Narrator: Now...
Art: Whoa. Whoa. Whoa! Whoa! Stop! Stop!
Narrator: On the season finale of "Ice Road Truckers"...
(Loud splashing thump)
(Loud thump) Mark: Stop!
Narrator: A decade on thin ice...
(Rattling bumps)
- Holy (bleep).
(Thumping rattles)
Narrator: Has all led to this.
(Drill whirs, rumbles)
Mark: We got water!
Mark: I can't force you guys to do this.
Todd: This is where we find out how thin the ice actually is.
(Ice cracking loudly) - Holly (bleep)!
¶ ¶
Narrator: The season is racing to a record early finish
as El Nino's wrath has wreaked havoc throughout the North...
(Loud splashing)
and virtually every trail is shut down.
But deep in remote Ontario
a giant convoy is rumbling their way down a closed road
and into Ice Road's history.
(Loud thumps)
Mark: (Bleep).
(Thumping bangs)
They weren't kiddin' when they said it was closed.
Narrator: Yesterday...
- To North Caribou?
Well we heard that road closed last week.
Narrator: Mark Kohaykewych was presented
with a one-of-a-kind opportunity
to deliver a convoy of last minute supplies
to the town of North Caribou,
a closed 400 mile trail to be opened up exclusively
for the urgent mission.
But the venture was so massive...
Mark: This is the biggest challenge I've taken on
in all my years of business here.
Narrator: In addition to company top dog, Todd Dewey,
and rookie, Steph Custance,
the Polar boss brought aboard his rivals,
Darrell Ward and Lisa Kelly.
- I'm hoppin' in your truck, Darrell.
Ah let's see if we can just bury the hatchet and get this done.
Darrell: Let's get it done.
Steph: Hammer down. Todd: Let's hit the road. - Let's go.
Steph: Oh! Oh my God!
(Loud crunching crash)
Todd: Okay, here we go.
Narrator: And despite conquering 200 brutal miles...
Steph: (Over radio) I'm good.
I should be able to get out from here.
Narrator: The ground breaking convoy
still has over 200 mud-filled miles yet to go.
- Pretty epic.
(Tires crunch and rattle)
- Whoa! There's a hole there.
(Rapid beeping)
What's going on?
- I don't know my gauges were just (bleep) up
and all my lights came on.
What the (bleep)?
I smell some wiring. (Rapid beeping)
- Whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa! Darrell: Can you smell it? - Whoa-whoa-whoa!
(Loud hissing) - Holy (bleep)!
- What the (bleep) is burnin', Mark?
Mark: Darrell! Darrell!
Let's get the (bleep) out. (Coughing) Darrell: What's goin' on?
Lisa: Oh my God!
- (Coughing violently) Darrell stop the (bleep) truck!
(Truck creaks) (Coughing violently)
Cameraman: What's happening?
Lisa: Mark ran out! Jumped out!
(Truck rumbles loudly)
Mark: Stop, stop, stop! Fire! Fire!
- Holy (bleep) there's smoke pouring out of the cab.
- What's up? What'd you-- Mark: I need a fire extinguisher!
- Right here, right here.
- Darrell, stop the truck!
(Truck rumbles)
(Truck rumbles and creaks)
Darrell!
- Holy (bleep)!
- Darrell!
(Engine idles)
Cameraman: What's going on?
- (Bleep) I got fire in my cab. I got somethin' burning up.
- Son of a bitch.
(Door shuts) (Engine rumbles)
- Got it!
Darrell: I got one. (Extinguisher whooshes)
- What the (bleep), man?
(Extinguisher whooshes)
- Holy (bleep) what's going on?
- Back up, guys. - You guys all right?
- I got something burnin' in my dash.
I found some burnt wires, Mark.
Mark: Is that all it was?
- Well, evidently. Shorted out.
Narrator: A short in the dashboard wiring caused a fire.
Luckily an easy fix for Mark.
- Here get out of the way I gotta get in there.
Darrell: Have at it.
Mark: We'll get it all back together.
Narrator: With some quick patch work,
Darrell's truck will be back in business.
(Door shuts) Start it.
