Male narrator: At the top
Of the world, the ice road
Truckers are...
Back on the road again.
[Truck horn blares]
Narrator: Pushing the limits
Along america's most dangerous
Road.
Next...lisa kelly is down.
This is horrible.
I don't know what's going on.
Narrator: Ray is out in the
Cold.
The engine light's flashing
Again.
We're gonna have to haul the
Truck back to town.
Great.
Narrator: An old rivalry...
Next time you look in the
Mirror, it'll be me behind you.
Narrator: Heats up the ice.
Spun out on the [bleep] hill.
Narrator: And a devastating
Wreck sends shockwaves up the
Dalton.
That's one of our guys.
Narrator: The deadliest
Weather in alaska can strike
Out of a clear blue sky.
A whiteout...
What alaskans call "a blow"...
Is a rogue pocket of swirling
Snow.
It can kill a driver quickly
By blinding him to oncoming
Traffic.
[Horn blares]
Or kill him slowly by
Clogging his engine with snow
And leaving him to freeze to
Death.
Days into the ice road season,
High winds kick up a whiteout
50 miles south of prudhoe bay.
Yet it's clear and cold at the
Carlile yard in prudhoe as
Jack jessee starts an urgent
Mission.
Everything's looking pretty
Good so far.
We're gonna air the trailer up.
Get our suspension to start
Working, check that out.
Narrator: Out on the rigs,
An 8,000-Gallon oil tank has
Been damaged.
They're counting on jack to
Haul the massive 17-Foot-Tall
Tank back to fairbanks for
Repairs.
Well, for safety purposes,
We gotta make sure that I've got
Enough driver weight to get the
Job done, 'cause the tank isn't
All that heavy, but it doesn't
Give me enough driver weight to
Do it, so I've got some extra
Counterweights to make sure I
Got plenty of driver weight,
Make sure I don't spin out for
Any reason and then become
A safety hazard.
Gotcha.
All right.
We'll get it moving, bud.
[Honks horn]
Narrator: A southbound load
To fairbanks is called
A backhaul and puts extra money
In a driver's pocket.
But this one also comes with
Extra pressure.
Kind of a rush deal.
They use a lot of these up here
In the wintertime out on the
Oil rigs.
So something important for me
To do.
And the way we are, now we're
In a race back to fairbanks
So we can keep this tank moving.
Narrator: As jack heads
Straight into the blow,
Second-Year man greg boadwine...
Oh, let's see what they got
Today.
Narrator: Is looking for his
Own share of the backhaul bucks.
After crashing his truck and
Nearly losing his life last
Season, greg's out to prove that
He still belongs on the dalton.
What's up?
Oh, not much.
See if you got anything for me
To take home.
Narrator: The low man on the
Totem pole's got to work
A little harder to earn that
Extra load.
All right, make you a deal.
Before you take this load out,
I'll let you pour me some
Coffee, all right?
Fair enough.
Black, what, sugar, cream?
Two of those french vanilla
Creamers, please.
Ohh.
Narrator: The bigger the
Load, the more it pays,
And this light trailer of boards
Isn't exactly the bonus he was
Looking for.
[Honks horn]
Kind of a light sissy load,
But, hey, it cost me a cup of
Coffee just to get a trailer
Behind me, much less a load.
Narrator: Getting a sissy,
Or twinkie load, just adds
Insult to the injury
Of losing the race to jack on
Their first run of the season.
You got me.
Well, I'm glad you finally
Made it here.
I was starting to get worried
For a second.
[Chuckles]
He's jack jessee.
He is the haul road ace.
It's always good to get one up
On him every once in a while.
Narrator: With his
Featherweight load, greg figures
He'll fly past the old pro.
But now tentacles of snow
Begin to reach across the road.
The first sign that he's
Entering the blow.
I can see probably 400 foot
On average right now.
Full out phase two blow.
Narrator: In a phase two
Blow, a driver relies on the
Delineators that mark the side
Of the road to stay out of the
Ditch.
If I lose the delineators, I
Don't know what side of the road
I'm on...I don't even know if I'm
On the road until I feel the
Bump when I fall off.
You never know what'll happen.
I can come up on a truck real
Quick.
[Horn honking]
Narrator: Somewhere on the
Socked-In road ahead is
Jack jessee.
But for now, this fledging
Rivalry takes a backseat to
Staying alive through the blow.
