Posted on 07/01/2007 3:11:31 PM PDT by NewLand
The History Channel embarks upon an unparalleled adventure revealing the virtually unknown occupation of ice road trucking, considered to be one of the world's most dangerous jobs. ICE ROAD TRUCKERS charts two months in the lives of six extraordinary men who haul vital supplies to diamond mines over frozen lakes that double as roads. The livelihood of many depends on these tenuous roads, which through the years have been responsible for the deaths of dozens of men.
Always prepared for the ice to give way under the weight of their trucks, these drivers put their lives and financial security of their families on the line in an exhilarating dash for cash. Beginning Sunday, June 17 at 10pm ET/PT, this adrenaline packed series reveals the raw, gripping quest of ice road truckers.
The desolate white landscape stretches as far as the eye can see in a world where the land meets the sky at an invisible horizon, just miles from the Arctic Circle. The fascinating, yet little-known ice road trucking industry, stationed just outside of Yellowknife in Canada's Northwest Territory, is responsible for supporting the diamond mines there. Canada now stands as the third largest diamond producer in the world, housing an industry that rakes in $1.9 billion a year.
Each year, the many lakes of this region completely freeze over and engineers build an ice road over them that can withstand the weight of tractor trailers, hopefully. Jackknifing, breakdowns and accidents are commonplace. Last year, because of the effects of global warming, the ice road was closed early, leaving hundreds of tons of supplies stuck at the dispatch station. Since the terrain in this region is virtually impenetrable, and there are so few paved roads, the only way for supplies to reach the mines is by traveling over the ice road. The entire industry depends on the weather and the courage of the ice road truckers, who are willing to push themselves to the limit and who constantly hear the cracking of the ice right beneath their wheels.
“But nothing is better than “Most Dangerous Catch.” “
Give it time, there will be a new series where they’ll figure out a way to crab in the Bering Sea from floating semi-trucks or drive crab boats up the ice road.
LOL! Same here.
I'm a landlubber at heart so making a living at sea does not appeal to me!
Yellowknife in Canada's Northwest Territory, is responsible for supporting the diamond mines there. Canada now stands as the third largest diamond producer in the world
You're right, of course! I knew that, someone must have taken control of my keyboard... ;-o
Working in the cold is one of the hardest things in the world to do. Almost impossible if it involves doing anything with your hands.
Driving a load of King Crab legs over an ice highway with Al Gore as co driver is the hardest, most dangerous and boring job in the entire world.
I do not drive over frozen lakes but for the most part in the winter on our rural roads its still white ice thats been leveled by a grader that I drive a concrete mixer over, its a real skill, mostly the danger is the stupid newcomers that are going through their first winter(and quite possibly their last) up here in Alaska and do not use studded tires or have a developed winter/ice driving skill.
With good reason!
I've driven on snow/ice all my life, and the biggest problem we have around here is that I-40 goes right through town and people who haven't driven on snow/ice go 75 mph. Then they try to stop. LOL!
I always thought I could drive on ice until I moved to GA. Their ice storms are just that. ICE. When your car starts to slide, you can't control it. Period. I lived there for 3 months of the winter and I never attempted to drive on ice again. It was real scary.
If algore was my co-driver, I would be making some very sharp turns with his door open!
They average $1400 around trip, and those trips last about 30 hrs.
That ain’t squat, hell a regular owner/operator trucker makes more that that.
BigMack
You got that right! Wait until you see this show!
Let me tell you 0 degrees C ain't nothin'. 10 below ain't nothin' neither, nor is 20 below, but 30 below? Put on the jacket and maybe a cap.
50 below was dicey. But NO ONE is going swimming in that.
Those who watched "Most Dangerous Catch" will recognize the cold weather characters in this one. Still, I haven't caught sight of any Aleutian Islanders or Inuit among them; not even an Arctic region Indian, so it might well be too warm for them.
They said it is intensely laborious and backbreaking and they would never do it again.
One of tha all time great movies is on a similar theme. It’s a French movie (I know I know) made in the early 1950s called The Wages of Fear. It’s about some truckers stuck in some South American town and they are offered big bucks to take some nitro over bad roads to some oil well fire to help put it out. The tension and suspense in this movie is supreme. Highly recommended if you can somehow find it.
10 trips and easily done. Its being investigated as we speak. 2 main probs at this time - Available heli's and fuel stations. But its probably going to be the way that evolves. Machinery brought in by the piece and assembled on site.
Why use trucks? Why not build large cargo hauling hovercraft?
It is incredibly interesting. Almost patriotic. It was impossible to do, so Americans set out and did it. No other nation gives the inspiration the freedom of America gives. To cross the Youkon River they invented 2 hovercraft so they could build the bridge. Only in America. I love America, with its warts, it is the greatest nation ever and a gift from God Almighty. I hold these truths to be self-evident......
BUMP!!! 5 minutes to show time...
Those words sound like a great song! Go for it!
Merle Haggard wrote it...’Big Wheels Rollin’
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