(Engine starts up) See? There you go. You got gauges?
- Well, it was- it was running before.
- By the sound if it I swear these two have been married for 70 years.
Lisa and Steph: (Laughing)
Darrell: All right let's see if you've fixed (bleep) right
or if it's all (bleep) and (bleep) up.
(Truck rumbles)
- Okay, boys, here we go. We're finally back to rolling.
Narrator: Finally the convoy's back on the road.
- Thanks for, uh, settling your differences up there
(Over radio) and gettin' that fire put out.
- Yeah, there's a lot of (bleep) smoke coming out of some ears in here.
- Oh, enough. - (Laughing) Okay.
Narrator: But the toughest stretches of the trail is still ahead of 'em.
(Horn blares)
- Hammer down.
Narrator: While the convoy moves ahead,
200 miles to the North,
in the remote village of Sachigo Lake...
Art: So we're (bleep). (Liquid pouring)
Everything in there is (bleep). (Liquid pouring)
Narrator: Polar driver, Art Burke, ain't goin' nowhere.
(Hood creaks and bangs)
Art: The radiator is hangin' off,
the fan is all smashed to hell, the scrod is broke,
all that bang, bang, bang, bang, bang,
the old truck couldn't take it.
Narrator: On the way in...
(Loud splashing thuds)
(Loud thud)
(Splashing thud) - Holy (bleep).
Narrator: Art and his rig took a beating
over the 300 mile trail,
- I'm not sure what the (bleep) is goin' on here,
but I think we're afire.
Oh, (bleep)!
Narrator: The truck's fan and radiator ultimately gave out.
(Hood creaks and clanks) (Truck rumbles and squeaks)
Art: We're off the (bleep) ice anyway b'y. (Ice cracking)
Narrator: And he barely limped his way off the ice
and into town.
(Truck squeaking) Art: I'm gonna get as far as I can, b'y.
Narrator: But now there's no possibility
the truck can last another mile,
let alone the trip back to Winnipeg.
(Liquid pouring)
- That's the way she goes, b'y. There's nothing I can do.
(Truck horn toots)
(Truck rumbles)
Alex: There's Art. What the heck's goin' on?
Narrator: But the wild card's got his ride home.
Art: Thank you, thank (bleep).
- (Laughing)
Narrator: As Alex Debogorski finally arrives...
after choosing to take the longer route to town.
(Thumping bangs)
Alex: Might take forever to get there because it's so rough.
- How's she going, b'y? - What's happened?
- Good to see you and all that (bleep) jazz.
Road was (bleep) rough, eh?
- Yes. What's the news?
- Well, my radiator's all (bleep). Come and see.
- What'd you do? You wrecked it?
- All the (bleep) fluid run out.
There's the screen off of that (bleep) thing
and all the top is beat off the (bleep) radiator,
the whole (bleep) nine yards b'y. Fan went through it.
All the scrod was (bleep) up.
- The fan went through it?
Holy mackerel!
Art: You gotta get me outta here.
(Chuckling) How do you like that?
Well, Alex just landed here and I laid the news on him
and he's taking me back on the back of his truck.
What can I say, eh?
- Good. At least you got here.
- (Laughing)
Alex: So once I'm unloaded this van is gonna stay here
and Art's truck is gonna go on my trailer.
Narrator: Once the rig is loaded onto Alex's trailer,
Art will join the old pro in the cab.
- I'll see if I can keep mine in one piece now.
Narrator: But whether they can make it over the destroyed trail
hauling the 13 ton truck is anybody's guess.
Art: I've never driven in a cab with Alex.
I imagine it'll be all right. I can handle it.
- It's not that bad. (Laughing)
- It's the last, the last trip anyway, buddy.
Narrator: While the two war horses hit the road,
200 miles to the South...
(Trucks rumble and rattle)
- Yikes.
- This road's (bleep) falling apart. (Loud rattling)
Narrator: The all star convoy is still trudging ahead
on the mud-filled road to North Caribou.
- This isn't a road.
This is not a road.
- This is a (bleep) goat trail.
Eff that, I don't even think a goat'd walk on it.
