Original subtitles

This time on Highway Thru Hell...

...crash...

That's not good.

...and burn...

I gotta put it out.

...Reliable takes a hit.

MSA...

Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!

-...inches... -Hold it!

...from disaster.

You can just see how tight a space this is.

...and Jamie...

...heads off-road.

I feel like I'm gonna wipe out already.

Holy!

Early winter...

...in British Columbia's

Coastal Mountains...

I've been driving for 22 years,

and this is one of the most mild winters I've ever seen.

Way warmer than what it should be.

...El Niño is back.

B.C.'s snow levels

are 39% below normal.

Environment Canada says

it's all thanks to an earlier-than-anticipated

El Niño.

It's bringing dry roads...

...unpredictable conditions...

...and false confidence...

...on the Coquihalla Highway.

Dispatched out of Merritt,

a Reliable Towing 35-tonne...

Awesome truck.

...nicknamed "Big Blue"...

We got a burner to go to.

...and heavy operator

Bob Potts.

I've been with Reliable off and on

about two years.

I just love doing recoveries

because that's one thing I love doing.

It's been burning all night long,

so hopefully it's out.

We won't know till we get there.

Bob's been in the industry for quite some time.

He's got a lot of experience.

Not afraid to get his hands dirty.

That's not good.

The wreck has been burning untouched...

Wow.

Yeah, still on big-time fire.

...for 16 hours.

Yeah, it's catching on fire everywhere now.

Ah, it's on the tire.

Those tires, it'll be a big explosion.

Oh, man.

Unbelievable.

On the Coquihalla...

...a relentless blaze...

That's all we need is having a boom.

...is forcing Bob to play firefighter.

If the tires blow,

that's more work.

I gotta put it out.

We want to try to tow it as-is.

Outside municipal limits...

...the fire department

isn't an option.

There's no fire department.

So when we're there,

we have to look out for ourselves.

Okay.

With the last of the flames

snuffed out...

That was...

bad for your lungs.

...Bob steps out of harm's way...

The number one is our safety.

...but the wreck...

Oh, yeah, that's coming down.

...is still a threat to drivers.

The wall's going to collapse into the slow lane.

The concern is the wall has no structure anymore.

Lulled by the dry conditions...

Holy.

...drivers speed past the hazard.

We can't do the job

until the flaggers are there...

...because they slow down the traffic.

Oh, here comes our flagger guy.

Traffic control arrives...

...to shut down the granny lane...

...and now with more room to work...

Oh, yeah.

...an eight-tonne excavator rolls up...

Okay.

...with salvage contractor Bill Bremner.

Bill does all the cleanup.

I need his excavator to bring down the walls.

Yeah, bring 'er down, buddy!

We're gonna take the walls,

fold them.

Watch nothing snaps back at ya!

Okay!

500 kilometres northeast...

...in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains...

...it's a colder winter-driving experience.

We call it "The Goat".

In a rugged highway tractor...

It's a bit crusty and old,

but it's got a good engine in it.

...Jamie Davis

heads to an unusual backroad job.

This is one of those weird loads,

but we specialize in weird.

You made 'er, eh?

Called out by a snowmobile club,

Jamie arrives to his mission...

...hauling a Snowcat up the hill.

Very specialized machine

that you don't come across very often.

Yes siree, Bob.

Every winter season,

they groom the local area's ski hills...

...and its world-class snowmobile trails.

Backcountry snowmobiling,

it's a big sport.

People come from all over.

It's huge.

Should be good there.

But measuring 14 feet wide...

Some flags.

...the Snowcat...

sticks out two feet on each side.

That overhang, that's the biggest issue here.

The 85-kilometre journey,

will lead through roadways,

narrow passages

and steep grades.

Following the quarter- million-dollar machine...

Okay, good to go.

...are members of the local snowmobile club...

There's a chance of meeting snowmobile traffic

without radios.

Okay, copy that.

...but weighing over 10,000 pounds...

We're actually on a logging road now.

...this load will put Jamie to the test.

We're dealing with some logging roads,

and they're not paved highways.

You gotta be right on your game.

Five hours southwest...

Right on.

...Bob's burner wreck

is being taken down to size.