If he goes in the ditch or
Something else, I'll be along
To give him a hand.
If I go in the ditch, I'm gonna
Have to sit here, hope and pray
That the next guy comes along
And comes pretty quick.
Narrator: 450 miles south
At the carlile yard in
Fairbanks, the polar bear is
Once again on the prowl.
Hey, you old mugger, how's
It going?
Mr. Rowland, good to see you.
How the [bleep] you doing?
I think you got taller.
[Both laugh]
Yeah.
Narrator: Canadian ice road
Legend hugh rowland is back for
A second crack at the dalton.
But for the first time in over
20 years, he's running behind
His rival, alex debogorski.
First load or what?
We're a load ahead of you,
Looks like.
What are you doing sitting
Here looking at yourself in
The mirror?
Next time you look in the
Mirror, it'll be me behind you.
I'm gonna keep you in the
Mirror too.
[Both laugh]
That'll be every time I pass
You.
Well, no...well, we'll do
What we ever have to do.
Well, I'm gonna go in there
And do my best stats and stuff.
I'll talk to you later.
Okay.
Yeah.
Narrator: Across the yard at
Dispatch, lisa kelly is looking
For her next load of the season.
What have I got today?
You have an l.T.L. Load.
Got some steel, some lumber
And I believe we even threw
A pickup truck on there for ya.
Is it oversize or hazardous
Or anything of that matter?
No, just a run-Of-The-Mill
L.T.L. Load for you.
Narrator: Lisa's goal is to
Prove that she can haul the
Heavy stuff.
This collection of leftovers
From other loads doesn't advance
The cause.
I have an l.T.L. Trailer.
L.T.L. Means "less than load."
So it means it's not one whole
Load for one person.
It means, like, maybe this truck
Will go to someone and then
Maybe these...this metal beam
Under here will go to someone
Else.
And the wood will probably go to
Someone else, so.
Narrator: L.T.L.S come with
None of the glory but all the
Work.
Weight distribution can be
Wildly uneven.
The driver has to fight an
Unbalanced load going up the
Road.
I want to earn the respect of
The people up here but not
'Cause I'm demanding it,
'Cause I'm not demanding it.
I want to earn it.
I want to work every inch of it
And to earn the respect up here.
Narrator: But in the boys
Club of truck drivers, old ideas
Die hard, and a woman on the
Road makes for an easy target.
I knew it.
I knew they were talking
[Bleep].
They forget that I'm still here.
I can still hear you.
They are talking about me,
And I am being watched because
I am the odd one out.
But that's okay because I can
Do it, I can deal.
So it's kinda just shrug it off.
[Beeping]
There.
Narrator: Just an hour into
Her haul, lisa has got bigger
Problems than trash talk on the
Radio.
[Machinery squealing]
When I step on my brakes
Really hard, they're, like,
Catching, and then they're not,
And then they're catching, and
Then they're not.
I'm freaked out right now.
[Squealing]
Narrator: 70 miles north of
Fairbanks...
[Brakes squealing]
Lisa kelly gets hit with the
Last problem a driver wants...
[Squealing]
Bad brakes.
When I hit them really light,
They work fine.
It's when I'm, like, kinda
Needing to get stopped fast
That they're kinda not working
How I'd like them to work.
I'm gonna just...I'm gonna crawl
Under there and look at 'em.
Narrator: Lisa wants respect
On the dalton.
This is a big chance to earn it,
Fixing her rig by herself.
Here I go.
Narrator: She knows her
Truck, but trailers are
A different story.
Every trailer can have
A different brake setup.
Yeah, this is horrible.
I have never seen these kind
Before.
I'm gonna try to figure this
Out.
I really am.
I'm getting a hint.
Narrator: One of the trailer
Brake pads is badly out of
Adjustment, causing the brake
To grab unevenly.
Even worse, one brake out of
Spec means the whole system
Is out of balance.
If she stops suddenly, she could
Lose control of the rig.
'Cause I just tightened it
All the way down and now I'm
Gonna back it off.
Maybe.
Or not.
Narrator: Once the brake pad
Is up against the disc, she
Needs to back it off just enough
So that the wheel spins freely.
But it won't budge.
Don't know what's going on...
At all.
Narrator: For the second run
In a row, the challenge of the
Road is more than lisa can
Handle.
Well, so much for looking
Like a hero instead of a zero.
If I can get to coldfoot,
I can make a phone call and
Figure out how to back it off.
