[Narrator] This time on Highway Thru Hell...
It's bulging pretty bad!
[Narrator] ...a touch-and-go battle...
There's something wrong with that truck.
[Narrator] ...for team Reliable.
[groaning]
Here we go.
[Narrator] Al hustles...
All right?
I'll get him to back down and grab you.
[Narrator] ...on the hill...
Fightin' Mother Nature right now.
[Narrator] ...and off-road mayhem...
This is not what I got on the phone call.
[Narrator] ...tests Jamie's young blood.
Uh-oh.
[Narrator] 8:00 a.m...
[Narrator] ...in British Columbia's
Cascade Mountains...
[Narrator] Dispatched from the town of Merritt...
We're out in Black Sheep.
[Narrator] ...is Rooster Merkley
with Reliable Towing.
[Rooster] This recovery,
I don't know too much about it yet.
We'll see how it goes.
[Narrator] Arriving with Rooster...
[Narrator] ...is a 50-tonne heavy
and supervisor Dylan Greenwood.
[Rooster] This is probably pretty heavy.
[Dylan] Yeah.
It's in pretty decent shape.
I think he came in pretty slow,
like, he came in here pretty... pretty easy, hey?
Yeah, right here.
I think the driver fared pretty good.
[Narrator] Hours ago,
the semi hauling groceries...
...crashed into the bank.
So I'm gonna back in, like, right here.
[Narrator] Joining the Merritt crew today...
How much does this thing weigh?
[Narrator] ...is operator James Luke.
[Dylan] It should be 63,000.
Trailer's gonna be 48 of those.
I'm that extra set of eyes
that can come out
and say, "Hey, let's try this, let's do that,"
and you never know, it might work.
[Narrator] With 40,000 pounds of cargo...
[Narrator] ...at stake...
[Dylan] I think the load inside is what carried it over,
'cause the dip here
is deeper on this side
than it is on the front.
[Narrator] ...Dylan needs to decide
if they'll right the transport
with the load inside.
[Dylan] If you bring it all up as one,
if something goes wrong,
you don't look like a superhero anymore.
[Dylan] We don't usually try 'em loaded,
but I think it might work out for us.
Hopefully we don't have to go back home
with our tail between our legs.
[engine starting]
[♪♪♪]
[horns blare, engines roar past]
[Narrator] Near Merritt...
[Dylan] I'm going to set up on the rear,
put you on the front.
[Rooster] Yeah.
[Narrator] ...a wreck loaded with groceries...
[Dylan] I'll set up with a nice low-line
and a nice high-line...
[Rooster] Yeah.
[Dylan] ...and we'll bring it up and over.
[Narrator] ...has the Reliable team...
[Dylan] It's sort of a gamble.
[Narrator] ...planning a bold move.
[Dylan] The trailer's in really good shape,
so we're going to try to keep it all together as one piece.
That's gonna go on the back here.
Hopefully it comes back onto its wheels.
Pass me the end of the top strap.
Just make sure it grabs.
So right here?
You're going to hook it to that fifth wheel....
Come on, Rooster!
There you go.
[Narrator] On traffic control...
...is Jamie Davis' stepson, Brandon.
[Brandon] The guys here at Reliable
have not the greatest amount of room.
[Rooster] I'm ready to go whenever.
[Narrator] With low lines to the frame
and high lines to straps,
the two heavies
will try to right the rig intact.
[James] While we're pulling,
we gotta make sure
it doesn't cause any more damage to the trailer.
[Rooster] Just tell me when to stop.
[Dylan] Okay.
Good!
Keep going, Rooster!
[Rooster] When you've got two trucks on it,
you need to work in sync.
[Josh] Let Rooster catch up!
[Rooster] If one truck starts pulling
a little bit faster than the other one...
you're fighting each other.
[Josh] It's bulging pretty bad on the bottom here!
[Dylan] Hold it!
Hard to say, that load's right in the middle.
[James] I'm kinda nervous about it.
If it breaks apart,
it's going to make a hell of a mess.
[Narrator] 100 kilometres away
on the Coquihalla...
[Kurtis Brown] Started getting snow yesterday.
We've got about 18 centimetres since then.
[Narrator] ...highways maintenance supervisor
Kurtis Brown...
[Kurtis] The only way to stay safe working on the Coq
is know your surroundings.