(Truck rattles)
- Hey, is everybody all right out there?
- Steph is out and rollin'.
(Truck rumbles)
(Loud thud) Woo!
Narrator: The path has been absolutely brutal.
- Ah crap. Look at that.
Narrator: But it's about to get a whole lot tougher.
- Ah this is, this is steep.
Are you gonna make that in this soft crap?
(Tires crunching)
- Guess we'll know when we get to it, won't we?
- We got a big hill here, guys, so just, uh,
keep your distance, please.
We're gonna take a run at it here
(Over radio) as best as we can.
- That is a good sized hill. Holy (bleep).
Steph: We're comin' up to a big hill here,
but we're gonna have to stop and let one truck at a time go
because if Darrell can't make it he's gonna have to back down
and get a good run at it
so we're gonna give him some space here
and see what happens.
Hopefully we can get up it.
Narrator: The 15 percent grade
would be a challenge in the dead of winter,
but in the warming temperatures
it could be a potential trap for the big rigs.
- Okay, I'm rollin'.
(Engine rattles and groans)
- Come on, come on.
(Engine roars)
Come on, Darrell! - It's (bleep) soft, Mark.
(Engine rumbles loudly)
- Push it. Darrell: I can only go so fast.
(Truck groans and strains)
- Yeah, your tires are sinkin'.
(Loud thud, truck groans)
(Loud thuds)
(Rattling bangs) Mark: (Bleep)!
(Engine revs and groans)
Come on!
Holy (bleep).
(Engine whines, tires whir)
- (Bleep)!
Narrator: On the ragged trail to North Caribou...
(Engine grinds)
- Push it. Darrell: I can only go so fast.
Narrator: A ground breaking convoy
may have finally met its match.
(Loud thuds)
Mark: Come on!
(Rattling thuds)
Holy (bleep)!
(Truck whines)
(Whirring tires)
- (Bleep)!
Narrator: Caked in mud and thawing muskeg
a 15 percent grade hill
has proven too much for the leader of the convoy.
Todd: It's got too much mud on it from the sun beating down.
There ain't no way they're gonna me it up it.
- I'm gonna back down.
- They're gonna have to unload the loader.
(Door opens)
Narrator: To get up the massive incline
the trucks will need extra muscle.
(Chain clanks) Mark: Thank goodness we got this thing here.
Hopefully we can push the trucks up,
take it from there.
Narrator: So Mark will use his 12 ton loader to push 'em over.
Mark: If this doesn't work I've let the community down,
I've let my drivers down.
- The more time that's wasted on this road like this
it's getting worse and worse by the second.
It's already down to dirt and mud and the longer we sit here
the deeper it's gonna thaw down the deeper it's gonna get,
the farther the tires are gonna sink.
Narrator: With the fate of the mission on the line
Mark ready's the loader for battle.
(Door shuts)
- Darrell, you copy?
- Okay, I'm ready whenever you are.
- All right, we're gonna move in.
Three, two, one, let's go.
(Metal grinding)
(Engine revs) (Truck rattles loudly)
Come on let's go, let's go.
- I'm givin' her what I can, Mark.
(Chains clanking)
Todd: Up they go up the hill.
If you dig the ruts down in deep none of us are gonna get over it.
The loader's gonna dig down in deep too
and then we're all gonna be stuck here.
(Engines rumbling)
- Looking good, bud, we're almost there!
- Yeah, come on, push, push.
(Truck and loader grind)
All right, I got her, buddy.
Narrator: Darrell's made it over the top.
- All right, Lisa, let's give her.
Narrator: But the rest of the troop's need an added boost too.
(Metallic thump)
- Don't let me sink.
(Chains rattle and clank) (Loader rumbles)
Thank you.
- All right who's next?
(Loud clanking thump)
- Is that okay for speed, Mark?
- That's excellent. Don't spin out, you're doin' good.
Narrator: Each trip the loader pushes a truck up the hill...
- The worst is coming. Keep going, keep going (over radio) keep going!
- Steady, steady, steady.
Narrator: The more the road gets torn apart.
(Horn honks)
Steph: Yeah! Mark: (Over radio) Good job.