But do I want to chance running
With it with one brake tight?
Narrator: Lisa faces a tough
Decision...return to fairbanks
To get her brakes fixed or keep
The load moving north.
85 miles into his second run,
Rookie driver ray vellieux
Is also at a dead stop.
Why we stopped here is we
Smell a little bit of
Antifreeze, so we're gonna
Check the truck.
And it's probably just coming
Out the overflow 'cause the
Truck got worked on last night.
So they just probably topped
If off and it's just blowing it
Out.
Narrator: An antifreeze leak
Can cause serious problems for
A truck running on ice.
The truck can overheat in
A matter of minutes,
Shutting down the engine and
Stranding a driver in 20-Below
Weather.
Ray can't find a leak, but for
Now the damage is minimal.
So we'll get ready and get on
Out of here.
Narrator: The rookie decides
To press his luck.
There's a lot to worry about.
You worry about your family.
You worry about your truck.
You worry about the road.
You worry about getting a load
There.
It's not just drive the truck
And get it there.
It's...you got a lot of things
Going through your...going
Through your mind.
Narrator: Back in fairbanks,
Hugh rowland reports for duty.
Before a driver can hit the
Road, he has to pass a drug
Test.
I'm ready for my pregnancy
Exam.
How are you?
I'm amanda.
Nice to meet you.
What if I have more than
This?
If you have more than that,
I would prefer it go into the
Toilet.
I can't save it and I'll go
Christen my truck?
Alex is taking his truck over
To the church.
I'm just gonna ps on it here.
That's your christening, huh?
This will be quite a sample,
You know?
Yep, she's high-Octane,
Low-Sulfur diesel fuel.
Everything went good.
Good.
[Laughs]
Well, I'll tell you one [bleep]
Thing, if that test comes back
And says I'm pregnant, I'm
Cutting the [bleep] thing off.
[Laughs]
Narrator: Almost as unlikely
As hugh being pregnant is the
Fact that alex is one load ahead
Of him.
In the race of the tortoise
And the hare, the turtle is
A little bit ahead of hugh
Rowland.
[Laughs]
Well, it's time to go.
Don't wanna waste any more time.
Narrator: Today, alex is
Hauling a load of pipe and
Hoping to build on his one-Day,
One-Load lead over his rival,
The polar bear.
One of my goals, keep my lead
On the rabbit there, hughey.
Oh, I'm on my second trip,
And as far as I know when I left
Town he was still sitting.
Narrator: 300 miles north...
Greg boadwine is driving nearly
Blind in a borderline phase
Three blow.
I can kinda see a little bit,
But not too terribly well.
I'm gonna stay real slow.
Narrator: This morning,
Greg's only question was how
Quickly he would overtake
Jack jessee.
I like jack a lot.
He is the ace but...maybe hauling
Bigger and heavier loads...but
It's not how big the load is.
It's how many you can get there.
Narrator: Now greg breaks
Through the wall of blowing
Snow.
Finally, he has the chance to
Make a serious run at jack
Jessee when suddenly...
We got a report of a fuel
Tanker overturned 41 miles
North of coldfoot.
Narrator: D.O.T. Reports
A fuel tanker has wrecked,
Sending chills up and down
The dalton.
All vehicles, please proceed
With extreme caution.
Looks like there's an
Accident someplace up on the
Dalton.
You've got a fuel truck
That's over...it might be
Overturned or it might be
In the ditch.
They haven't been real clear.
Even though this is
A 500-Mile road, news travels
Extremely fast.
We really hope the driver's
Not hurt.
Narrator: If it's scary to
Hear on the radio...
It's even more so to see
Close up.
We are gonna get up here and
See if there's anything we can
Do to offer assistance or if we
Just need to sit back, keep our
Mouths shut, and stay out of the
Way.
Narrator: Halfway up the ice
Road, a fuel tanker lost
Control, overturned, and broke
In two.
[Bleep]
Got a tanker on its side,
Dented, rolled.
I don't...it's bad.
The road is obviously dangerous.
You got a truck sitting here
With a tanker in the ditch.
I mean, if it that doesn't
Explain it, I don't know what
I can say to explain it to you.
Narrator: All it took was
A moment's lapse in the driver's
Concentration.
The truck drifted right, and its
Front tire got caught in the
Soft snow, pulling the entire
Rig off the road.
