
BEN KRAKOWSKI: OK, here we go.

429
00:27:25,965 --> 00:27:28,379
NARRATOR: Finally, the trailer
makes it back on the road.

430
00:27:31,068 --> 00:27:33,034
Right now we're gonna
start hooking on some pipe,

431
00:27:33,172 --> 00:27:34,689
and start dragging
that up out of there,

432
00:27:34,827 --> 00:27:35,827
and see how that all goes.

433
00:27:44,620 --> 00:27:46,620
With the last of the
drill pipe cleared,

434
00:27:46,758 --> 00:27:48,758
the Dalton reopens for business.

435
00:27:48,896 --> 00:27:51,379
BEN KRAKOWSKI: I know all these
guys that are driving up there,

436
00:27:51,517 --> 00:27:53,448
and I hate to see them
wreck their trucks.

437
00:27:53,586 --> 00:27:56,517
But if the traffic keep going
like it is and they don't slow

438
00:27:56,655 --> 00:27:58,758
down, I will be busy.

439
00:28:02,103 --> 00:28:03,931
NARRATOR: 40 miles
south of Deadhorse

440
00:28:04,068 --> 00:28:07,586
is the area known as the
bluffs, a windy expanse

441
00:28:07,724 --> 00:28:10,620
of barren tundra stretching
from the Brooks Range

442
00:28:10,758 --> 00:28:11,758
to the Arctic Ocean.

443
00:28:16,275 --> 00:28:18,724
Hugh Rowland is
southbound, doing battle

444
00:28:18,862 --> 00:28:19,793
to stay on the road.

445
00:28:28,379 --> 00:28:30,758
It's got wind on it
shining [inaudible]..

446
00:28:30,896 --> 00:28:34,172
You could skate on it today.

447
00:28:34,310 --> 00:28:36,896
NARRATOR: And with Hugh's
cab shackled to an empty van,

448
00:28:37,034 --> 00:28:39,931
he's getting tossed
all over the road.

449
00:28:40,068 --> 00:28:42,206
It's way better to
have a load in your van

450
00:28:42,344 --> 00:28:45,310
or a load on the back of your
truck than having an empty van.

451
00:28:45,448 --> 00:28:48,620
It just slides all
over the place.

452
00:28:48,758 --> 00:28:51,103
So you gotta keep on your toes.

453
00:28:55,793 --> 00:28:58,862
There's quite a bit
more snow on the road.

454
00:28:59,000 --> 00:29:01,689
Been-- been breezy
all night, and some--

455
00:29:01,827 --> 00:29:04,482
most of the drifts are
clear across the road.

456
00:29:04,620 --> 00:29:06,344
You gotta drive through them.

457
00:29:06,482 --> 00:29:09,344
We got snow all over, and
snow dust you can't see.

458
00:29:13,310 --> 00:29:15,758
NARRATOR: Suddenly the
winds churn up the snow

459
00:29:15,896 --> 00:29:17,206
into a blinding whiteout.

460
00:29:22,137 --> 00:29:24,482
It's-- I know we can't stop
on the ice here, she's pretty--

461
00:29:24,620 --> 00:29:25,310
pretty slick.

462
00:29:30,931 --> 00:29:33,172
NARRATOR: 50 miles from
Deadhorse, Hugh Rowland

463
00:29:33,310 --> 00:29:34,034
is southbound.

464
00:29:38,137 --> 00:29:42,068
Blowing snow makes the road
nearly impossible to see.

465
00:29:42,206 --> 00:29:46,137
Woohoo, that wind
got cold right there.

466
00:29:46,275 --> 00:29:47,379
Keep our wits about her today.

467
00:29:53,137 --> 00:29:56,758
NARRATOR: Fortunately, he's got
23 years of experience driving

468
00:29:56,896 --> 00:29:58,206
on ice.

469
00:29:58,344 --> 00:29:59,931
I don't use my
brakes on the ice.

470
00:30:00,068 --> 00:30:01,103
Very much stick to the gear.

471
00:30:03,517 --> 00:30:06,379
NARRATOR: On the ice, brakes
can cause a deadly skid.

472
00:30:06,517 --> 00:30:09,103
If something happens and
the truck breaks loose,

473
00:30:09,241 --> 00:30:10,413
you're already out of control.

474
00:30:10,551 --> 00:30:12,793
NARRATOR: Gearing down
reduces the truck speed

475
00:30:12,931 --> 00:30:15,275
but still keeps power
to the drive axles.

