Throng

The documentary series examining the lucrative but highly dangerous job of driving trucks on Canada’s ice highways continues. In this episode, Eric and Hugh compete to haul the most loads. Rick comes to Bill’s aid, but his reckless driving gets the better of him. A snow plough falls through the ice and a convoy of truckers from the south meets a chilly welcome.

As the ice-road season enters its final stages, Eric Dufresne leads Hugh Rowland by just one load in the total number of hauls. Both truckers are finding the road increasingly battered by heavy usage. “The dangerous part is really the end of the season,” says Eric. One factor is the warm water that travels upriver from the south. “It starts melting the ice from underneath,” Eric explains.

Hugh is still busy transporting waste water up and down the ice road. The energy companies that work in the Arctic take great pains to leave the environment in a clean state – and this includes recycling water. The ‘grey’ water that Hugh transports is cleaned and returned to the research stations, where it is spread on the ice. It then freezes to create a new layer protecting the permafrost.

Rick Yemm is also involved in a mission to clean the environment. The base at Mallik is beginning to wind down its operations and Rick has to clear dirty snow from the site. “We’re trying to squeeze in two loads a day here so it’s a bit of a rush,” he says. For Rick, it is an excuse to put his pedal to the metal and gun the engine for all it is worth. “This is where the driving gets fun!” he whoops.

Rick’s speed comes in handy when his pal Bill Thorbourne runs into trouble. The generator that Bill is hauling has sprung a leak and is dripping fuel all over the road. Bill is given orders to return to base and Rick decides to catch up with his friend. When he finally reaches Bill’s truck, Rick almost slides into the back of his trailer. Hopping out of his cab, he hands Bill an emergency spill kit that will help absorb most of the leaking fuel.

Rick’s good turn has put him behind schedule, so he hits the gas once more to reach his destination in time – stopping on the way to pick up a piece of kit he dropped from his truck the day before. The hotshot trucker makes his first delivery and speeds back to pick up his second – but this time his hasty driving repays him with a damaged valve. Rick returns to the garage, where the fed-up mechanics find themselves repairing his rig once again. It is merely the latest mishap for the young trucker, whose reputation on the ice road precedes him. Veteran trucker Bear Swensen says Rick constantly ignores warnings to check his speed.

“This guy’s not a truck driver – I’m not kidding you,” is Bear’s verdict on Rick. Bear finds himself called upon to rescue another driver this week when a snow plough falls through the ice. Snow ploughs run a greater risk of dropping through because they drive on the edge of the road where the ice is weakest. Bear is just about to set off when he receives word that another truck has reached the scene and rescued the lucky driver from the ice.

Elsewhere, trucker Jim Gattie attempts an ice-road first when he pulls three loads at once. Jim hooks up three red fuel sleighs to the back of his rig and transports them in a train over the ice. “[I’m] just cruising like I was Santa Claus with a load of toys for the kids!” he says.

Meanwhile, the truckers are put on their guard with the arrival of a convoy of drivers from the south. These highway truckers, with no experience of driving on ice, have been sent to pick up refuse for disposal down south. Kurt Wainman, like many others, is scornful of the southern hands, who must be escorted to their destination. “You know why they gotta be escorted out?” he says. “Because they don’t know how to drive!”