Ice Road Truckers

[Daffy D]

Hi!

Don’t know if posting this is permitted but have seen other threads on UBC movies so guess it would be alright.

Have been watching the Ice Road Truckers series on the History channel on Sundays those guys really earn their money.

The ice road is made over frozen lake in northern Canada and the only way to get supplies and equipment to the mines in the few months it is open before all turns to slush and mud again.

The drivers can earn as much in a couple of months as they can in a whole year ordinarily. But it is dangerous work. The trucks roll day and night in all kind of weather and the more loads a driver takes the more he earns.

The big problem of course is the cold with condensation in the air lines freezing and locking the brakes. If this happens on the ice and the trucker cannot fix it before his hands get frostbite or before the vibration from the idling engine shakes the whole rig right through the ice into the frigid lake below. Life expectancy in the water is les than a minute and even if the driver manages to reach the surface the ice will have frozen over again before he can get out. Another problem is speed, the truckers want to get as many loads as possible but if they go too fast a pressure wave builds up under the ice in front of the truck which can explode making a hole that the truck just disappears into and in a couple of minutes it’s all frozen over again and you wouldn’t know there was a truck underneath.

In a former life I’ve driven big rigs on jungle tracks and across deserts and it was “fun” locking all the diffs and dune bashing in a 6x6 Kenworth big rig that was real fun but these Ice Road Truckers are something else - its serious business.

Watch it Sunday evenings on the History Channel.

Daffy.

[game4shame]

it's shown in the UK too.

I think the danger element is exaggerated slightly. no doubt there is a risk to it but not as much as they make out. drivers travel in convoys and need clearance before driving each part of the road.

[Crossy]

Agreed!

To make this Thai related you can watch the History Channel on the Thai satellite provider UBC True.

Still don't reckon this thread will last long though.

Edited April 3, 2008 by Crossy

[game4shame]

Agreed!

To make this Thai related you can watch the History Channel on the Thai satellite provider UBC True.

Still don't reckon this thread will last long though.

I did note the 0 relevance to thailand. I've asked the mods to move this to farang pub.

[MJo]

it's shown in the UK too.

I think the danger element is exaggerated slightly. no doubt there is a risk to it but not as much as they make out. drivers travel in convoys and need clearance before driving each part of the road.

Not slightly, a lot. Coming from one of those countries that extends above arctic circle i can say the way they present it is absolute BS what comes to the dangers of the ice. Accidents do happen and mostly in spring time when the temp starts to go up and the ice weakens as a result but i would assume they monitor the conditions quite closely.

It is true that couple of minutes in those waters you are gone but it takes lot longer before the opening is frozen beyond the point that your not able to get out. And very rarely it goes down in matter of seconds, in case your not driving head on to open water or wide crack. Usually first your trailer starts to sink and drags the rig after it but most cases the drivers have enough time to abandon ship safely.

But still they are tough guys and it is hard work when you go for the big bucks by driving 24+ hrs in one go. I would assume it's also illegal to do so in public roads in Canada but maybe the ice road is private one... But as said it's good show and i do watch and enjoy it a lot.

[Maestro]

...I've asked the mods to move this to farang pub.

So moved.

--

Maestro

[Flatouthruthefog]

it's shown in the UK too.

I think the danger element is exaggerated slightly. no doubt there is a risk to it but not as much as they make out. drivers travel in convoys and need clearance before driving each part of the road.

Not slightly, a lot. Coming from one of those countries that extends above arctic circle i can say the way they present it is absolute BS what comes to the dangers of the ice. Accidents do happen and mostly in spring time when the temp starts to go up and the ice weakens as a result but i would assume they monitor the conditions quite closely.

It is true that couple of minutes in those waters you are gone but it takes lot longer before the opening is frozen beyond the point that your not able to get out. And very rarely it goes down in matter of seconds, in case your not driving head on to open water or wide crack. Usually first your trailer starts to sink and drags the rig after it but most cases the drivers have enough time to abandon ship safely.

But still they are tough guys and it is hard work when you go for the big bucks by driving 24+ hrs in one go. I would assume it's also illegal to do so in public roads in Canada but maybe the ice road is private one... But as said it's good show and i do watch and enjoy it a lot.