The fifth wheel, which connects
The trailer to the truck,
Snapped off.
The tanker separated from the
Rig and 9,000 tons of diesel
Fuel rolled down the embankment.
Trucking legend keith mitchell
Had run the dalton for over
20 years without a single
Accident.
In a split second, this veteran
Trucker lost his perfect record
And very nearly his life.
The fifth wheel just ripped
Right off the frame of the
Truck, and that's when the
Tanker rolled over and down
The bank.
Otherwise my truck would be down
In the bank against the trees
Right now.
That fifth wheel breaking off
My truck like that probably
Saved my life.
Narrator: Keith was lucky to
Survive, but the tanker's
Heading for the junkyard.
Now the carlile hazmat team is
On the job, racing to prevent
A fuel spill that could turn
Into an environmental disaster.
Hooking up the hoses so that
We can pump the tanker off.
Could be laying on a boulder
Or something down there, so we
Don't want to move it until we
Can get most of the weight
Out of it, 'cause it could...
Could do more damage trying to
Move it than by leaving it
There.
Narrator: If it can happen to
A seasoned veteran, new drivers
Like greg are seriously at risk.
His attention might have been
Off the road for two seconds.
That's all it took.
This coulda easily been me.
[Sighs]
Narrator: As dangerous as it
Is today, it was even worse
In the 1970s when the dalton
Had a sinister nickname.
The dalton used to be known
By truckers as the kamikaze
Trail.
The crazy driving conditions,
People thought they were taking
Their lives into their hands
When they went out onto that
Road.
A lot of them were hauling
80-Foot sections of pipe.
And trying to keep that thing
Straight on the highway was one
Of the hardest things they ever
Tried to do as a truck driver.
Narrator: The kamikaze trail
Has faded into history.
What hasn't changed is the
Freight...the long, unstable,
Projectile-Like sections of
Pipe, just like hugh rowland's
First load of the season.
It's long pipe.
It's called long pipe.
The hardest part is just making
Sure it doesn't shift on you,
And pipe either comes forward
Towards the cabin or off the
Back end.
Ready to get up the road.
I'm outta here.
Get as many loads as I can
Possibly get, and that's how
I make my paycheck, so that's
What I'm running with.
[Horn honks]
Narrator: Only a few miles
Out...
That four-Wheeler behind me
Has a load of pipe.
You can go ahead and go by me
If you want.
All righty, thanks.
Narrator: Hugh gets a
Reminder of just how dangerous
The alaskan road can be.
Whoops. Look at that.
Whoa!
[On radio] that was close!
My front tire just started to
Get sucked in.
Narrator: As he passed hugh,
The pickup driver slipped
Sideways on the ice and clipped
The snow bank.
No, you don't need that, no.
He [bleep] near lost it
Completely.
He just...he just barely got her
Back straightened out.
And do...and there's no [bleep]
Way I'd have been able to stop.
He'd have been a [bleep] dead
Duck.
Narrator: Hugh dodged a
Bullet.
As he hits the dalton, he bears
Down on the road and his rival.
Once I pass alex, he never
Catches up.
Same every year.
He'll live his life looking over
His shoulder looking for me.
[Laughs]
He doesn't know where I'm at
Right now.
[Horn honks]
Narrator: 70 miles up the
Dalton, lisa kelly has decided
To play it safe.
She's heading back to fairbanks
To get help with a brake problem
She couldn't fix herself.
Oh, I feel really stupid
Because I created this problem
For myself.
Narrator: As lisa looks for
A place to turn around...
A familiar voice comes over
The radio.
Yeah? Go ahead.
Who is this?
Sweet.
Can I meet you on the top of
2 1/2, pretty please?
Uh, yeah.
Narrator: Ryan groth, a more
Experienced driver, was lisa's
Convoy partner on her first run.
It was ryan who suggested lisa
Trade out her oversized car
Carrier.
A decision that she still
Regrets.
And today, ryan once again is on
The scene.
This is the stupidest thing
On planet earth and I feel
Stupid for not knowing how to do
It.
I'm trying to adjust my brakes,
But I have never seen these kind
Before and I don't want to go
Until everything's adjusted
Right.
So if you could just show me
How to back them off, I would be
Happy and I will even do it.
I just...
I'll show you what I mean.
See? It's up here.
Yeah, I see.
This little guy right here...
Yeah?
You have to press it down the
Same time as you...as you turn
It.