[Narrator] ...spots an unusual sight
in the Great Bear Snowshed.
[Kurtis] When transport trucks start struggling to make it up,
the intensity of the snowfall is generally quite high.
How's it going?
What's wrong with it?
[Narrator] ...but the problem here
isn't snow.
This driver...
[Kurtis] Hopefully that's it?
Okay.
[Narrator] ...stopped to fix electrical trouble.
Dealing with these issues as they're coming up...
he can carry on his way.
[Narrator] Five minutes north...
[Al Quiring] Up against the snowbank there, eh?
[Al] It's been snowing to beat the band.
We've got a lot of snow on the ground.
[Narrator] ...Al Quiring...
Okay!
Here we go!
[Narrator] ...is wrangling another problem...
Tighten 'er up.
[Narrator] ...a stuck loader.
Good, good, good!
Beauty.
It's critical we get him
back into service as soon as possible.
She's out of there.
[Narrator] Patrolling the hill...
[Narrator] ...Kurtis spots the same rig
that was in the snowshed.
The driver's transporting some resin.
It's gotta be at least 60,000 pounds.
[tires slipping]
[air brakes hissing]
[Kurtis] It's a lot of weight,
and that weight is not on his drive tires.
Do you want a tug up the hill?
Yeah, I'll get him to back down and grab you, okay?
Okay.
Unless you have perfect traction, you're done.
Hey, Al,
I've got, uh, one that's spun out
that needs a tug up.
Yeah, few minutes there, that'll work out perfect.
It's really helpful having Al.
I can call him anytime.
We're fighting Mother Nature right now,
so we'll see what happens.
Time is of the essence.
You've got to be fairly quick,
and be confident on what you're gonna do.
[Al] It's like fish up the stream.
We come and pull the big fish up past the waterfall,
and then away they go.
[Al] Doesn't matter to me what he's hauling.
I just care about getting him off the road.
[Narrator] With the resin truck rolling...
[Kurtis] You guys can make a pass right away,
and get that spot cleared outside the shed
where the truck was spun out,
that'd be great.
10-4.
[Narrator] ...Kurtis' team
has a smooth road ahead.
[Kurtis] Crews are cycling the areas
that are getting hit the hardest.
Anything to keep the highway going.
That's what we're here for.
[Narrator] One hour east...
Hard to say, that load's right in the middle.
[Narrator] ...team Reliable's recovery...
[James] The wall's bulging pretty bad.
Just gotta make sure that it's not gonna split open.
[Narrator] ...is barely holding together.
[Rooster] I don't like it.
[James] Nope.
[Narrator] 40,000 pounds of groceries...
[Dylan] Yeah, it's gonna be really hit and miss, I'd say.
[Narrator] ...inside the rig
could be lost.
[James] What if you tried to pull the back end up a bit?
[Dylan] That's what I was just thinking about doing.
There's a lot at stake here.
[Dylan] Yeah, run the chain around the far side,
and I'll throw a high-line on it
and see if I can bring the trailer up over this way.
[James] Okay.
We have to make sure that we don't damage the wall.
So out here?
-Yup! -Okay!
Stop there, you're gonna go to that D-ring up there.
Okay, go to that D-ring.
Okay.
Good.
[James] Okay, pull!
[Narrator] With one line added
from Dylan's wrecker...
It's coming.
[Narrator] ...on Black Sheep's controls...
Keep constant tension on it!
[Rooster] I'm trying!
[Narrator] Rooster, a heavy rescue novice...
Keep going!
[Narrator] ...is under pressure.
I think I've done maybe three or four heavy wrecks
where they're in the ditch.
[chains rattling]
[Rooster, nervously] Uh...
[chains rattling]
Hey, guys?
Definitely stressing me out a little bit.
This could go bad very quickly.
Oh!
[Narrator] Near Merritt...
Oh!
[Narrator] ...a major recovery...
[chains rattling]
...up in the air.
Just tell him to help!
-Just pull-- -I can't!
It's definitely a scary situation.
[Narrator] ...has Rooster on edge.
[Rooster] All that weight from the groceries
is on that wall.
Something's gonna give.
It could be catastrophic.
There's load on that.
A little more on the bottom.
[Narrator] Inside the box...
40,000 pounds of groceries...