- We did it, boss man. Thank you kindly.
Narrator: So for Todd and his heavy 22 ton haul...
Mark: All right, Todd, you're next, buddy.
- All right, I'm ready for you, buddy.
Narrator: The last run up the incline will be the hardest.
Mark: (Over radio) Three, two, one. (Loud clank)
Todd: Here we go.
(Engines rumbling)
This one's gonna be rough!
(Engine whirring)
(Loader rumbles loudly)
Oh, my goodness sakes.
(Loud clattering thuds)
Oh, damn it!
(Engine revs)
Come on, you son of a bitch.
(Truck grinds and strains)
(Truck groans)
(Loud thud)
Come on, get me outta here.
(Rattling thuds)
(Engines rumble and whir)
Mark: (Over radio) You let me know when you're free.
- Almost, about ten more feet I think I'll have her.
(Loader grinds)
Yee-haw!
(Horn honks)
- Yeah, right on, we made it!
Woo! Good job, guys.
- All right let's get that loader
and get it back on this trailer and get outta here.
Narrator: With the hill conquered by the Polar boss
and all-star team...
(Engine whirs) - You're good.
- I wasn't sure we'd be able to do it,
but you know what, we got it done.
Narrator: It's time to bear down for the final 150 miles.
Darrell: We're up the hill, let's move on.
This ground ain't gonna hold up long.
(Door shuts) (Trucks rumble)
Mark: Let's just see what other challenges we got ahead of us,
but I know the worst is yet to come.
Narrator: 90 miles to the North,
on the path out of Sachigo Lake...
- Oh-oh-oh baby.
- Oh my God.
- (Laughing)
- (Bleep) sake.
Narrator: With Art's broken rig loaded onto Alex's trailer
the duo are hittin' the trail back to Winnipeg...
- Ah. - Oh, is right.
There's one (bleep) show after another, man.
Narrator: But it won't be an easy trip over the obliterated 400 mile route.
- Uh-oh, uh-oh.
Narrator: And even gettin' out of town presents a challenge.
Art: Stop right there.
I don't know how the (bleep) we're gonna do this.
(Airbrakes hiss)
Narrator: The truck's so tall on the flat bed
that it won't clear the wires hanging over the road.
- I'm gonna see if I can't push that (bleep) wire up, buddy,
so we can get by here.
Alex: I knew we had a shovel for something.
Art: It's a long way from standard (bleep) procedure.
If it (bleep) kills me I'm telling you I'll be back.
I'll haunt the (bleep) out of Polar.
Okay, pull her ahead, b'y.
Alex: Okay! Art: Nice and slow!
Come on for (bleep) sake! (Engine rumbles)
(Metallic clank) Whoa! Whoa! Stop! Stop! Stop! (Engine hisses)
(Metallic clank)
Okay! Whoa! (Engine hisses)
(Metallic clanks)
Okay!
Go for (bleep) sake!
(Chains rattling) (Engine hisses)
(Wire whips)
Narrator: One line's behind him...
Art: Let's go b'y, I'll just stay here for the next one.
(Engine hisses)
Alex: I'm just worried if there's power in 'em.
Art: The other one was a guide wire.
This is a little different (bleep) ball game this (bleep).
- This guy, this guy's got power.
Art: (Bleep) right he's got power.
Alex: I don't really like the idea of hittin' live wires.
We don't need you gettin' blown off the freakin top of the truck...
- Well that's-I'm not real impressed with that neither
to tell you the (bleep) truth.
Just slowly, slowly. Slowly, slowly.
Whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa!
(Airbrakes hiss, idles)
Okay, right there.
Alex: Art's gonna give me a heart attack.
Oh, that wooden broom's better than what you had there, aluminum.
Art: Yeah. Okay, Alex buddy.
Alex: Don't fall down!
(Door shuts)
(Engine grinds)
Art: Whoa-whoa! Stop-stop! (Wire whipping)
Narrator: On the road out of Sachigo Lake...
Alex: I don't really like the idea of hittin' live wire.
Narrator: Art Burke and Alex Debogorski are wired.