Narrator: What lisa didn't
Know is that a release mechanism
Locks the brake adjustments in
Place.
With the press of a button and
The twist of a wrench, ryan's
Got the brake adjusted in no
Time.
I think you're gonna be all
Right...
Okay.
The way it is.
Okay, I just wasn't sure.
Well, I appreciate it.
Don't worry about it.
Narrator: Lisa's up and
Running, but her pride has
Taken a hit.
Still kind of sucks that it
Happened and that I have to once
Again be helped.
I wanted to be the helper and
Not the helpee.
Narrator: 150 miles up the
Road as he approaches the tanker
Wreck, ray vellieux gets a
First-Hand look at just what
He's risking when he heads out
On the dalton.
Well, that don't look good.
Oh, my lord.
That don't look good at all.
That's bad.
It's scary for me to see
Something like that, 'cause
Nobody wants to go through that.
That's bad.
I think that's about, like, the
Toughest thing, being on the
Haul road, is you worry about
All the road and everything
Else.
You worry about home.
You worry about your wife.
Is she okay?
Is your daughter okay?
Is your son all right?
A friend of mine that
Works here with us, he got a
Phone call a couple nights ago
That his daughter that's in her
First year of college, just like
Mine, just got in a vehicle
Accident.
A drunk driver hit her.
So it looked like she was on
Life support...
And it didn't look good that he
Had to get back to arizona right
Away, so he tried getting a
Flight out of prudhoe and missed
The flight by about ten minutes.
So then he had to unload his
Tanker and haul butt back to
Fairbanks.
And then you have to drive all
The way back from prudhoe,
Another 12-Hour drive, you know,
Thinking about all what's going
On, so.
You think about it all the time
That you might get that phone
Call one day and you're thinking
Like, "geez, I sure hope it
Don't happen."
And I know him and I talked
About it, 'cause we're in the
Same boat, you know?
We're out here halfway across
The freaking continent and
They're out there and he's
Working here and what would you
Do?
And here it happens.
Pretty sad thing.
Narrator: Coming up...
I'm getting to prudhoe bay no
Matter what.
Narrator: An icy mountain
Pass gives hugh and alex more
Than they can handle.
Spun out.
Spun out on the [bleep] hill.
Narrator: 30 miles north of
The arctic circle, lisa kelly's
Confidence is at a new low after
Being rescued once again by
Another driver.
But just ahead...
Another trucker is in far deeper
Trouble.
Eddie gilbert skidded off the
Road and is pinned by heavy snow
In the ditch.
Hey, terry, does it look like
Something that I could help
With?
[Indistinct]
Sounds like he's completely off
The road, but that's not gonna
Stop me from trying to get out
And see if I can help.
Didn't sound like I can, but I'm
Not writing it all off yet.
[On radio] if I can get him
Or not.
Is there any way that I could
Try to see if I could pull him
Out?
I mean, I want to help.
Very, very much want to help.
Narrator: Lisa's been helped
Out of jams by other truckers.
This is finally her chance
To return the favor.
There we go.
Got it in there.
It work?
Watch out!
This might be dangerous for you.
Just say when.
Go ahead.
Yes!
I'm so glad that worked for
You.
Narrator: Eddie is back in
Action.
Lisa, thanks a million.
You are so welcome.
Have a good trip.
I think that might...that might
Help me get a little bit of
Respect.
Not a whole lot, but I'm not
Saying that that's gonna earn
All of it.
It's just maybe one step closer
To be able to fit in and show
That I can pull my weight up
Here.
Narrator: For lisa, a day
That began with disrespect over
The radio, ends with a very
Different kind of call.
Hey, this is sam bishop here.
Did you get, uh, did you get
Eddie pulled out?
Ten-Four.
He's all out and on his way now.
Yeah, thanks and good job.
Probably see you [indistinct].
See you later.
Narrator: 70 miles up the
Dalton, a full-Scale rescue
Mission is underway.
First, the carlile hazmat team
Successfully offloaded the fuel
From the overturned tanker.
We lost a little bit of fuel,
But it's all cleaned up and
Contained and won't be any
Damage or any long-Term damage.
Narrator: Now ben kryzkowski
And his veteran clean-Up crew
Are on the job working to haul
The tanker back up onto the
Road.
This strap here is gonna go
Around and then we'll drag her
Right up the side of the hill
Here.