[Josh] Hey, Dylan!
Front corner is starting to give!
[Narrator] ...refuse to come easy.
[James] Until we get this job done,
no one's really going anywhere.
[Narrator] Right now,
repositioning...
[Josh] You're starting to pull the tractor back
a little bit now with you!
[Narrator] ...to open the road...
[Rooster] I got no tension on it.
[Narrator] ...is not an option.
[Rooster] What if I hook somewhere up here...
[Dylan] Let's take your chain off here.
Let's throw you right here.
[Brandon] If he lets go of the line,
the whole trailer goes back in the ditch on its side.
Traffic has been stopped for quite a long time,
but there's really nothing we can do about it.
[Dylan] Well, I'm at the point
where I have to set this thing back on its face, so...
Either we get progress,
or we set it down.
[Narrator] 100 kilometres away,
afternoon traffic is flowing.
Winter driving on the Coquihalla
could be sun shining
to a blizzard.
It is a very dangerous position to be in
if you're not prepared.
Well, that's nice.
You get to see some tarmac here, that's good.
Survival of the fittest on these roads here.
[Narrator] Near the summit...
[Narrator] ...authorities are out...
Hey, how ya doing?
[Narrator] ...helping motorists.
Just a safety check today,
and a gift from B.C. Highway Patrol.
Thank you.
We're just checking for winter preparedness today.
[Narrator] Leading the operation
is inspector Dale Sommerville.
[Dale] The biggest thing we're looking for here
is make sure folks have the proper winter tires on.
Make sure that they have emergency kits,
make sure they have proper wiper fluid.
Oh!
B.C. Highway Patrol, there you go.
Enjoy!
[Narrator] In snowy conditions...
salt and sand
can wreak havoc
on visibility.
-Drive safe, okay? -Thank you.
Have a good winter.
Any time we can take people and educate them
to make sure they're safe...
Tires look good.
...I think it's a great idea.
[Narrator] To the east...
How much tension do you want?
A little bit more.
[Narrator] ...team Reliable
is two hours in...
[Dylan] Stop there!
We're almost there, Brandon.
[Narrator] ...racing to save a rig
packed with groceries.
[Dylan] We definitely need to get this highway open again.
None of us really know how the load is sitting.
We gotta make sure we get the rigging perfect.
I just need Rooster to hold it so I can maneuver.
Once I maneuver, I'll get to the back.
[Narrator] ...but as Dylan takes action
to open the road...
[Dylan] Okay, Rooster.
I got nothing.
Yeah?
[Narrator] ...there's an unwelcome surprise.
[sighing]
My hydraulics are acting up
on Black Sheep.
It hasn't leaked anything, has it?
Dylan!
This is going to be bad.
[Rooster] Winches are down to 1,000 psi both.
It just idled down.
Could you just jump up there, just look at the winch?
It's not doing nothing.
[James] The winches right now,
they're not pulling
with the power that it should be.
It's the winch!
[Dylan] They're both not working.
It's definitely a huge problem on this job.
I'm all excited to do this recovery...
[Rooster] It won't winch!
[Rooster] It's a little disheartening.
[James] Oh no!
It feels like I'm never going to get it done.
[James] Nothing!
[Dylan] There's something wrong with that truck.
[Narrator] In the mountains...
[Rooster] I got nothing!
[Narrator] ...a sudden breakdown ...
[Rooster] We just lost all pulling power.
Definitely stressing me out a little bit.
[Narrator] ...has team Reliable...
[James] Holy lord, buddy.
[Narrator] ...on hold.
[Brandon] We have to get this done.
We have to get this out of here.
[James] What if we locked them in,
pulled the truck forward till it puts tension on?
[Narrator] ...but James...
[Dylan] Pull some tension on it,
and then I'll boom up, okay?
[Narrator] ...has a workaround.
Okay, hook that chain up--
Whoa...
Little more.
-[James] Black Sheep... -Good there!
I know that truck the best out of anybody.
-[air brakes hiss] -Hold there.
[James] She's old,
but she could do it.
[Narrator] With the driven-out lines
anchoring the wreck...
All right.
[Narrator] ...Dylan hustles...
[Dylan] Pop that hook off, James.
Same with that chain.
Okay, jump on the other side, yup, and take that hook off.
[Narrator] ...to move the 50-tonne
into one lane.