- Just slowly, slowly. Slowly, slowly.
Whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa!
(Airbrakes hiss, lurches)
- Okay, right there.
Alex: Art's gonna give me a heart attack.
Narrator: Hauling Art's busted rig back to Winnipeg,
the cargo's too high to clear the power lines.
Art: Okay, Alex buddy.
Alex: Don't fall down!
Narrator: So it's up to Art and a broom
to hopefully sweep the explosive problem away.
(Door shuts) (Engine rumbles and whirs)
Art: Whoa! Whoa! Stop! Stop!
(Truck groans, wires whipping)
- I think we're okay. Where is he?
Where's Art?
Art: (Bleep) sometimes I hate this (bleep) job!
Alex: (Laughing)
Everything's going good.
Art's not dead so there wasn't very much power in that line.
(Door shuts)
Art: Okay, buddy.
Away we (bleep) go. (Door shuts)
What a (bleep) joke.
- Beautiful.
Narrator: The wires are finally in the rear view mirror.
Alex: Oh, does this ever look bad.
Narrator: But with 400 miles slush ahead of 'em
the hard part's just beginning.
(Trailer creaks) - Oh my-my-my-my-my- my-my-my-my-my-my.
- (Laughing)
Art: Beam me up, Scottie, for (bleep) sake.
Narrator: 80 miles to the South...
(Truck rumbles)
(Loud rattling thuds) - Whoa!
(Loud thuds and rattles)
- Unbelievable.
Narrator: The giant convoy's hunkering down
on the final 100 miles to North Caribou.
- This road just flat keeps getting worse and worse and worse.
Narrator: But as warming temperatures
continue to destroy the terrain,
each mile is tougher and slower than the last.
- This is (bleep) up.
- It's mine field of rocks.
You don't wanna drive over that stuff
it'll break somethin' off.
(Big rattling bang)
- Ah!
Like this is ridiculous. It's no longer clay and mud
it's just disgusting.
(Truck rattles and thuds)
- (Over radio) That's some impressive driving you guys.
going through all that mine field rock.
- Nice team work, guys.
- All right.
Narrator: But the biggest hurdle of the entire trail is next up.
- Just got to get this ice crossin' out of the way.
Todd: Wow.
(Truck rattles)
- Look at this water.
- The whole lake is flooded.
(Truck squeaks to a stop) - Holy smokes.
Narrator: The road had been closed and was opened up
exclusively for the convoy,
so it's a guessing game if the crossing is safe for travel.
- All right, Darrell, let's do this.
(Chains clank)
Narrator: To test the thickness of the ice...
- Ah, I think I got her.
- Everybody's loaded
and there ain't nobody going across that ice
till it gets drilled with an auger
to make sure that the thickness is gonna hold up
the weight of these trucks.
Narrator: The team will drill a hole with an auger.
And who knows if that ice ain't thick enough
we could be turning around and going back,
and nobody's making it in.
- So poke a hole and see what we got.
(Motor whirs)
(Loud drilling)
Mark: We got water!
Todd: That's not thick you guys.
About a foot and a half.
- Yeah, that's not very thick.
You can look right in there and see it.
Narrator: Ice crossings are usually two to three times thicker than this one.
Mark: At Polar we got a right to refuse work,
so, I mean, if you guys feel it's unsafe
and you don't want to do it I'm not -
I can't force you guys to do this.
Narrator: On the road to North Caribou...
- Everybody's loaded
and there ain't nobody going across that ice
till it gets drilled with an auger
to make sure that the thickness is gonna hold up
the weight of these trucks.
(Motor whirs)
Narrator: After 300 miles of madness,
less than two feet of ice could force the giant convoy
to abandon their mission.
(Loud drilling)
(Loud splash) Mark: We got water!
- Yeah, that's not very thick.
You can look right in there and see it.
Mark: At Polar we got a right to refuse work
so, I mean, if you guys feel it's unsafe
and you don't want to do it I'm not-
I can't force you guys to this.
(Slush crunches)
(Ice cracking)
Darrell: It is what it is. It's here, we got to go across.
Todd: I didn't come all this way to not deliver the load.