476
00:30:15,413 --> 00:30:18,793
Gear down and gear
up, away you go.

477
00:30:18,931 --> 00:30:21,793
NARRATOR: As Hugh approaches the
steep mountains of the Brooks

478
00:30:21,931 --> 00:30:25,517
Range, he leaves the
destructive winds behind.

479
00:30:25,655 --> 00:30:26,896
Load doing OK.

480
00:30:27,034 --> 00:30:29,448
It ain't fell on the floor
and got all dirty yet.

481
00:30:29,586 --> 00:30:34,000
[laughter] And the trailer's
tagging along behind us,

482
00:30:34,137 --> 00:30:35,965
so we're doing good.

483
00:30:36,103 --> 00:30:40,000
NARRATOR: But he still has 300
miles of extreme terrain to go.

484
00:30:45,758 --> 00:30:49,000
Still trailing Hugh
is Alex Debogorski.

485
00:30:49,137 --> 00:30:51,724
He's only just now
pulling into Deadhorse,

486
00:30:51,862 --> 00:30:55,137
completing his third
trip up the ice.

487
00:30:55,275 --> 00:30:57,000
I guess if you look
at the map and then go

488
00:30:57,137 --> 00:31:01,413
the northernmost part of Alaska,
and you'll find right there

489
00:31:01,551 --> 00:31:04,586
on the sea shore Prudhoe Bay.

490
00:31:04,724 --> 00:31:06,137
That's where we are.

491
00:31:06,275 --> 00:31:10,172
NARRATOR: Alex's plan is to turn
and burn to catch up with Hugh.

492
00:31:10,310 --> 00:31:11,068
Fantastic.

493
00:31:15,379 --> 00:31:17,862
NARRATOR: But when he
arrives at the Carlile yard,

494
00:31:18,000 --> 00:31:21,448
he discovers a big problem.

495
00:31:21,586 --> 00:31:22,275
That a flat tire?

496
00:31:26,310 --> 00:31:29,206
NARRATOR: Alex
can't catch a break.

497
00:31:29,344 --> 00:31:35,655
Yesterday he had a broken
trailer spring, now this.

498
00:31:35,793 --> 00:31:37,827
My left front
outside tire's flat.

499
00:31:37,965 --> 00:31:40,034
Came off the beat.

500
00:31:40,172 --> 00:31:44,379
Must have just happened,
because it's not full of snow.

501
00:31:44,517 --> 00:31:46,137
That thing looks pretty
fresh, maybe gonna

502
00:31:46,275 --> 00:31:49,931
be able to save it cause these
guys had one of them things

503
00:31:50,068 --> 00:31:52,482
that blows air in there,
you know what I mean?

504
00:31:52,620 --> 00:31:54,689
NARRATOR: Alex must
wait for repair,

505
00:31:54,827 --> 00:31:58,241
putting him even further behind
in the dash for the cash.

506
00:31:58,379 --> 00:31:59,965
ALEX DEBOGORSKI: There
was another delay.

507
00:32:00,103 --> 00:32:02,517
I didn't want it, but
that's what I got.

508
00:32:02,655 --> 00:32:04,620
Don't always get what you want.

509
00:32:04,758 --> 00:32:06,551
I think they wrote a
song about that once.

510
00:32:06,689 --> 00:32:11,517
[laughter]

511
00:32:11,655 --> 00:32:14,310
NARRATOR: Deadhorse, Alaska,
sits at the northern end

512
00:32:14,448 --> 00:32:15,689
of the Dalton.

513
00:32:15,827 --> 00:32:19,000
The discovery of the Prudhoe
Bay oil field in 1968

514
00:32:19,137 --> 00:32:22,724
put Deadhorse on the map, and
it now serves as a company town

515
00:32:22,862 --> 00:32:25,344
housing oilfield workers.

516
00:32:25,482 --> 00:32:30,448
It has a general store, a post
office, and even an airport.

517
00:32:30,586 --> 00:32:34,068
But alcohol is forbidden,
leading to the unofficial town

518
00:32:34,206 --> 00:32:35,000
motto--

519
00:32:35,137 --> 00:32:39,103
"all that far and still no bar."

520
00:32:39,241 --> 00:32:43,620
Turns out the name Deadhorse
is not as literal as it seems.

521
00:32:43,758 --> 00:32:45,965
It's got nothing to do
with the horses actually

522
00:32:46,103 --> 00:32:48,448
being dead up there on the
ice on that end because there

523
00:32:48,586 --> 00:32:49,655
weren't any horses up there.