So true!

I was on business in Finland in the winter of 1975/6, which was very severe.

I was shown official govt maps with dotted red lines across lakes. These were short-cut 'main roads', used only between certain specified dates of the year, then deemed safe for cars, trucks, buses etc when the ice was thick enough.

During this visit, a Finnish photographer who had noted my interest, showed me a series of big b&w prints he had taken some years before. Truck drivers were then paid by the journey ('piece rate') and took every possible chance to cross the ice (short cuts!) to increase their earnings.

It was 'spring', especially dangerous, and he must have been shooting from a car travelling parallel to a huge 3 axle prime mover (tractor) towing a huge 3 axle semi-trailer. It was ploughing ahead at what may have been 90kphthrough deep surface water (MUST have been a diesel!), but the focal point was the driver.

He must have had a brick on the throttle, because he was standing on the running board (old American style rig), door closed, steering with his right hand through the open window, all ready to jump if the ship went down!!

No matter how much Finlandia we consumed - or I promised - he would NOT give or sell me copies of those pics!!

Anyone ever seen this?

[Old Croc]

Is that where you got your nik from?

[Daffy D]

“Flatouthruthefog” wrote

He must have had a brick on the throttle, because he was standing on the running board (old American style rig), door closed, steering with his right hand through the open window, all ready to jump if the ship went down!!

Right on! Way to go – wow!

Love to see a copy of that picture.

Daffy.

[Crossy]

Russia has ice roads too, and its share of 'oops' moments http://www.englishrussia.com/?p=1665

[Flatouthruthefog]

Is that where you got your nik from?

No, thanks, but it's a good guess. Someone suggested it having read my 3 lines I now use at the bottom of my posts.

Just trying to make sense of Amazing Thailand...........!

How about yours? I had an American friend here in Thailand named 'Gador', as in alligator, but sadly he swam off to even sweeter waters last year.

[Flatouthruthefog]

"Flatouthruthefog" wrote

He must have had a brick on the throttle, because he was standing on the running board (old American style rig), door closed, steering with his right hand through the open window, all ready to jump if the ship went down!!

Right on! Way to go – wow!

Love to see a copy of that picture.

Daffy.

I'll try, but I've run out of contacts there. Anyone else?????????

[LaoPo]

Have been watching the Ice Road Truckers series on the History channel on Sundays those guys really earn their money.

The ice road is made over frozen lake in northern Canada and the only way to get supplies and equipment to the mines in the few months it is open before all turns to slush and mud again.

The series is on YouTube; series 1 - 2 - 3, 4 , 5 etc. etc....If you feel too hot, you might want to watch

LaoPo

[Daffy D]

"Flatouthruthefog" wrote

He must have had a brick on the throttle, because he was standing on the running board (old American style rig), door closed, steering with his right hand through the open window, all ready to jump if the ship went down!!

Right on! Way to go – wow!

Love to see a copy of that picture.

Daffy.

I'll try, but I've run out of contacts there. Anyone else?????????

I was going to do a Google but then got hung up on key search words any ideas anyone?

Hey! lets make this a project first one to come up with the picture gets a prize.

[prodriver]

Not wishing to take the glory away from those guys but I don't think that driving those rigs over those frozen lakes is that big a deal. After all, lakes are FLAT. I also notice that where they are driving is well below the arctic circle in Canada. I used to drive big rigs in Sweden to destinations 200kms north of the arctic circle in winter. Having said that, the most dangerous and frightening driving I've ever encountered was through eastern Turkey in the winter taking loads to Iran from England in the 70's. I have been stuck in blizzards for up to 3 days in the mountains and chaining up was a regular occurance and that was well below the arctic circle! Admittedly I was in my 20's and loved the adventure at the time doing the middle east runs and the wages weren't all that but the adrenaline rush made up for it.

[JetsetBkk]

Not wishing to take the glory away from those guys but I don't think that driving those rigs over those frozen lakes is that big a deal. After all, lakes are FLAT.

I just watched two episodes back to back today on UBC/True. One episode was about a road that went over a hill and had some bends in it, and the truckers had to get some speed up to get over it.

