Interesting program on just now, based at Artic Circle.
Edited by Dynamic Dave on 06/03/2008 at 18:48
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I couldn't stop watching it - it's not something I would do! No wonder they get paid so much.
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I missed the atart of this series - why do they drive at night rather than during the day?
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Might be so far north that it's dark almost all day in the winter months.
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That far north there will be very little daylight in winter. Also I'm guessing that if I wanted to drive something heavy over a frozen lake I would probably want do it at the coldest part of the day. Don't know if that is the correct answer but I've just convinced myself anyway :-)
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Tell you what, talking of "ice roads" it's jolly cold here tonight. Minus 6C they reckon on't telly. Noticed my neighbour washing his car and rinsing it off with a hose just before the daylight went. He's going too need a blowtorch to get into that in the morning. Hope he wasn't planning to do early doors at the "Kirk"! ;-)
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They drive during the day as well - it just takes up to 20 hours to do a run!
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It said on last nights show that the ice was 36in thick, and they were running 30 ton loads over it! - that works out about 1.2 tons per inch! - would you like to test the strength of 1 inch of ice on a frozen lake with a small family car ?, dont think i would somehow!
Billy
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I am making a huge guess what the topic is about as I've not watched it.....But us backroomers assume all the time ;-)
If this is the HGV drivers driving loads across the ice roads.... Read before they used to keep the drivers door ajar to jump... You go down in these temps and that's it. Game over. Must be good money.
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It certainly is good money - thats what the incentive was for them all! Driving very long hours to meet their huge targets.
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>>It certainly is good money
I didn't think so. I've been watching the series, the 'top' earners after 5 weeks are around $10-11K Canadian gross- that's (one assumes) before expenses, fuel, wear & tear on vehicle & tax - (say about $4-5K?)
So, ~$7K (£3200) per month for 18hr days risking your life? Good fun maybe, but a mug's game.
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I think it's nearer CA$60k for the ones who do the the most 'loads'.
Wiki has a good article about it.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_Road_Truckers
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I love this programme and want to go off and drive on those lakes right now.
However, as always the telly people are constantly hyping the danger of the job. Looks like a good few years ago it really was deeply hazardous but now the authorities running these roads seem to give a much higher priority to safety than those running our roads. The programme makers seem hard pressed to find any incidents, worst I've seen was a tanker toppling over with the driver unhurt. Bet they would love to find something really serious going on (cynical as they are).
The drivers drive at night because there is little daylight up there and the runs take a long time. The biggest problem seems to be when they don't stop to sleep (obviously they don't have tachos up there) and fall asleep at the wheel. In the first programme they were tested for drugs, mainly amphetamine.
A great moment was one trucker, cruise control running, getting out of his seat and fetching his thermos of coffee from somewhere in the back of his cab before resuming control of the truck.
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Has anyone watched the programmes on Channel 5? Pretty intrerseting. (some people have, hence the move to this thread)
Don't know how they manage to stay awake - driving for so long at probably 10 - 35 mph for hours on end 250 miles and greater, carrying very heavy loads over frozen lakes.
Edited by Webmaster on 25/02/2008 at 12:38
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Yeah, it looks like a real feat to manage it! Previous discussion on it here
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=60407&...f
Watched it again last night and felt for the driver who had finally got to De Beers, was absolutely dog tired, only had to split his load up and reverse it in but it wouldn't split as it was frozen solid!
You could see what strength he had left just vanishing away minute by minute!
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Sorry - tried searching for ice road in the forum search - but would not find anything!
Edited by Shaz {p} on 25/02/2008 at 12:39
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Missed both showings of yet another episode.... "No signal" on Channel 5 - again!!
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I don't think you missed much. It had all the makings of a ten minute programme squeezed into an hour!
I watched the first couple - the making of the road was interesting - but after that I got fed up with : "coming up soon" "coming up next" "after the break" "in the next episode" "previously seen" et al.
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It could be more interesting, given the subject matter. I'm starting to find all the macho posturing a wee bit tiring - and the surprising amount of whinging. The 'danger' aspect I'm sure is true, but from what I see (and is conveyed in the programme - and let's face it, they don't underplay any 'incident'!) it doesn't seem, statistically, much more dangerous than driving up the M6. Yeah, if they do go through the ice or get caught in the cold it's fatal - but how often does that happen?
I'd like a bit more technical stuff on the real stars of the show - the trucks. Now the Americans (..and Canadians) can build a cool looking truck - proper Tonka toy aspect & proportions. How much torgue/bhp, what speed.. Do those above-the-cab exhausts have a function? What weight can they haul? etc, etc.
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>>I watched the first couple - the making of the road was interesting -
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I missed them but watched some of the "best bits" to night.
$10M every year for the road that lasts 60 days.
That is a hell of an expensive road. just proves how much wealth is them thar hills.
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$10M every year for the road that lasts 60 days. That is a hell of an expensive road. just proves how much wealth is them thar hills.
wouldnt it be cheaper to send the goods by boat for the 300 days that its not frozen?
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>>wouldnt it be cheaper to send the goods by boat for the 300 days that its not frozen?
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There are several routes to different mines.
The routes consist of icy road, frozen lake, icy road, frozen lake etc
So I guess not practical to use boats. i.e. getting a boat there plus jetties etc.
Some of the loads are pretty big and all in one lump.
I thought maybe a hovercraft for the smaller loads but I guess that has all been "explored".
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I have a technical question about this very enthralling programme.
Are the engines ever switched off?
If an engine is left standing in those temperatures -40f the oil will thicken so that the engine won't turn over nor could the oil be circulated. So what is the situation at Yellowknife, (the depot where the trucks are waiting for the next load)? If they are running non-stop for the whole season the fuel cost must be colossal. I have not heard any reference to this in the programme.
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They did mention it last week; the engines run continuously for 3 months. At that temperature, they'd otherwise need to drain the oils and remove the batteries pretty sharpish.
I'm not sure where those minus values in Fahrenheit displayed on the screen are starting, by the way some of them are dressed, the water on the ice and the tasks they seem to accomplish outside; I'm wondering if that is "degrees of frost" - degrees below 32F, not below 0 degrees Fahrenheit.
Edited by Screwloose on 06/03/2008 at 18:51
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I have been in a similar situation back in 1994 when I took a job with a company delivering ships stores and the supplies for the British Consulates in Eastern Europe. I must say by far the most exciting time of my life.
One trip was from UK to Finland (Helsinki) and St Petersburg one of the first things you notice is that they have winter and summer roads - summer roads go round the lake, winter roads go near the middle. I did one trip with an experienced hand and then was on my own.
First the trucks aren't UK spec ours we adapted with fuel line and fuel tank heaters the batteries are bigger and better spec. Secondly speeds are low 40 kph max and things like if you stop for a coffee after 5 minutes you pull forward - as your tyres when you've been running are hot and your sitting on ice which melts very quickly and refrezzes very quickly hence if you hadn't moved you have ice all round your tyres not good !!
It was minus 20-29 and lower with the wind chill !! By the way yes you can turn of engine and yes it will restart will if it's a European truck. The Yank ones are crude to say the least !
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i had a few 'intresting' truck driving experiences whilst in the army driving a 14 tonne fully loaded cross country at night in full tactical convoy conditions (no lights) being one of my favourites but that pales into comparison at what these guys are doing
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