524
00:32:49,793 --> 00:32:51,586
But by the time you got
there, you might as well

525
00:32:51,724 --> 00:32:52,965
have been a dead horse.

526
00:32:53,103 --> 00:32:54,965
So I mean, I guess it's--
it's the perfect name to be

527
00:32:55,103 --> 00:32:57,034
at the end of Dalton
Highway, that's for sure.

528
00:33:03,000 --> 00:33:06,137
NARRATOR: 125 miles from
Fairbanks, Hugh Rowland is

529
00:33:06,275 --> 00:33:09,620
southbound, charging through
every challenge on this road.

530
00:33:09,758 --> 00:33:13,068
[truck horn]

531
00:33:13,206 --> 00:33:15,827
There's a road challenge me
every day coming up around them

532
00:33:15,965 --> 00:33:19,206
hills around the corner.

533
00:33:19,344 --> 00:33:21,103
Yeah, if you weren't
afraid of death,

534
00:33:21,241 --> 00:33:24,379
then you'd be [bleep] dead.

535
00:33:24,517 --> 00:33:27,103
I guess that's the challenge.

536
00:33:27,241 --> 00:33:28,620
NARRATOR: Now a new obstacle.

537
00:33:34,862 --> 00:33:36,379
Seen that one.

538
00:33:36,517 --> 00:33:38,758
NARRATOR: Arctic speed bumps
known as frosty heaves.

539
00:33:42,103 --> 00:33:45,241
Frost heave is
permafrost in the earth.

540
00:33:45,379 --> 00:33:47,241
And it moves in the
spring and in the winter.

541
00:33:52,620 --> 00:33:55,517
NARRATOR: Alaska's extreme
subzero temperatures

542
00:33:55,655 --> 00:33:57,896
cause the earth to
buckle under the ice,

543
00:33:58,034 --> 00:34:00,344
making the road
even more dangerous.

544
00:34:03,241 --> 00:34:05,793
A frost heave will make a
bump or a dip in the road,

545
00:34:05,931 --> 00:34:07,103
that's what--
that's what it does.

546
00:34:07,241 --> 00:34:09,000
either bumps or
dips, one of the two.

547
00:34:12,448 --> 00:34:16,137
Well, you get-- your
truck gets to bucking

548
00:34:16,275 --> 00:34:18,413
and there's not a
comfortable feeling.

549
00:34:18,551 --> 00:34:22,172
[laughter] Buck you
right out of the seat

550
00:34:22,310 --> 00:34:23,310
just like being in a rodeo.

551
00:34:27,482 --> 00:34:30,655
[inaudible] Frosted
right in here.

552
00:34:34,241 --> 00:34:36,793
It's like a [bleep] country
fair roller coaster ride.

553
00:34:42,620 --> 00:34:45,275
NARRATOR: After driving
through snow drifts all day,

554
00:34:45,413 --> 00:34:50,517
Jack Jessee and Lisa Kelly
finally approach Fairbanks.

555
00:34:50,655 --> 00:34:53,413
You're good for five,
Lisa, keep on trucking.

556
00:34:53,551 --> 00:34:54,931
10-4.

557
00:34:55,068 --> 00:34:56,689
NARRATOR: This was
a tough backhaul,

558
00:34:56,827 --> 00:34:58,965
but a good run for
an ice road trucker.

559
00:34:59,103 --> 00:35:03,034
But I do this particular
job because I love it.

560
00:35:03,172 --> 00:35:07,000
I like jobs that you can be
proud of what you've done.

561
00:35:07,137 --> 00:35:14,482
NARRATOR: They pull
into the Carlile yard,

562
00:35:14,620 --> 00:35:16,931
but there's no rest for Jack.

563
00:35:17,068 --> 00:35:20,620
He's ready to turn and
burn with another load.

564
00:35:20,758 --> 00:35:23,482
Do more trips,
you get more cash.

565
00:35:23,620 --> 00:35:27,344
I'm out there for myself to
make money for me and my family.

566
00:35:27,482 --> 00:35:29,586
That's what I'm out there for.

567
00:35:29,724 --> 00:35:32,448
NARRATOR: Lisa is taking a
few hours off in her home

568
00:35:32,586 --> 00:35:33,758
away from home.

569
00:35:33,896 --> 00:35:36,689
Welcome to my truck!

570
00:35:36,827 --> 00:35:40,241
Jeez, it's where I
live most of time now.