[Rooster] He's going to reposition
and get the tension,
then I can get off the highway.
I'm holding onto everything by myself...
It's a lot of stress on the truck.
[James] 'Cause of how much weight's
in this trailer.
...it's pretty nerve-racking.
[Dylan] They've asked us to keep this highway open
as much as possible.
[Rooster] Do you want me to back off now?
[Dylan] Yup.
Just boom down.
There you go. Perfect.
Now, get me a lane on this highway open.
[Brandon] Dylan, he's doing his best
to get these guys moving again.
[Narrator] ...but Rooster...
[groaning]
[Narrator] ...is forced
to call it a day.
[Rooster] Frustrating.
Black Sheep, we're bringing it back to our shop,
and we're going to fix it.
I don't like leaving a job halfway through it...
but I have faith in the rest of the team.
They'll get it outta there.
[reverse alerts beeping]
[Narrator] A smaller wrecker...
[beeping]
[James] We do have another truck here.
It's a single axle.
[Narrator] ...tags in to hold the semi.
[Dylan] Never easy.
[James] Just standing by.
We're just waiting for our back-up truck to come.
[Narrator] Coming from the west...
[Ty Kennedy] Today I'm in my tandem.
[Narrator] ...Ty Kennedy is on his way.
The Merritt crew has called me out.
I'm gonna head up and help out Dylan and James.
[Narrator] An hour and a half southwest...
[AJ Case] I'm headed to Dogwood Valley.
We got a call for a 4X4 pickup.
[Narrator] ...20-year-old AJ Case...
[AJ] This deck truck I'm driving
is my day-in, day-out workhorse.
[Narrator] ...is in the Fraser Canyon.
I was told it's a simple access road
with a little bit of snow.
This is not what I got on the phone call.
[Narrator] The situation...
Yeah, this is bad.
[Narrator] ...is not what AJ expected.
[AJ] There's two feet of snow that I'm plowing through.
This isn't going to be good at all.
No, I'm not happy with this.
The wheels are rubbing
right up against the side of the snowbank.
I need to keep momentum,
otherwise I'm going to be stuck.
[Narrator] Off the Canyon highway...
This is not what I got on the phone call.
[Narrator] ...AJ faces more white...
Okay, this road's a lot skinnier than I thought.
[Narrator] ...than he bargained for.
[Jamie Davis] It's a little intimidating
to be out on the back roads at night time.
You've got to be on your toes.
We're coming up to him right here.
[Narrator] Finally...
...AJ reaches his target.
Whoa.
It's stuck-stuck.
It's right up to the bumper on the front.
The driver's side is beached.
I'm going to try to back up.
My main goal right now
is just get out of here
without getting stuck.
-[customer] Okay, thanks. -No worries.
[AJ] This truck is at the bottom of the hill...
These chains are nice and tight,
which is what we want.
There's no clearing for me to turn around.
It just gives it something to bite onto
through the ice.
[Narrator] To get positioned...
[grunting with effort]
[Narrator] ...for the recovery...
Now is the goal to get to the intersection.
[Narrator] ...AJ needs to reverse up,
then back down,
a half a kilometre
of snowy terrain...
[AJ] Hopefully I can stick some new tracks
and stick the corner and make it up.
I'm gonna give it a shot.
Whoa, okay.
[Narrator] ...but it's an uphill battle.
[AJ] This ain't good.
[tires spinning]
Now I'm stuck.
[AJ] This is very frustrating for me.
I'm kind of making a scene,
and it's not too impressive.
[phone call rings]
Now I'm phoning for help.
[call ringing]
Everyone's either busy...
[call ringing]
...or they're not answering their phone.
That's perfect.
[Narrator] High in the mountains...
[truck honking]
[Narrator] ...heavyweight backup...
[James] Let's do this.
[Narrator] ...arrives from the west.
It's far away from the valley...
but I'm more than happy to go up and help.
[Ty] What do we want to do here, bud?
[Dylan] Well, I got to this point.
[Ty] Yeah.
[Dylan] That wall is not happy.
Yeah, yeah, I just want to go look at that wall.
[Narrator] Dylan and his team...
[Narrator] ...have been fighting
to save a bulging trailer.
[Dylan] Soon as we lifted it, we'd seen it.
She already had the bow in it.