So I'm willing to take the chance.
- We all in?
Lisa: I'm in. Todd: We're all in. Lisa: I came this far.
Todd: We're here. Let's get it done. Mark: Let's go.
(Chains clank)
Todd: You gonna unload it right here, Mark?
Mark: I'm gonna take the loader across.
It's way too heavy to go with the loader.
(Beeping) - Come on back a little.
Narrator: To take every added precaution,
Mark will alleviate some of the weight off Darrell's trailer.
(Chains clank)
And now the total tally will be five vehicles
traveling across the melting ice.
Darrell: All right, rock and roll!
(Door shuts)
- (Over radio) Are we ready to do this?
- Come on, let's roll.
- Sounds good. - Let's get 'er done, Mark.
(Engine rumbles)
Todd: This is where we find out how thin the ice actually is.
(Nervous sigh)
(Ice cracking)
- I'm gonna give him a safe distance for a minute.
(Ice cracking)
- (Over radio) Be very careful comin' down.
- I'm droppin' down, Mark.
Narrator: To ease the pressure on the surface,
the driver's will give each other a safe distance.
- It's definitely doin' its cracking.
(Ice cracking)
(Loud cracking, water bubbling)
- Okay, I just dropped down onto the ice.
Mark: (Over radio) You gotta keep a real safe distance guys.
- Look how brittle this ice looks!
Narrator: It's been days since any truck has passed over the crossing...
and the ice has been subjected to record high temperatures ever since.
(Ice cracking and popping)
- 'kay, Steph, I think you could drop down now
but because it's so sketchy
(over radio) just keep this spacing and you should be good.
- Okay, sounds good.
(Over radio) I'm gonna pull my load across.
(Engine rumbles)
Okay, I'm on the ice.
(Ice cracking loudly)
- It is (bleep) scary. (Nervous inhale)
(Ice cracking)
Todd: What we got goin' on right now
is the scariest ice crossings
I think we've ever done at Polar.
(Ice cracking)
- Steph, how you doin'?
- I'm scared.
- Copy, copy, well as long as you're still on top we're good.
- Oh my God. I just want to get off this ice.
- I think Steph's up there far enough. Here we go.
Narrator: At 22 tons,
the last and heaviest load rolls onto the ice.
(Truck creaks and moans)
(Rattling)
- Oh easy, easy, easy, easy, easy, easy, easy, easy, easy.
(Ice cracking)
(Ice cracking, water bubbling)
(Ice cracking and popping)
Mark: (Over radio) Look at the size of this crack to the left.
Holy crap!
- Wow. Do you see that crack?
Clear up the frickin' centre of this whole entire thing!
- Holy crack!
- Wow! (Bleep) gettin' ugly!
(Ice cracking and popping)
- Oh my God.
- This ice is looking pretty sketchy.
(Ice cracking and popping)
(Loud cracking) - Oh!
The ice is cracking underneath.
(Ice snaps loudly) - Oh (bleep)!
Narrator: At the crossing at White Stone Lake...
Mark: (Over radio) Look at the size of this crack to the left.
Holy crap!
Narrator: The historic five trucker convoy
may be cracking under pressure.
- Wow.
Clear up the frickin' centre of this whole entire thing!
Narrator: The ice is so thin
it's straining from the weight of all five vehicles,
totaling almost 100 tons.
- Oh my God.
- This ice is lookin' pretty sketchy.
(Ice cracking)
- Oh!
- The ice is cracking underneath.
(Loud crack) Oh, (bleep)!
(Ice cracking loudly)
I'm making cracks!
(Ice cracking loudly)
I just saw somethin' I never saw before.
(Over radio) I saw a crack appearing under my tire.
It was in-credible.
- Did you hear that?
Mark: (Over radio) Steph, do you copy?
- Yeah, I do.
(Over radio) Oh my God I really want to get off this ice.
- Mark: (Over radio) Proud of you, rookie,
you're doin' a good job.
- Why am I out here? Oh my God.
- Everybody's just kinda freakin' out a little bit.
(Loader rumbles loudly)
(Ice cracking)
(Ice cracking loudly)
- Oh, you hear that crackin'?