571
00:35:40,379 --> 00:35:43,965
This thing's packed,
wonderful craftsman tools.

572
00:35:44,103 --> 00:35:46,931
I got tons of wrenches,
our screwdriver

573
00:35:47,068 --> 00:35:51,655
for spreading prongs on
the-- on the light thing.

574
00:35:51,793 --> 00:35:55,862
And then I got these
ratcheting crescent wrenches

575
00:35:56,000 --> 00:35:58,965
or whatever they are,
ratcheting wrenches.

576
00:35:59,103 --> 00:36:04,034
And here's all my clamps and
stuff, and air hose fittings.

577
00:36:04,172 --> 00:36:05,448
I'm an oversize.

578
00:36:05,586 --> 00:36:08,310
[laughter] So now
for the inside.

579
00:36:08,448 --> 00:36:09,103
Come on in.

580
00:36:11,931 --> 00:36:14,517
My house is back here.

581
00:36:14,655 --> 00:36:17,448
NARRATOR: Surprisingly the
sleeper cab has room for most

582
00:36:17,586 --> 00:36:19,137
of the necessary comforts.

583
00:36:19,275 --> 00:36:20,793
LISA KELLY: I got my
refrigerator here.

584
00:36:20,931 --> 00:36:22,758
I have all my clothes in
my gear bag right here.

585
00:36:22,896 --> 00:36:24,206
They're all organized.

586
00:36:24,344 --> 00:36:26,448
Got a couple of
movies, not very many.

587
00:36:26,586 --> 00:36:30,310
And my little DVD player
when and if I ever have time.

588
00:36:30,448 --> 00:36:32,034
Then I got my food.

589
00:36:32,172 --> 00:36:35,172
Got it all organized, too.

590
00:36:35,310 --> 00:36:39,827
Watching my calories, I don't
want no trucker physique.

591
00:36:39,965 --> 00:36:42,689
That's about the
extent of it, I think.

592
00:36:42,827 --> 00:36:48,724
This is my house on
wheels, so it works for me.

593
00:36:54,586 --> 00:36:58,137
NARRATOR: At the end of
the road in Deadhorse,

594
00:36:58,275 --> 00:37:03,206
Alex Debogorski's
truck is in the shop.

595
00:37:03,344 --> 00:37:06,896
Got a flat tire came
right off the rim.

596
00:37:07,034 --> 00:37:10,482
And the tire man, he's gonna
see if he can find the hole

597
00:37:10,620 --> 00:37:12,034
and fix it.

598
00:37:12,172 --> 00:37:14,620
Well, we've had numerous
delays this trip.

599
00:37:14,758 --> 00:37:17,000
This is just another one.

600
00:37:17,137 --> 00:37:20,103
NARRATOR: Carlile uses
severe service duty tires

601
00:37:20,241 --> 00:37:21,620
for driving on the ice.

602
00:37:21,758 --> 00:37:26,068
On average they only last six
months, and at $400 apiece,

603
00:37:26,206 --> 00:37:27,965
it's worth the
time to patch them.

604
00:37:30,862 --> 00:37:33,068
I'm gonna dunk the
tire and find the leak.

605
00:37:40,206 --> 00:37:41,965
ALEX DEBOGORSKI:
Not a small one.

606
00:37:42,103 --> 00:37:43,551
This is pretty good
hole, actually.

607
00:37:43,689 --> 00:37:46,137
It's funny it made it this far.

608
00:37:46,275 --> 00:37:48,862
NARRATOR: The mechanic mends
the hole with a filler plug

609
00:37:49,000 --> 00:37:50,724
and reinforced rubber patch.

610
00:37:55,862 --> 00:37:57,724
ALEX DEBOGORSKI: Well
great, thank you very much.

611
00:37:57,862 --> 00:37:58,689
Thank you.

612
00:37:58,827 --> 00:38:00,068
ALEX DEBOGORSKI:
Have a good day.

613
00:38:00,206 --> 00:38:03,965
NARRATOR: Good to go,
Alex heads for his load.

614
00:38:04,103 --> 00:38:07,379
He's back hauling an
empty van trailer.

615
00:38:07,517 --> 00:38:10,724
They want vans
back in Fairbanks.

616
00:38:10,862 --> 00:38:12,241
NARRATOR: And in
the freezing cold

617
00:38:12,379 --> 00:38:14,448
that Prudhoe Bay is famous for--

618
00:38:14,586 --> 00:38:15,827
Oof.

619
00:38:15,965 --> 00:38:19,275
Holy mackerel, that's
some snap you on the face.