I need Bill to bring down the walls,

and fold them this way...

...so I can haul it.

But first...

...they need to deal with

what's left of the tractor.

It's a challenge for any burnt truck

to get on a deck.

Okay.

Keep winching.

Lacking any remnant of wheels...

Okay, hang on!

...the wreck starts to veer off course.

Bill, is there any way that you can push it?

I can keep it straight for you all the way up.

Okay.

Having an excavator,

it's not a huge one, it's a little one,

but it does the job.

Good!

Da-ta-da!

With the tractor loaded...

Just take it easy, okay?

...Bob returns his focus to the trailer.

I gotta cage the brakes,

before I haul it down the road.

To release the brakes,

the 62-year-old...

...has to get down and dirty.

I don't care how old I am...

I'll go down there and get dirty, too.

But the brakes' bolts...

They're jammed!

....won't budge.

We won't be going anywhere.

Come on!

In the Rockies...

...Jamie hauls an oversized load

through the mountains...

Logging roads aren't maintained like a highway.

...but up ahead...

The bridge that we're gonna go across,

it's very narrow...

...with a Snowcat blade

stretching 14 feet across...

I'm gonna follow the pilot here.

...he'll need some extra help.

Pilot trucks warn oncoming motorists

that there's something in tow,

and it's oversize.

The bridge he has to cross

is only ten feet wide.

The pilot is gonna stop the bridge traffic for us.

With the pilot truck

at the other end...

Thanks, guys. It'll just be a minute.

...Jamie makes his approach...

I'll get right over, as far as I can.

The bridge is just barely wider than the trailer.

...but with his load sticking out even further...

You can just see how tight a space this is.

...he'll need to clear

the three-foot-tall railings.

It's a fairly challenging move

to ensure that this thing's gonna get across properly,

and there's not gonna be no damage.

I thought this bridge was wider, actually.

I'm gonna have to really use all the skill I have

to get across without having an upset

or a problem here.

In the foothills of the Rockies...

It's very narrow,

very tight.

...Jamie's feeling the squeeze...

It's rubbing a bit.

...with an oversize load...

The back end of the trailer

is scraping the side of the bridge somewhat.

We're pushing it to the limit here.

...but with just inches to spare...

Okay...

...Jamie makes

the quarter-million-dollar Snowcat

glide over the railings.

As long as the Snowcat's good, I'm good.

It's these kinds of jobs I like, actually.

The more weirder it is, the more fun it is.

All right,

so that's one obstacle.

With the bridge cleared...

Thanks a lot, guys, you have a great day.

...Jamie's biggest challenge lies ahead...

You don't know what the off-road,

what the logging roads are gonna be like.

...a 46-kilometre climb...

The bush is a little more different.

...back into the mountains.

It's one thing to go up a logging road empty.

It's another thing with a big load on.

Taking over for the pilot vehicle...

...are the snowmobile club members.

It looks not bad so far to me.

Hauling the 10,000-pound load uphill...

This truck's got double lockers.

...Jamie has faith in his highway tractor.

That's why they call it "The Goat"

because it climbs really well.

It's a big advantage to have lockers.

When turning,

differentials allow wheels to rotate at different speeds,

but in slick conditions,

locking differentials, or "lockers",

allow the wheel with traction to receive power,

forcing the wheels to rotate at the same speed

to propel the vehicle forward.

The trick is getting some momentum.

Come on, baby.

It's pretty steep.

Keep you on the edge of your seat.

It's a tough go...

...but we're making it work.

Okay.

It's sledders everywhere.

Finally...

All right, we're here.

...they arrive at the back-country trails,

and the Snowcat's winter home.

Being in the towing business,

bad weather and cold weather equals work.

I don't understand

how people want to go out in the cold weather

and in a snowstorm and have fun.

All right, guys.

-Yeah. -Thanks.

-Thanks a lot. -Awesome.

Snowmobiles aren't anything I've been around...

...but who knows?

One day, I'll give a snowmobile a chance.

600 kilometres southwest...

Oh, come on.

The brakes.

...Bob is desperate

to get a burned-out trailer

off the Coq.

Still a little bit coals underneath.

I got burnt a couple times,

but... that's the work.

They should be coming undone,

but they don't.