Narrator: With the straps in
Place, ben's wrecker begins
Pulling the tanker around.
Okay, everybody, stand clear!
Watch out.
Oh, beautiful.
Narrator: Once the tanker is
Upright, the biggest job begins:
Hauling the tanker sideways up
The embankment.
Come on, baby.
Watch that cable there.
Good.
I think we're good.
Narrator: This morning,
Keith mitchell lost control for
The first time in two decades of
Driving.
16 hours later, 9,000 gallons of
Fuel has been recovered.
His 50-Ton tanker is free
From the ditch.
We just got the trailer back
Up on the road.
Just got the wrecker unhooked
From it.
Narrator: Only the fifth
Wheel snapping, freeing the
Cab from the tanker, saved
Keith mitchell from
Becoming a victim of the saying
That on the dalton your first
Mistake can often be your last.
Could have been a lot worse.
Like I said, most important
Thing, driver's not hurt.
Took his attention off the road
Just for a second and now this
Is what happens.
Narrator: A few miles
North...
Greg's stop at the scene of the
Tanker wreck has put him nearly
20 miles behind jack jessee.
But seeing veteran
Keith mitchell's close call has
Greg rethinking his need for
Speed.
Definitely have to find the
Aspect of where safety and speed
Can meet to make sure you have
A trip home to your family.
All that matters to my wife and
My kids is that I make it home
One way or the other.
As long as I'm not in a pine
Box, we're good.
Narrator: With his family on
His mind, greg will spend the
Night at coldfoot.
20 miles south, stopping for the
Night is not an option for the
Haul road ace.
I got a really good track
Rerd on gettin' the job done,
Pretty much of I'm doing what I
Say I was gonna do.
Said they wanted it in town
Tonight.
I'm gonna get that done for 'em.
Narrator: While jack pushes
South with his backhaul,
Alex is headed north, now facing
An incline up the aptly named
Chicken run.
I'd like to know if this is a
Straight run here or not.
She sure looks straight.
Narrator: The phase two blow
Kicks up, and alex is barely
Able to see the edge of the
Road.
All these markers are
Covered with frost.
You can't see 'em.
Get my x-Ray vision workin'
Here.
Narrator: Suddenly, he crests
The hill and starts rolling down
The other side.
But he's rolling fast.
I think we're coming down
Here a little quicker than we'd
Want to be going.
[Horn honks]
That isn't my trailer is it,
[Bleep]ing around back there?
Narrator: The jolts to alex's
Trailer were two delineators
Getting leveled.
Taking them out endangers other
Drivers and is a serious
Infraction, but in the middle of
A blow, alex isn't stopping for
Anything.
Holy mackerel.
It's slippery there.
Narrator: 40 miles behind,
Hard-Driving hugh rowland has
Erased much of alex's head
Start.
Like I said, I'm not stopping
Today.
I'm getting to prudhoe bay
No matter what.
Narrator: As he hits the
Steep grade at ice cut,
Hugh isn't taking time to put on
Chains.
His tires begin to lose their
Traction.
Spinning, then sliding to a dead
Stop.
Spun out.
Spun out on the [bleep] hill.
What else can you say?
It's icy.
It's an ice road.
Yeah, I didn't make it to the
Top of her.
Nope.
Ah, I gotta put some chains on.
Narrator: If the polar bear
Has one weakness, it's this.
He rarely needed to chain up
On the ice roads of his native
Canada.
I'm gonna try and get this
One on here.
Narrator: He just doesn't
Have the chops for it.
[Bleep]
Come on.
I can't get that one done up
Over there.
[Indistinct radio reply]
Piles of [bleep].
Can't even get the chains
Done up.
I'm gonna have to take this one
Off again.
Narrator: The other drivers
Are getting restless.
I see hugh's still up there,
Uh, messing with the chains or
Something.
I don't know.
That's as tight as I can get
'Em right now.
Come on, baby.
Narrator: Finally, the chains
Grip the ice, and he claws his
Way up the hill.
But for blocking traffic,
Hugh finally gets a big
Slice of haul road humble pie.
Okay, you guys.
You can come on up if you want.
Ten-Four.
About time.
Back on the road again.
Narrator: Coming up...
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
Real slow.
Narrator: Trouble with his
Rig...
What's burning?
Narrator: Leave's ray out in
The cold.
Narrator: 50 miles south of
Prudhoe bay, rookie ray vellieux
Is nearly to the finish line...