620
00:38:19,413 --> 00:38:21,586
NARRATOR: --he heads
south for another crack

621
00:38:21,724 --> 00:38:27,275
at the Dalton and to catch
up with the competition.

622
00:38:27,413 --> 00:38:28,586
ALEX DEBOGORSKI: Goodness grief.

623
00:38:28,724 --> 00:38:29,965
What next?

624
00:38:30,103 --> 00:38:32,482
We're waiting in--
with bated breath

625
00:38:32,620 --> 00:38:36,620
to see what the next
situation is going to be.

626
00:38:36,758 --> 00:38:42,655
[laughter]

627
00:38:42,793 --> 00:38:45,034
NARRATOR: As night falls and
the northern lights begin

628
00:38:45,172 --> 00:38:45,862
to dance--

629
00:38:48,827 --> 00:38:50,241
So this is the deal.

630
00:38:50,379 --> 00:38:52,448
We're on a little bit of a
crunch to get this thing going.

631
00:38:52,586 --> 00:38:54,137
That's why we had
to leave tonight.

632
00:38:54,275 --> 00:38:58,310
NARRATOR: Jack Jessee preps for
his next run, a colossal pipe

633
00:38:58,448 --> 00:39:03,310
rack 17 feet tall, 16 feet wide.

634
00:39:03,448 --> 00:39:06,344
It's used to connect the oil
wells to the Trans Alaskan

635
00:39:06,482 --> 00:39:07,689
Pipeline.

636
00:39:07,827 --> 00:39:09,241
JACK JESSEE: Well, the
challenge for this load

637
00:39:09,379 --> 00:39:13,000
is that, you know, it's so high
up that you gotta go slower

638
00:39:13,137 --> 00:39:15,241
so it doesn't just flop
it over on its side.

639
00:39:21,689 --> 00:39:23,310
Everything look good
back here, Mark?

640
00:39:23,448 --> 00:39:25,896
RADIO: Yeah, so far so good.

641
00:39:26,034 --> 00:39:27,448
NARRATOR: Tonight's
first challenge--

642
00:39:27,586 --> 00:39:32,310
to get out of Fairbanks without
knocking down traffic lights.

643
00:39:32,448 --> 00:39:34,241
So I-- I know I'm lower
than the stoplights,

644
00:39:34,379 --> 00:39:37,965
but I still have to go really
slow so I can keep the bouncing

645
00:39:38,103 --> 00:39:39,379
down.

646
00:39:39,517 --> 00:39:40,931
That way I don't
actually bounce up

647
00:39:41,068 --> 00:39:42,620
and actually hit a stoplight.

648
00:39:48,068 --> 00:39:49,965
Mark, can you get on
the right side of me

649
00:39:50,103 --> 00:39:52,206
and make sure that right
side's been cleared just fine?

650
00:40:05,689 --> 00:40:06,413
Right side clear?

651
00:40:06,551 --> 00:40:07,448
RADIO: Right side's clear.

652
00:40:12,344 --> 00:40:14,620
NARRATOR: Light after light,
Jack crawls his way out

653
00:40:14,758 --> 00:40:15,620
of town.

654
00:40:15,758 --> 00:40:16,758
RADIO: Clear.

655
00:40:16,896 --> 00:40:18,275
JACK JESSEE: Just
getting out of town

656
00:40:18,413 --> 00:40:19,965
can be its own
special challenge.

657
00:40:20,103 --> 00:40:21,413
We've got that one
licked already.

658
00:40:24,517 --> 00:40:29,931
NARRATOR: 75 miles up the
road, the pavement drops off

659
00:40:30,068 --> 00:40:31,586
and the ice road begins.

660
00:40:42,379 --> 00:40:46,206
As Jack heads further into
the Alaskan wilderness,

661
00:40:46,344 --> 00:40:49,413
another hazard of the
haul road emerges.

662
00:40:49,551 --> 00:40:51,758
JACK JESSEE: A couple trucks
had said earlier today

663
00:40:51,896 --> 00:40:53,862
that a lot of moose
out this evening.

664
00:40:54,000 --> 00:41:00,068
So at night time, really hard
to see the black and the brown

665
00:41:00,206 --> 00:41:01,275
on them.

666
00:41:01,413 --> 00:41:03,206
They're really hard
to see at night

667
00:41:03,344 --> 00:41:05,103
until they jump out
right in front of you.

668
00:41:05,241 --> 00:41:09,482
And hitting a moose is-- is
just like hitting a brick wall.