Unable to cage the brakes...

...the recovery hits the seven-hour mark...

so Bob switches to plan B.

I'm gonna use a... a saw.

I have to cut the rods

so the brakes will release.

Okay.

Yeah!

That's how I like it, baby!

The job's almost done,

and I just can't wait

to get that trailer into our yard,

and go home and shower.

Oh, yeah.

Yay!

We're good.

After a hard day's work...

You're good!

Here's your cookies!

-Bob... -No, that's...

...gets his reward.

There you go.

I get cookies now.

Awesome! I was hungry.

With the trailer on the hook...

I don't think that's going anywhere.

...Bob's job is done.

Going home,

going to see my wife.

She thinks I'm crazy

because of what I'm doing, at my age!

It's all done, I'm gonna go.

Then I can start cleaning up?

Yup. Thank you!

Some people are built to be working hard,

and Bob, he's one of them.

Head 'er home.

He's not afraid

to just switch it up and get the job done.

160 kilometres southwest...

...in the Fraser Valley.

...an MSA Towing medium-duty wrecker

rolls out to a call...

It's been raining a lot.

...with Gursimran Banwait,

or "Sim".

It's just like a little small cargo trailer.

The trailer's still connected to the truck.

We need to get this out right away

because the customer has some expensive equipment in there.

Along for the ride...

I'm surprised this truck didn't end up in the ditch.

...his older brother Gursharan.

When it's nasty weather like this,

the phone will ring,

and there we go again.

Tonight

they're bringing along first-time swamper...

-This is your first recovery? -Yeah.

...Kuljit Kang.

It's just fun

seeing big huge machines stuck,

and then we just come out there,

and pull 'em out, like it's nothing.

The 22-year-old mechanic-in-training...

Starting to get there now,

starting to get there.

...is learning the tricks of the trade...

Okay, go, put your wrench in.

...from the main man himself,

Kirpal Banwait.

Okay, go now.

Kuljit is really good at the mechanical

because he has the... common sense.

...but he's more than just an employee,

he's also Gursharan's brother-in-law.

They're more than just bosses.

They're like family-- they are family.

Today,

on the busy Fraser Highway,

he pulls up to his first recovery job...

...a loaded cargo trailer

dangling seven feet deep in a ditch.

It's pretty bad.

We're dealing with a steep bank

having a soft shoulder as well.

That's probably good there.

But low visibility...

...on a busy stretch of road...

...is cause for concern.

It's very dark,

and it's raining quite a bit.

We don't want someone to come speeding in,

and then hit one of us while we're working.

To recover the trailer,

they need to detach the pickup

currently anchoring it in place.

First things first,

get a line onto the trailer,

to make sure we have a good hold of it.

This is so soft.

Muddy boots,

and rainwater on metal,

it makes it even more slippery,

and the risk of everything just goes up.

Kuljit, pass me the line

so I can hook it in there.

Yeah.

With lines securing the trailer,

they'll disconnect the units,

and then winch the trailer onto the road.

I'll just tighten the line up.

The 12-tonne wrecker holds...

...and Gursharan releases the hitch.

Yo, drive ahead.

Keep going, keep going...

keep going.

Step by step, we're getting closer.

But now...

...3,000 pounds of the owner's machinery...

...hang in the balance.

It's a very steep ditch,

and we're worried all this guy's equipment's

going to fall out.

We were not able to block a lane.

Unable to gain a stronger angle of pull...

Drag it up like this.

All right.

Yeah, just do that.

...they go for broke.

It's working against that bank there.

It's sitting in kind of an awkward position...

...and as we're pulling it out,

it's becoming more and more top-heavy.

The 3,000-pound trailer...

...is inches away from disaster.

Yeah.

The more we pull,

the more it feels like it's about to go over.

Man, there's no way

we can let this go back into the ditch!

Whoa...

In the Fraser Valley...

...working next to a live lane,

MSA's trailer recovery...

The more you pull it up that bank,

the more it's gonna want to go over though, no?

Yeah.

...tilts towards disaster.

It feels like

the trailer's just trying to slip away

and make its way back into the ditch.

Confined to the shoulder,

they only have one option.