[Narrator] The rig,
carrying 40,000 pounds of groceries...
crashed last night.
[Ty] When trailers roll into the ditch,
all the cargo falls to the one wall.
[Dylan] Yeah, we'd seen it right away,
as soon as I lifted it.
[Ty] We're going to try and recover it
without it splitting open.
[James] Do you want me to move in front of Ty?
[Dylan] Oh, yeah.
Ty is good to have.
[Dylan] Well, we're gonna move him into position,
hold the load.
He can help us get this thing done.
[Dylan] Yeah, so, Ty, you back right into here.
[Dylan] We'll get rigged up.
-You snag ahead... -[Ty] Yeah.
[Dylan] ...and give 'er another hold for me.
[Ty] Yeah.
[Narrator] The 35-tonne...
[Dylan] Perfect.
[Narrator] ...joined by the 50-tonne
already on scene...
[Ty] We're going to put two lines
on that bottom part of the trailer.
[Narrator] ...is ready to go.
We're going to suck the trailer over some more.
I got the high-line up top.
[Ty] We're at a 45.
We're trying to lift and pull on the trailer
at the same time.
[Ty] Are we shutting the lane down, then?
[Dylan] Okay, we're shutting.
[Brandon] We're shutting down?
[Dylan] Yup.
[Ty] He can come back a little more.
[air brakes hissing]
[James] You're going, big guy!
The power that they can pull,
hopefully it'll pull towards where we need it.
There you go.
[Dylan] Just hold onto it.
[Ty] We're digging in here!
Hey!
[Ty] We're digging in here!
Hey!
[Narrator] Near Merritt...
[Dylan] Just hold onto it.
[Narrator] ...Dylan and his team
are in the final stage...
[Ty] I know that's gonna break.
[Narrator] ...of a gruelling tug of war.
[James] There's another chain right there.
You always try to keep the thing as one piece.
A lot of pressure focused on that, buddy.
[Dylan] If you rip it apart,
your night's going to get a whole lot longer.
[Ty] Like, if we can get through the rim?
[Dylan] I can get you a rim sling.
[Ty] Yeah, and let's try and pick it up.
[Narrator] They need to make sure
all rig points are ironclad.
[Ty] Having the rim sling through the tire...
[Dylan] That's good.
...allows us to pick and lift the front of the tractor
as we pull.
[James] Okay, buddy.
[Dylan] That's okay, yup!
[James] As we're doing the pull,
I gotta watch and make sure that the wall
is not going to fall apart on us.
[Ty] We can take this one off.
[Dylan] Okay.
We can do one more pull,
and we'll throw to the fifth-wheel plate.
[Ty] Yeah.
[Ty] Yeah, we'll pull ahead, we'll let traffic go.
Pull on it.
Come on, Ty, pull!
[Ty] We only have a little bit left to do.
We were finally able to get it to where it's sitting now.
[Dylan] Just keep that line at the front,
and you'll just pull it ahead.
[Ty] Yeah, yeah.
[Dylan] As a customer,
they don't want their truck to be ripped apart.
[Dylan] Gonna roll, buddy.
[Josh] Yeah, they're rolling.
[Dylan] They don't want the tow company
to make their life worse.
[Josh] Sweet.
[air brakes hissing]
It's in one piece. Job went well.
[Ty] Are we out?
[Dylan] Yup!
[James] It's great to be back
with the Reliable team in Merritt.
[Ty] Keep coming!
[Dylan] Good!
[Ty] Yeah, you got 'er!
Beauty.
[Dylan] Well, thanks for coming.
-Yeah, man, absolutely. -I appreciate it.
Yeah, for sure.
Working with Dylan is always a treat.
-Good seeing ya. -Yeah, we'll see you next time.
-Yeah, have a good one, bud. -You too!
[Suki] This is a huge win
to see everyone succeed.
It's great for our company
and for our customers.
[Narrator] Two hours away,
AJ...
[AJ] I'm furious,
but I need to keep calm.
[Narrator] ...is stuck alone
on a brutal back road.
[AJ] Clear the loose stuff,
like, this is loose.
[Jamie] AJ, he's a hard worker.
He needs to adapt to things as they change...
[AJ] Down there is hard-pack.
...and he needs to be quick on his feet.
So I'm going to hand-bomb it for now.