669
00:41:09,620 --> 00:41:12,000
You know, it-- it's just gonna
tear your truck all to pieces.

670
00:41:16,551 --> 00:41:18,517
RADIO: I'm going down that
hill after 48 [inaudible]

671
00:41:18,655 --> 00:41:21,379
a moose there.

672
00:41:21,517 --> 00:41:23,275
NARRATOR: Up ahead,
Jack's pilot car

673
00:41:23,413 --> 00:41:25,586
spots a dead one in
the middle of the road.

674
00:41:30,862 --> 00:41:33,310
JACK JESSEE: Yeah, we just
drove by the dead moose.

675
00:41:33,448 --> 00:41:37,724
It was more or less blocking
the southbound lane there.

676
00:41:37,862 --> 00:41:42,034
NARRATOR: Jack asked the driver
to do some damage control.

677
00:41:42,172 --> 00:41:44,344
JACK JESSEE: See if you can--

678
00:41:44,482 --> 00:41:47,758
see if you can do
something, man.

679
00:41:47,896 --> 00:41:52,517
NARRATOR: An Alaskan moose
can weigh up to 1,500 pounds.

680
00:41:52,655 --> 00:41:58,103
Pulling this animal off the road
could save a trucker's life.

681
00:41:58,241 --> 00:42:04,482
I've lived in Alaska
for 39 years now.

682
00:42:04,620 --> 00:42:08,965
This is the first time I've
ever tied off to a moose

683
00:42:09,103 --> 00:42:10,344
and tried to get
it off the road.

684
00:42:20,344 --> 00:42:23,241
Guess there's a first for
everything, ain't there?

685
00:42:23,379 --> 00:42:25,655
I'm sure somebody going into
town when his cell phone start

686
00:42:25,793 --> 00:42:27,103
working will--

687
00:42:27,241 --> 00:42:29,413
they'll call somebody to come
out and salvage it there.

688
00:42:29,551 --> 00:42:32,379
We-- we don't let that
kind of meat go to waste.

689
00:42:35,965 --> 00:42:38,172
NARRATOR: Up the road there's
another moose sighting.

690
00:42:45,517 --> 00:42:46,482
Okee dokee.

691
00:42:46,620 --> 00:42:48,793
Moose right side.

692
00:42:48,931 --> 00:42:52,413
NARRATOR: This time
it's on the move.

693
00:42:52,551 --> 00:42:55,275
Jack scans the side of the road.

694
00:42:55,413 --> 00:42:59,000
Slamming into a 1,500-pound
animal could end both

695
00:42:59,137 --> 00:43:00,586
their lives.

696
00:43:00,724 --> 00:43:02,103
JACK JESSEE: Nope,
I didn't see it.

697
00:43:07,000 --> 00:43:09,896
NARRATOR: Suddenly
without any warning--

698
00:43:10,034 --> 00:43:11,172
Oh, there he goes right now.

699
00:43:14,206 --> 00:43:24,482
[tires screeching]

700
00:43:24,620 --> 00:43:26,413
JACK JESSEE: The pilot
car really saved my skin

701
00:43:26,551 --> 00:43:27,689
on this one.

702
00:43:27,827 --> 00:43:29,620
Well, I mean if I had
hit that moose, one,

703
00:43:29,758 --> 00:43:32,827
I would've killed the moose, and
that would've been a bad thing.

704
00:43:32,965 --> 00:43:34,413
But it would've
killed the truck, too.

705
00:43:40,965 --> 00:43:43,310
That's one of the many
hazards of the Dalton Highway.

706
00:43:49,896 --> 00:43:51,275
NARRATOR: After a
month of trucking,

707
00:43:51,413 --> 00:43:56,310
Jack Jessee is in the
lead with eight loads.

708
00:43:56,448 --> 00:43:59,103
And even with a late
start, Alex Debogorski

709
00:43:59,241 --> 00:44:02,896
has overcome many challenges
to complete his first run

710
00:44:03,034 --> 00:44:04,724
on American ice.

711
00:44:04,862 --> 00:44:07,172
ALEX DEBOGORSKI: I'm not
done conquering the road.

712
00:44:07,310 --> 00:44:10,758
Conquering the Dalton Highway
is an ongoing process.

713
00:44:10,896 --> 00:44:12,241
But there are girls
driving on it,

714
00:44:12,379 --> 00:44:14,482
so I think maybe
I'll be able to.

715
00:44:14,620 --> 00:44:17,586
[laughter]