When a minor leak suddenly
Escalates into full-Blown
Trouble.
What's burning?
Something's burning.
[Electronic beeping]
I just saw an engine code go off
Up on the dash, so.
[Bleep]
Again.
It goes on and off, so I'm gonna
Find a place to pull over.
I'm gonna have to pull over.
Narrator: Ray pulls off into
Swirling winds and temperatures
Of nearly 30 below.
Great.
Right in the middle of a ground
Blow.
That's gonna be fun.
Narrator: Everyone who runs
The dalton has heard the tales
Of stranded drivers freezing to
Death in the arctic night.
If he can't fix his engine,
A total breakdown could leave
Ray stranded with no heat, no
Radio, and the closest help
50 miles up the frozen road.
Well, I know I got an
Electrical problem.
I got to find that.
But it could be under the dash.
But we also have a bunch of
Antifreeze blowing out all over
The place.
Boy, it's cold.
Got a bunch of antifreeze
Leaking out the back of the
Motor.
Probably just a hose back there,
But I can't find it and it's too
Cold and windy to look for it
Anyway, so we'll limp it into
Town and just get out of here
Right now while we can.
Narrator: With temperatures
Dropping, ray rolls the dice,
Betting that his truck can
Survive the last few miles to
Prudhoe bay.
450 miles south, jack jessee
Rolls into fairbanks with his
Critical load.
You got a bigger load like
This, it stresses you in a lot
Of different ways.
The road itself is always
A physical issue.
It just wears you out.
Mentally, it's just a strain
Knowing you've got all this
Responsibility on you.
'Cause if anything happens, I
Mean, it's gonna be my fault.
Narrator: Finally, after 16
White-Knuckle hours, jack jessee
Has once again lived up to his
Reputation as the ace driver on
America's most dangerous road.
Took a big load up.
Brought a big load back.
Been on the road for about four
Days now, and I am just tuckered
Out.
Narrator: Up in prudhoe
Bay...
Alex debogorski has completed
His second run of the season.
A successful trip to prudhoe.
It looks like I beat hugh.
I don't know where he is, but
Might be the only time he
Doesn't pass me all season, but
I got here first.
[Chuckles]
Narrator: Just minutes
Behind, hugh arrives.
Jesus [bleep].
How about the one where, uh...
Like, I knew you were ahead of
Me, because all the delineators
Were missing up on that curve
Up there.
[Laughs]
That's the only way I ever knew
You're in front of me.
They were all sticking in the
Back of my trailer, right?
Are you going in for supper?
Yeah.
Okay, well, hurry up.
I'm hurrying.
Okay.
You're gettin' in the way,
Like usual.
[Laughter]
Narrator: On day four of the
Season, it's deuces wild on the
Load board, with hugh one full
Trip behind...
And ray vellieux still trying to
Make the last ten miles into
Prudhoe bay.
Uh-Oh.
The engine light was flashing
Again and I'm out of antifreeze.
Narrator: Ray inches his way
Down the home stretch.
[Electronic beeping]
The first thing that we
Noticed is we could smell, like,
Burning rubber or plastic, so I
Knew right away we had an
Electrical problem.
We're gonna have to just keep
Going here.
[Electronic beeping]
Narrator: Ray's crippled rig
Finally limps into the
Last-Chance truck yard of the
North.
I've had a lot of close
Calls.
Definitely.
Everybody always says, "dude,
You've got, like, nine lives,
Man."
It's like, "yeah."
Narrator: Rare good fortune
Saved ray from being stranded in
The night, but as he heads into
The shop for the diagnosis, his
Luck may have run out.
Well, it's the...
Antifreeze leak's at the back
Of that head somewhere in that
Area.
Can you fix it?
Not up here, no.
And if you can't...
If it's the head gasket,
We're gonna have to haul the
Truck back to town and get it...
Put it in a shop.
If the truck's down for ten
Days and there's no spare
Trucks, then...
That makes for a pretty small
Paycheck.
Narrator: Next week, on Ice
Road truckers, the first storm
Of the season hits prudhoe bay.
It's very dangerous.
I hope I [bleep] get out of it.
Narrator: Jack gets stranded
In minus-50 degree winds.
The motor's getting cold,
And if I leave it shut off too
Long, it won't start again.
Narrator: A rookie cracks
Under the pressure.
Been one of the [bleep] days
I've ever flipping had.
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