There was also a bit on the group of madmen who dived into the ice to retrieve the trucks that crashed through! Crazy people!

Edited April 20, 2008 by JetsetBkk

[Flatouthruthefog]

"Flatouthruthefog" wrote

He must have had a brick on the throttle, because he was standing on the running board (old American style rig), door closed, steering with his right hand through the open window, all ready to jump if the ship went down!!

Right on! Way to go – wow!

Love to see a copy of that picture.

Daffy.

I'll try, but I've run out of contacts there. Anyone else?????????

I was going to do a Google but then got hung up on key search words any ideas anyone?

Hey! lets make this a project first one to come up with the picture gets a prize.

Sorry for the delay, Daf, only just returned to this thread. YES! Let's make a real effort to get such a photo. Before the photo-shop artists make one for us and get it wrong, eh?

I am now e-mailing a chum in Scotland who has a link to Sweden and thus possibly on to Finland. Another in northern Canada too. Don't know any Russkies, do you?

Ever drive a DAF by any chance?

[Daffy D]

“prodriver” – wrote:-

Not wishing to take the glory away from those guys but I don't think that driving those rigs over those frozen lakes is that big a deal. After all, lakes are FLAT. I also notice that where they are driving is well below the arctic circle in Canada. I used to drive big rigs in Sweden to destinations 200kms north of the arctic circle in winter. Having said that, the most dangerous and frightening driving I've ever encountered was through eastern Turkey in the winter taking loads to Iran from England in the 70's. I have been stuck in blizzards for up to 3 days in the mountains and chaining up was a regular occurance and that was well below the arctic circle! Admittedly I was in my 20's and loved the adventure at the time doing the middle east runs and the wages weren't all that but the adrenaline rush made up for it.

Erm! The ice on the lakes is not all FLAT and you have to remember that with all the “FUN” you have had trucking in those conditions these guys are doing all the same but over water and being stuck in a blizzard the vibration of the engine would just shake the whole truck through the ice.

One of the rescue divers just happened to mentioned that he’d recovered some 30 odd bodies from the lakes in his time.

“flatouthruthefog”

Sorry for the delay, Daf, only just returned to this thread. YES! Let's make a real effort to get such a photo. Before the photo-shop artists make one for us and get it wrong, eh?

I am now e-mailing a chum in Scotland who has a link to Sweden and thus possibly on to Finland. Another in northern Canada too. Don't know any Russkies, do you?

Ever drive a DAF by any chance?

Yea! That photo would make a great poster; sorry I have no contacts in that department Googling is all I can do.

I don’t think I ever drove a DAF but lots of other stuff. Mack-Volvo-Ford-Kenworth-lots more. I was a mechanical engineer (grease monkey ) and had to maintain these beasts but every chance I got would go "testing" or take over the wheel and have some fun, much to the amusement of the Thai/Filipino/Arab driver.

I had all sorts of heavy equipment to play with and the Sahara was my sandbox. My favorite was a special Kenworth with Cat engine and six wheel dive. You could lock all the differentials and the beast was virtually unstoppable, though I did manage to get it stuck a couple of times. Seeing a rig like that up to its axles in sand with ALL the wheels spinning is a sight to behold.

Dune bashing was great, those from Dubai will know what I’m talking about, You have to remember this was in the days before mobile phones, internet, e-mail and DVD so being stuck months at a time in a construction or oil camp hundreds of miles from anywhere you had to get your entertainment where you could.

I was a lot younger then!

Edited April 21, 2008 by Daffy D

[Flatouthruthefog]

"Flatouthruthefog" wrote

He must have had a brick on the throttle, because he was standing on the running board (old American style rig), door closed, steering with his right hand through the open window, all ready to jump if the ship went down!!

Right on! Way to go – wow!

Love to see a copy of that picture.

Daffy.

I'll try, but I've run out of contacts there. Anyone else?????????

Been checking and I have now MOST certainly run out of contacts. A Swedish chum says they don't have any 'main road alternatives' across frozen lakes, and by the way have just ended an amazingly mild winter.

My last contact in Finland was a former rally driver who now has Parkinsons (how are the mighty shakey?) and an intermediary says he can't help on much communications any more. Sorry Daf, Flato has failed once again!