The angle of it's not going to change,

the incline's not going to change, so...

there's only one thing to do, is just keep pulling.

The brothers' gamble...

pays off...

It's a moment of relief

when the trailer finally levels itself out.

You should try to just pull it straight out.

Yeah.

...but to get it onto pavement,

they'll need to make room.

Can you drive the truck ahead then?

It's time...

Just get Kuljit to do it.

...for the rookie swamper...

Yo, Kuljit, jump in there.

...to step in...

There's pressure

'cause you're on the side of the highway...

...and you gotta get it out of there

as quick as possible.

Okay, drive straight ahead.

...but as Kuljit hits the gas...

Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!

Yo, hold it!

What are you doing?

It's the PTO.

PTO is "Power Take-Off,"

that's what runs the hydraulic pump

for the wrecker.

If you leave it on, and then you start to drive,

then the pump spins faster than it should.

Driving with the PTO engaged...

Turn it down.

...can damage the wrecker.

He's good at what he does,

but when it comes to recovery

and more technical work,

he doesn't have the experience.

Gursharan switches the PTO off...

Now go.

...and his brother-in-law

is back on track.

I'm always down to learn more, as much as possible.

That's good.

With the wrecker out of the way...

Nice.

...the 3,000-pound trailer...

Probably good, eh?

...is finally back on firm ground...

It wasn't too bad.

We were able to pull it out pretty quick.

...and the boys...

It's miserable...

...can soon get out of the rain.

...but we're almost done the job.

We can finally go home.

Kuljit's first recovery...

Yeah.

...is in the books.

Gursharan and Gursimran are great mentors.

Cross-chain it, put this on that side.

They've got lots of knowledge

and a lot for me to learn from.

Yeah, that's good.

Yeah.

I can't wait for more recovery work.

Should we go?

Yeah, let's go.

Kuljit is really good at the mechanical,

and now he's learning recovery.

He will be the multi-functional guy.

He will be all-in-one.

Back up on the Coquihalla...

...for one of the drivers...

...it's a tower's worst nightmare.

I've been in a big accident here.

Bob...

and his wrecker Big Blue...

...were hit

towing the burned trailer.

I'm watching this guy coming at me,

and I'm going, "Oh, my God, he's gonna...

he's gonna hit me."

I just can't believe this.

I'm in shock...

Scary.

Oh, man...

On the Coquihalla...

Oh, man.

...Big Blue and Bob...

Unbelievable, eh?

...were on the receiving end

of a rear-ender.

I'm shaken, right?

I think I'm okay, I'm not sure,

but I'm all stressed out.

Earlier tonight,

Bob finished the job...

I don't think that's going anywhere.

...and set out...

Head 'er home.

...with a burned-out trailer

on the hook.

Minutes later,

a semi went to pass Bob's wrecker,

but with a four-wheeler in its way,

it smashed into the burnt trailer.

You know the only thing that saved me?

That wreck, eh?

The burnt trailer...

Holy,

just pushed it all the way up.

...absorbed most of the impact,

protecting Bob.

When he hit it--

it was like an accordion.

The landing gear came up and hit my wheel lift,

I've never seen a trailer buckle like that.

I'm doing 40 kilometres,

and I saw this guy just flying...

and I'm going, "Hang on..."

Bang!

I got whiplash.

I hit my head on the steering wheel.

We're just trying to do our job,

that's all,

but we're the ones that get hurt or killed.

You okay here, bud?

Salvage contractor Bill

was only a few minutes behind.

My neck, my back.

How's he?

I feel very lucky.

Could have been worse.

Paramedics arrive...

Just a little sore in the neck.

...and assess Bob's injuries.

They wanted me to go to the hospital,

but I want to stay on scene and finish the job.

Wow.

Arriving moments later...

Holy.

...Merritt regional manager Laine Paré.

Right after it happened, Bob called me,

and we started calling 9-1-1,

and we got out there as quick as we could.

Yeah, I'm just going to check on Bob.

-Hey, bud. -Hey.

What did they say?

I'm okay.

If I didn't know it was coming,

I probably would've gotten hurt a lot more.

Glad you're okay.

Thanks.

It was a big sigh of relief.

Bob's gonna actually, like, walk away from this accident.

As word spreads...

