Ice Road Truckers Season 3 Episode 5 Recap
Cold Fury
Five weeks into the season and it’s “cold fury”, the Carlile team has been responsible for more than 625 of the 2000 loads delivered to the arctic’s oil fields.
As the episode opens, Hugh “The Polar Bear” Roland is the first at dispatch, ready to roll out with his fifth load of the season but is delayed waiting on his mentor, and Carlile safety supervisior, Phil – who is actually detained in having to remedy and report on his own accident… a joking point that won’t be easily lived down for quite some time. Hugh’s rival, Alex (along with his mentor, Jack), are able to beat the competing team out onto the road, a nice change of pace for Alex who’s been plagued by mechanical issues and other unforeseen delays all season long.
Lisa’s booked for her longest haul yet, a crucial next step for her in becoming an elite “heavy hauler”. Because of the size of the hauls, if she doesn’t make it out before the “curfew”, she’ll have to wait until after rush hour to make her departure, putting her on pace for a nighttime drive. She makes it out with just minutes to spare, narrowly avoiding a lengthy delay on account of frozen brakes.
Rookie driver Tim Freeman is anxious to meet up and roll out with driving partner George, but a truck that won’t start threatens to cut him out of the four-hour window he has for making the run. Otherwise, he’d have to wait two days for George to return. The Carlile mechanics diagnose the issue as a computer error, and Tim narrowly makes his window of time, too.
Lisa and Alex both face some of the most treacherous terrain as they both cross Addingon Pass, but all of the teams successfully complete their missions, racking up more deliveries on each of their lists. The drivers tally finish up week five with Jack at eight, George and Lisa tied at seven, Hugh with five, and Alex and Time each with three.
Episode Notes
· 5 weeks into a season of “cold fury”
· Delivered more than 625 of the 2000 loads destined for the arctic oil fields
· Hugh “The Polar Bear” Roland is first at dispatch at Carlile Trucking
o 5th load of season
o Can’t roll out without escort, Phil Kromm
· Hugh has competed with rival for decades, managed to get ahead by 2 loads, while Alex has been plagued by mechanical problems. Alex is next to roll into dispatch. Hauling pipe, which is “money in the bank”.
o Unsecured pipe can suddenly become a torpedo
· Phil is safety supervisor, and is delayed by having to do a report on himself
o Delayed by a $1,000 (est.) fender bender, he pulled into something, too little clearance
· Alex and Jack get on the road while Hugh is waiting on Phil
· Every accident triggers a test for drugs and alcohol, even with a clear report, the accident can be cause for termination
· 2 hours later, cleared to leave
· Lisa is booked for her longest haul yet
o Next step to becoming an elite “heavy hauler”
o If she doesn’t get out before rush hour “curfew”, she’ll have to wait for nighttime
o Trailer is locked in place by frozen brakes
§ tries to pour methanol in the lines — doesn’t work
§ Tries to hammer off the snow and ice buildup, with two minutes left to get out of yard – it works!
o Super long trailer is going to be touch on curves, 90 degree turns, and ocean ice
· Rookie: Recovery mission for Tim Freeman, broke down for second time on his third run
o Truck is repaired and another problem found: highway robbery - tire chains are stolen off truck
§ Has to run down steep hills w/o chains “barefooting”
§ Chosen when driving conditions are perfect, Tim has no choice
o Races back to Fairbanks to meet George, running partner who is loaded and ready to go in 4 hours
o Finds a problem with the starter needing to be fixed in time to leave with George, or he’ll have to wait for another 2 days for George to return
· Alex is running with Jack
o Approach “Chuckie’s Corner” (grim landmark, of a rolled truck – pipe broke loose and killed him instantly)
o Crosses on the road remind truckers it’s America’s most dangerous road
o Approach Mackie hill – 16 degree grade straight to the truck
· Third time’s a charm as he hits all the gears this time and makes it to the top – and one hill closer to proving himself to Alaskan truckers
· Notorious Canadian
· Hugh
o Another Canadian
· Cutting up with smack talking on the radios about the “Canadians”
· Alex
o Gears up after overnight stop
o Flat tires, tread gone – needs replacement (had a flat in his last run), but there is no shop in Coldfoot
o Hugh’s already passed him by
o Has to leave now, flat tire or not
· Hugh
o In convoy with Phil
o “bullshit on the radio, tell stories, stories get bigger and bigger”
o Addingon pass is northernmost road in the world – has just claimed another victim as they pass by
o 4,000 ft. altitude, avalanche area
o Clean pass over summit at 4,700 ft.
· George and Tim
o Noon deadline as mechanics troubleshoot Tim’s truck
o 15 minutes to deadline, problem is narrowed to computer sensor
o Ready to go and wheels rolling right at noon
o Carrying petroleum products
o Tim hits the ice for the 4th time
o Tim gets comfortable and finds himself sliding, going too slow is like going too fast
§ Engine lugs causing wheel to drag, often resulting in dangerous slide
§ Follows George’s lead, picks up speed, wheels stop speeding
· Lisa Kelly
o Load check
o The Shelf – next big ascent, scene of many accidents already this year
§ It’s not “if you go in the ditch, it’s when”
§ clears
o now heads to addingon’s pass
o 80 feet of trailer, corners are tough
§ Clears pass safely
o Tomorrow: driving on frozen ocean
o Farthest point north you can get by road, and now going further
· Alex
o Climbing addingon pass with bald and deflated tire
o Lack of traction becomes hazard as descending the hill
o Tries to control with jake brake (using engine compression) rather than tire braking
o Still behind Hugh
· Lisa
o 100 miles ahead
o Rolling toward the biggest moment of her career, longest haul across the ocean
o Gets a glimpse of tundra crawlers, the original way of moving freight across tundra (before the dalton opened), “snow train” (could operate in 68 degrees below zero)
§ Took days to cross
o Lisa gets into Dead Horse in just hours with good weather
o Tomorrow she will risk it all on the ice of the ocean
· Tim and George
o Weather begins to change
o Hears that its worse ahead
o Tim doubts that he has it in him for the downhill stretch
o 2 miles long, “slippery as a ski slope”
§ F-bombs, s-bombs
§ “Let’s go a little faster”
§ Jakes locking up, send Tim skidding across ice
§ Tim carefully gears down, regains control of rig
o Tim and George get to barefoot, weather has closed down addingon pass
o Will be noon before they get it back open
· Alex
o Across the north slope with a huge handicap – flat tire
o Forced to run slower to make it to the finish line, the difference in the race with his arch rival
o Hugh, Phil are 35 miles ahead, after leaving four hours later
· Lisa
o To get on ocean ice, has to clear a 180 degree turn
o Wave like motion can be felt
o Weight of the truck making the ice sag and stretch
o Keeps speed to 10 miles per hour, any faster can damage it or break through
o Pulls into finish line
o Here’s Alaska, we’re right here… above it.
o Hands over load to crane crew
· Load count: Week 5
o Jack – 8
o George – 7
o Lisa – 7
o Hugh – 5
o Alex – 3
o Tim – 3
(1 votes, average: 4 out of 5)
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Posted on: Wednesday, August 19, 2009 at 9:05 pm 
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