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ICE ROAD TRUCKERS (the coolest and most interesting show on TV) LIVE THREAD!
History Channel ^ | July 1, 2007 | NewLand

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.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Canada; Culture/Society; Your Opinion/Questions
KEYWORDS: business; canada; danger; incredible; trucking
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To: Clara Lou

“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.


61 posted on 07/01/2007 5:35:37 PM PDT by Rb ver. 2.0 (The Republican party of today is the Whig party of the 1850's.)
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To: Clara Lou
I could do the ice road once—if I got to carefully select the day of the trip

LOL! Same here.

I'm a landlubber at heart so making a living at sea does not appeal to me!

62 posted on 07/01/2007 5:36:35 PM PDT by NewLand (Always remember September 11, 2001)
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To: NewLand
Its a Diamond mine not gold

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

63 posted on 07/01/2007 5:36:40 PM PDT by Shots (If you see Known Illegal Immigrants it is your civic duty to report them)
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To: Shots
Its a Diamond mine not gold

You're right, of course! I knew that, someone must have taken control of my keyboard... ;-o

64 posted on 07/01/2007 5:43:42 PM PDT by NewLand (Always remember September 11, 2001)
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To: NewLand

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.


65 posted on 07/01/2007 5:46:10 PM PDT by garyhope (It's World War IV, right here, right now courtesy of Islam.)
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To: NRA2BFree

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.


66 posted on 07/01/2007 5:47:20 PM PDT by Eye of Unk
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To: garyhope
DeBeers is not just private, it’s secretive and deliberately obscure.

With good reason!

67 posted on 07/01/2007 5:52:45 PM PDT by NewLand (Always remember September 11, 2001)
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To: Eye of Unk
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.

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.

68 posted on 07/01/2007 5:59:50 PM PDT by NRA2BFree ("The time is near at hand which must determine whether Americans are to be free men or slaves!")
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To: garyhope
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.

If algore was my co-driver, I would be making some very sharp turns with his door open!

69 posted on 07/01/2007 6:01:54 PM PDT by NewLand (Always remember September 11, 2001)
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To: NewLand
I thought what these guys were doing they would make BIG money.

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

70 posted on 07/01/2007 6:05:08 PM PDT by PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain
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To: AmericaUnited
I’ll be there. I saw on one of the previews a rig breaking through the ice and thought: “NOW THAT IS SCARY!”

You got that right! Wait until you see this show!

71 posted on 07/01/2007 6:06:33 PM PDT by NewLand (Always remember September 11, 2001)
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To: NewLand; blam
It's always good to have the genes that enable you to control shivering. Further, provided your body doesn't try to "preserve core temperature" you are going to be OK. Which means something like 99% of the people in the world would end up like that young man last week who said the intense cold got to him and he wasn't going to make but one run ~ quite unlike several of the older very round guys who drive bare-handed and sometimes in short sleeve shirts because "it's more comfortable that way", and that's with an inside the cab temperature of 0 degrees C, that is, FREEZING.

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.

72 posted on 07/01/2007 6:26:21 PM PDT by muawiyah
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To: Clink
Amazingly I'm with another chat group that's been underway since 1996 and although it's quite small, we have 2 guys who did the Alaskan crab catching trip at least once.

They said it is intensely laborious and backbreaking and they would never do it again.

73 posted on 07/01/2007 6:30:15 PM PDT by muawiyah
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To: NewLand

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.


74 posted on 07/01/2007 6:30:35 PM PDT by xp38
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To: Glenn; SamAdams76
So why don’t they fly the supplies in by helicopter?
30 tons of cement across 350 miles doesn't travel well.

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.

75 posted on 07/01/2007 6:31:13 PM PDT by Tainan (Talk is cheap. Silence is golden. All I got is brass...lotsa brass.)
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To: NewLand

Why use trucks? Why not build large cargo hauling hovercraft?


76 posted on 07/01/2007 6:47:12 PM PDT by Chewbacca (Vote Ron Paul for President in 2008!!!!!! The best man for the job!)
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To: NewLand

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......


77 posted on 07/01/2007 6:53:33 PM PDT by Texas Songwriter
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To: All

BUMP!!! 5 minutes to show time...


78 posted on 07/01/2007 6:54:58 PM PDT by NewLand (Always remember September 11, 2001)
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To: Texas Songwriter

Those words sound like a great song! Go for it!


79 posted on 07/01/2007 6:56:09 PM PDT by NewLand (Always remember September 11, 2001)
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To: NewLand

Merle Haggard wrote it...’Big Wheels Rollin’


80 posted on 07/01/2007 6:56:58 PM PDT by Texas Songwriter
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