(Ice cracking)
Come on.
Come on, just a little more.
(Ice cracking loudly)
(Engine rumbles onto land)
I made it.
Now I just need to make sure everybody else
makes it as well.
(Ice cracking and popping)
- Oh my gosh.
(Ice cracking loudly)
Woo!
I made it to land.
(Horn honks)
- Coming to the end of the crossing.
(Ice cracking loudly)
Major cracks.
(Ice cracking)
(Ice cracking loudly) (Engine rumbles onto land)
And the rookie is off the ice, boys. Woo!
Narrator: Four drivers have made it across.
Todd: Holy (bleep)! I ain't never seen cracks that wide.
Narrator: Now after nearly 80 tons
have already damaged the ice ahead of him...
(Ice snapping loudly)
- And I've watchin' it move. As the truck weight hits 'em
the cracks are shiftin' position.
(Ice cracking)
Narrator: The heaviest load of the entire convoy's
all on its own.
- It's not good, I'm tellin ya.
(Ice cracking loudly)
Come on, come on.
(Ice snaps loudly)
(Ice cracking and popping)
(Engine rumbles onto land)
- Woo! - Woo!
Narrator: Despite ice so thin
it would have scared away most any other drivers...
- That's spooky, flat spooky.
Narrator: The convoy conquers the crossing.
- Everyone's here.
Narrator: And head's out for the final 80 miles.
Mark: We were right at its limits.
Um, I gave everyone a choice.
I wasn't gonna force anybody to go across,
but everybody decided on their own will to make it.
Narrator: While the convoy presses into the night,
150 miles to the Southwest...
(Wind whistling)
(Engine rumbling)
Two grizzled vets are fightin' their way back home
over a melting trail that's already totaled one of their rigs.
(Loud rattling)
Alex: I got calluses on my rear end.
How far do we got left now?
We must be getting pretty darn close.
We were talking 14 clicks awhile ago.
Narrator: Alex Debogorski and Art Burke
are only 10 miles away from the highway
and off the road out of Sachigo Lake.
Art: Hopefully we'll (bleep) make it.
Now when we get onto the main road for (bleep) sake
don't go to sleep, man.
- (Laughing)
(Loud thuds)
- Oh!
(Rattling bangs)
- We got a problem. What's that?
(Beeping)
- What's wrong? - What's that red light?
(Beeping)
- Right there. - (Bleep) I don't know.
(Beeping)
(Truck hisses and idles)
(Beeping)
Narrator: An air leak in the brakes
has caused them to seize up.
(Engine idles)
- There's an air leak somewhere.
(Hood clanks)
Narrator: And despite being only steps away from the safety of the highway
Art and Alex are stuck in the dead of night.
Art: So Alex is gonna crawl underneath the truck there
and see if there's any leaks.
- Art! Art: Yo? Comin' b'y, comin'.
Art: Oh (bleep) I might have a little bit to go in there.
That there there, my friend, that's the air tank.
There's air tanks under there and that one there
tore off the bracket and its hangin' underneath the truck.
That's our problem.
Narrator: Alex locates the source of the leak,
but fixing it on the side of the road is another matter.
- So we need to plug the air tank and then chain it up.
- Gonna be (bleep) tricky, buddy.
(Air hisses loudly)
It's round, it's broke right off.
You're into the tread part, b'y.
Alex: But that's where our air is goin'.
Art: I wonder how we could plug that?
- Well, get a piece of wood I guess,
that's the only thing I can see.
(Air hissing)
- I'll see what I can find, buddy.
Narrator: Despite not having tools or a mechanic shop nearby...
- Gonna have to cut it off and drive it in with a hammer.
Narrator: The two old pros will use a piece of wood
to try and get the job done.
(Air hissing)
(Light tapping)
(Air stops hissing, engine rumbles)
Art: Perfect, b'y.
- Okay now we can tighten it up.
(Light cranking sounds)
- Okay, try this again.
Narrator: With the quick fix in place...
Art: Away we (bleep) go.
(Door shuts)
Narrator: It's time to see if the wooden spare part did the trick.
