Saw a great documentary last night, called ICE ROAD TRUCKERS on the history channel, at 9.30. Its all about trucking in northern Canada over a frozern lake,s, a must see documentry.
Vikinglord
This programme has been on a few times and last nights I think was about the fourth episode. I usually record it so hubby can see it when he gets home. Liz
Hi Folks :
Jim Bunting here in Toronto, Canada.
That program is not quite a "documentary " as it is SCRIPTED and the camera crews are in position t record all the " action ". The arguments and the grumbling are staged to make it more " interesting to the viewers "
Lets be clear about this …The ICE roads do exist and they are an annual event in the far north in Canada, BUT they are a needed thing, to get a whole year’s worth of fuel and equipment into the open pit diamond mines, about 330 kms to the northeast of Yellowknife, in the North West Territory. By creating the ice roads, across a series of big lakes, and over land, the trucks get there in about 4 days. The safe speed limit on the ice is only about 25-30 kph, depending on the ice thickness and the load on the truck.
The diamond mines are huge operations and they employ lots of people in all types of positions from room cleaners in the bunk houses to cooks and office workers, as well as drivers for the huge Euclid dump trucks and the scoop shovels that dig out the kimberlite material. Workers are flown in for a 3 week period then go home for 2 weeks. Even a lowly cleaner can make over 50 ,000 GBP a year, with full benefits. Technical or skilled workers make 100,00 GBP plus a year. The pay reflects the isolation and the boredom factor.
The Ice road is a uniquely Canadian invention and it shows how we find ways to get it done, even at minus 40 C. The roads have their own rules and anyone "goofing around " will be sent out to the "outside " and not allowed back on the trail. Speeds are checked by radar guns and fines are deducted from the driver’s pay cheque. Speeding can cause ice breaks and going into a 400 foot deep lake can spoil your whole day!!!
The diamond mining companies control the road, and how it is driven. A good ice road season of about 2 months, can see a hourly paid driver make about 12,000 GBP. Of course a owner/operator with his own truck will do much better, but he also has a much bigger loss if the truck goes thru the ice. NO insurance company will insure trucks on that road.
Jim B. Toronto.
Canadiancitizen:
Hi Folks :Jim Bunting here in Toronto, Canada.
That program is not quite a "documentary " as it is SCRIPTED and the camera crews are in position t record all the " action ". The arguments and the grumbling are staged to make it more " interesting to the viewers "
< Snip >
Jim B. Toronto.
Really 
Simon:
Yes it is what is known here in North America as a "reality show " which means it is pre arranged to follow a rough story line, and certain things are "re-shot " if the sound or camera wasn’t quite right the first time thru.
The trucks are real , as are the drivers, BUT the story line is decided/set before hand.
Jim B . Toronto.
Canadiancitizen:
NO insurance company will insure trucks on that road.
Someone must because in Episode 12 - Off The Ice, Hugh talks about the collision in Episode 10 when another truck side-swiped his truck, The Crows Nest, ripping the drive axles off in the process. The insurance company decided it was too costly to repair, declared the truck a write off and paid him out.
I was talking about CARGO insurance.
Jim B. Toronto.
Canadiancitizen:
I was talking about CARGO insurance.Jim B. Toronto.
Ah I see, it’s just when you said
Canadiancitizen:
NO insurance company will insure trucks on that road.
I assumed you meant trucks. Maybe something was lost in the translation between Canadian and English. 
Coffeeholic:
Canadiancitizen:
NO insurance company will insure trucks on that road.Someone must because in Episode 12 - Off The Ice, Hugh talks about the collision in Episode 10 when another truck side-swiped his truck, The Crows Nest, ripping the drive axles off in the process. The insurance company decided it was too costly to repair, declared the truck a write off and paid him out.
Stop spoiling it coffeeholic… not all of us have it on DVD yet!! You probably stole it from a torrent site !! or some one else did ! ( cos you are a lamer) 
Not all of us have seen it yet !!
I was really looking to seeing the program but YOU have spoiled for me !!
Stick to picking on agency drivers and not being a film critic…
Next you be telling me that they have stopped filming 24!!
numbnuts77:
Coffeeholic:
Canadiancitizen:
NO insurance company will insure trucks on that road.Someone must because in Episode 12 - Off The Ice, Hugh talks about the collision in Episode 10 when another truck side-swiped his truck, The Crows Nest, ripping the drive axles off in the process. The insurance company decided it was too costly to repair, declared the truck a write off and paid him out.
Stop spoiling it coffeeholic… not all of us have it on DVD yet!! You probably stole it from a torrent site !! or some one else did ! ( cos you are a lamer)
It was on the History channel ages ago, albeit the American one but you can get that on satellite anyway.
numbnuts77:
Not all of us have seen it yet !!
I guess you don’t want me to tell you who won the dash for the cash. If you don’t want to know never, ever look up Ice Road Truckers on Wikipedia
numbnuts77:
I was really looking to seeing the program but YOU have spoiled for me !!
Glad to be of service, now instead of wasting time staring at the TV you can do something productive.
numbnuts77:
Stick to picking on agency drivers and not being a film critic…
Hey, I can multi task so I’ll continue to do both.
numbnuts77:
Next you be telling me that they have stopped filming 24!!
Tis true, they have due to the WGA strike. They have only 8 episodes taped and they have cancelled the launch date in January.
I also think that in one of the clips; Alex Debogorsky talks about one of the costs of running being insurance.
As the loads are paid for by the mines, as is the construction of the roads, I would imagine the loads needn’t be insured apart from ‘internally’ if a load is lost then another one would just be fabricated if at all possible.
With the importance of the loads getting up there I imagine the why’s/who’s and paperwork would come once the season is over and ■■■■ the cost.
Alex
ive tried watching it and didnt really get into it at all…
same job just different conditions.
give me deadliest catch anyday.
numbnuts77:
Stop spoiling it coffeeholic… not all of us have it on DVD yet!! You probably stole it from a torrent site !! or some one else did ! ( cos you are a lamer)
Not all of us have seen it yet !!
I was really looking to seeing the program but YOU have spoiled for me !!
Stick to picking on agency drivers and not being a film critic…
Next you be telling me that they have stopped filming 24!!
You don’ want to know anything about the show, so that it isn’t spoiled for you.
Yet you are reading and answering on a thread titled
Ice Road Truckers.
Then, to cap it off, you’re blaming someone else.
That makes a lot of sense.
Simon:
numbnuts77:
Stop spoiling it coffeeholic… not all of us have it on DVD yet!! You probably stole it from a torrent site !! or some one else did ! ( cos you are a lamer)
Not all of us have seen it yet !!
I was really looking to seeing the program but YOU have spoiled for me !!
Stick to picking on agency drivers and not being a film critic…
Next you be telling me that they have stopped filming 24!!You don’ want to know anything about the show, so that it isn’t spoiled for you.
Yet you are reading and answering on a thread titled
Ice Road Truckers.
Then, to cap it off, you’re blaming someone else.
That makes a lot of sense.
well done simon for picking up on that one.