[AJ] I can't go over it,
I can't go through it...
I'll just get rid of it.
[exhaling]
[Narrator] ...AJ needs to reposition
through heavy snow
to recover a utility truck.
Let's give this a whirl.
I'm hitting the side of the bank
on both sides.
I've finally made it to a point
where I can turn around, come back.
The snow's quite thick here.
I am so nervous to get stuck again.
[Narrator] AJ stops...
I want to stay as far this way as I can.
[Narrator] ...at the top of the hill.
[AJ] I don't want to put myself in the position
where I'm gonna have to shovel for another two hours.
[Narrator] Using extra rigging
to extend the pull line,
AJ needs to winch the unit 200 feet.
[AJ] You play with the cards you're dealt.
I'm going to use whatever I have
to go from my winch line to the back of his truck.
I'm using my J-hook bridle to hook onto his hitch,
and I'm going to be using my wheel-strap
because it's got a loop on one end
and a chain on the other.
It's got a safe working load
of 3,330 pounds,
and a tear rate
of 5,000 something pounds,
which the vehicle weighs about 5,000 pounds,
probably has 1,000 pounds of tools in it.
[Jamie] AJ...
he actually kind of reminds me of me when I was younger.
It could come flying back that way
or flying up that way.
He's in there, you know, all in, gettin' 'er done.
So just keep it in four high,
and then reverse
and just let it go at its own pace.
I'm hoping this is my golden ticket
to get out of here.
Uh-oh.
The truck's starting to move mine,
which isn't good.
Whoa!
[Narrator] In the Fraser Canyon...
Whoa! Uh-oh.
[Narrator] ...AJ's late-night recovery...
[winch struggling]
is a battle...
for every inch.
I don't want to be here any longer than I need to be.
[winch struggling]
It's time to get this guy out.
[AJ] Oh, there we go.
We're getting movement out of his pickup.
[Narrator] ...the flatdeck...
[AJ] We're getting movement!
[Narrator] ...digs in.
This is what I want to see.
Nothing's damaged...
and I want to keep it that way.
Whoa!
Oh yeah.
I can take my additions out now.
[winching]
Let's get out of here and get him back on the road.
[winching]
The next step is just going down the road.
[Narrator] One more run...
There's a couple of potholes here.
[Narrator] ...and the punishing stretch...
[AJ] Oh, this, yeah.
This was the narrowest part.
[Narrator] ...is in the rearview mirror.
[AJ] Feels amazing,
other than the fact
that we're still out in the back 40.
Perfect.
Yeah, we're all set here.
You're good to go.
[car honking twice]
[AJ] I'm just happy that the customer's on the road,
and I am as well.
I'm three hours late for my bedtime.
[Narrator] In the town of Hope...
[Jamie] There's no palm trees in here.
We're not in the land of the sunshine.
Did you get everything?
[AJ] Yes, sir.
[Jamie] We'll get that steel in.
Oh, yeah.
[Narrator] ...Jamie and AJ...
[Jamie] Oh, yeah.
That'll make some good teeth, though,
like, right like that.
[Narrator] ...are working in the yard.
AJ's a guy I'm keeping my eye on.
[AJ] So we're gonna make some cleats.
[Jamie] I enjoy having him around.
He's a hard worker.
I'll hold this for you for the first one
just to give you guided up.
[AJ] Jamie needs something done,
there it is, I'm right on that.
I'm a very hands-on learner.
Jamie's one of the best teachers that I've had.
[Jamie] He's mechanically inclined.
He's got, you know, aspirations.
I really think he's got huge potential.
Gonna be there for a lifetime, eh?
[AJ] Yeah.
So far, so good.
[Narrator] Next time
on Highway Thru Hell...
[Narrator] ...bent metal carnage...
[Narrator] ...tests team Reliable...
[James] I can't see.
Whoa!
[Narrator] ...MSA...
[Kirpal] Watch the corner there!
[Narrator] ...hits the tipping point...
[Kirpal] No, no!
[Jamie] Wow, that's a huge washout.
[Narrator] ...and a back-country mission...
[Jamie] Should have brought my gumboots.
[Narrator] ...for Jamie...
[Jamie] Okay, give 'er.
[Narrator] ...and AJ.
[Jamie] Whoa! The log's jammed.
[♪♪♪]