(Engine hums)
Alex: It's fixed. Still have air.
Art: Away we go again, b'y.
- If I got 120 PSI that's all I need.
Narrator: The brake's are back in business.
- Just keep 'er (bleep) going.
- This is a wounded machine. (Laughing)
After going on that road this is a wounded machine.
(Truck rumbles)
Lordy, Lordy, I think this is the road.
Narrator: And finally...
Art: This is it.
Around this turn this'll be the end of her.
Narrator: The winter road is in the rear view mirror.
(Chains clankiaccomplis.
Well, that's it for the season.
I guess we're done for this year, thank the Lord.
Thank you, Lord. Good job got us out here
without us (clears throat) meeting each other up.
The truck's still running.
- She's (bleep) over.
As you would say thank the Lord.
How's that?
Alex: I'll have to talk to you about your language, Art.
(Laughing)
Narrator: On the final 5 miles on the road to North Caribou...
Darrell: We just gotta keep pushing ahead
and get this job done and get out of here.
- Well, we got to be gettin close.
Narrator: The unprecedented two company convoy
has pushed through the night
and is on the verge of making history.
Since the epic journey began...
(Rapid beeping)
Darrell: What the (bleep) is burnin', Mark?
Narrator: The rugged trail has nearly stopped them...
Mark: (Coughing violently)
All right, Lisa, let's give her!
- Don't let me sink.
Narrator: Every step of the way.
- (Over radio) Holy crap!
(Ice cracking and popping)
Todd: I ain't never seen cracks that wide.
(Ice cracking and popping)
Narrator: Now...
- My hat's off to each and every one of you.
Narrator: After two days and 400 taxing miles...
- I was wonderin' if we were every going to get here.
Narrator: The convoy makes it to the remote village.
- Yee-haw! Bam!
(Engine hisses)
(Metallic clanking)
- That was one hell of a trip.
- Yeah, pull up on that side of him.
Steph: Everyone's coming together really nice
and it's good to see two companies work together
like that so that these people can get what they need.
Lisa: We all stuck together and we all helped each other.
That's something to celebrate right there.
Narrator: As the final supplies are off loaded...
(Beeping) (Truck horn honks)
Lisa: Woo hoo!
Mark: We got her!
Narrators: The drivers celebrate completing
the toughest mission of their careers.
- Last load delivered, buddy!
- We did good. - (Bleep) great. - We did good.
Mark: You know I'm really proud of what we were able to do on this run:
work together, team work for the communities.
That's what counts.
Todd: Good job, Mark. Good job, buddy.
Mark: You know what? We make a really good team.
We pulled this off.
You guys were awesome out here.
I got a new found respect for what you guys do out here.
Everybody in the trucks, let's bust out guys, let's go!
All: Yeah! Woo!
(Door shuts)
All right, guys, on our way home.
Mission accomplished.
Narrator: The last loads are in the books
and the final hauls are delivered
and as the drivers head back
they'll take with them memories
of the season that almost beat 'em.
Steph: It's weird you'd think...
you're just going out there to truck
and holy (bleep) was I wrong,
the amount of things that you run into.
I just made it to land I think.
Todd, I made it. (Excited gasp)
Todd: (Over radio) Your first real big ice crossing.
I'm proud of ya! - (Emotional gasp)
- We like adventure, we like the adrenaline rush.
(Loud bang) - Ah!
(Loud bang) Ah!
(Engine rumbles)
- Every load's a contest.
(Booming thud) Whoa!
You know, man and a machine against the element.
(Chains rattling)
- Holes and mud, the road was just the (bleep).
(Rattling thuds)
(Huge thudding bang) Whoa!
(Booming crash)
But we got 'er done, b'y.
(Chains rattling)
And we did it as a team, all of us together.
Todd: And you know what?
No matter how many tears gotta be shed,
no matter how many truck parts get broken,
we get the loads to the community
and we get the job done
and we go home with a smile on our face.
Darrell: What it means to be a trucker?
Freedom.
I can say it in one word.
Not everybody gets to do what I get to do.
I feel very fortunate to be an ice road trucker.
(Truck rumbles)