...all of Reliable Merritt

rolls in.

Just grabbin' dinner, and I heard it on the radio,

so I come out right away.

When you hear about something like that,

it's like knowing

one of your family members is involved.

-Hey, man. -How's it going?

Good.

With this job,

working on the highway,

it could cost you your life.

Hi, Josh.

Bobby.

That's wild.

I feel grateful for being alive...

Glad you're okay, Bob.

Oh, me too.

...and I feel grateful for them...

caring.

They're there to help me out.

With Team Reliable rallying to his side...

I'm gonna do some work now.

...Bob soldiers on.

Well, let's try and rehook to this thing...

When I'm on a job, I like to finish the job.

I'll just pull forward.

Okay.

Watch yourself, guys.

I just want to be a team member...

...and get it over and done with.

Okay.

But before Bob can tow the wreck away...

The kink right here is my concern.

...Laine makes an unsettling discovery.

The minute he starts driving away,

there's potential this section of the trailer can just break.

I don't trust that.

South of Merritt,

a critical kink in a trailer...

...has added a major risk

to towing it off the highway.

If we don't play our cards right,

we'll lose half of the trailer.

The trailer's gonna fold in half

on that spot now,

breaking into pieces while we're towing it.

That's not cool.

Just two hours earlier,

the trailer was being towed by Big Blue,

when a passing semi

slammed into the back.

Now...

Okay, I want a chain with a hook on each end.

I'm going to run chain under the trailer...

We're gonna support it with chain.

I'm just going to give it some structure...

Yeah, we'll need one more.

Yeah, for the other side.

...and try and support that weak spot,

so that we can get it off the road.

Okay, we're-- we're ready.

-Oh yeah? -Yeah.

Bruised,

but not beaten,

Bob...

Okay.

...gets back behind the wheel.

Here we go.

...but this time,

he won't be alone.

He'll have a Team Reliable escort.

I was still in shock by the accident...

Whew.

...but everybody from Reliable was there.

I can't ask for better.

11 hours...

since Bob arrived for the burner...

Oh, yeah.

...the wreck is finally off the road.

We got it out of the way.

It's a lot of relief.

I feel good now.

I'd rather get it back to the yard,

but that's tomorrow.

A clean-up crew will be back when the sun's up.

Team Reliable!

Bob.

My crew did awesome.

I'm very proud of 'em.

In that time of stress, everybody worked together.

I love you, buddy.

I got a big Bob hug.

Bobby's emotional!

Reliable, it's a family.

We care for each other, right?

And that's what a team is all about.

The next morning...

No time to waste here.

...a red one-tonne heads down a back road

with Jamie...

So we'll head up there right now.

...and his stepson, Brandon Kodallas.

Kinda funny getting you out

doing something like this, though.

There's no profit in fun.

But today...

I think you'll enjoy it, though.

....Jamie's trading his wrecker...

for a sled.

For Jamie,

there isn't much of a work-life balance.

You excited?

Yeah, I've never done it before.

I think it's important

to have a little fun.

This will be the one that you're taking out.

Okay.

It's totally polar opposite to me going to work...

Is that the old-guy sled?

...but...

I'll give it a chance.

I think once he starts revving it up a little bit...

Fire it up?

...I think he'll really enjoy it.

Okay, I'm gonna go, I'm gonna launch!

Oh, wow.

That's got a kick!

Oh yeah, that thing'll go, man!

These machines, they go like, heck, and, uh...

I feel like I'm gonna wipe out already.

-No, you won't, you won't. -Huh...

You crash one of them, I think it would really really hurt.

All right!

Whoa!

Holy!

Whoa!

Holy!

On a frozen playground...

...Brandon...

I'm just hanging on for dear life.

...has pushed Jamie out of his comfort zone.

Keep up with the old man, eh?

Seeing him go out

and have a little fun...

...I think it's good for him,

and I enjoy it myself.

My arms are sore already just hanging on.

That's like pulling winch line all day.

Well, I'm gonna go on one more burn,

but, uh,

I gotta save my energy for wrecks.

Sounds good.

Hey?

Going and doing something

that doesn't involve work...

H'yah!

...you almost have a guilty feeling...

Hey!

...so getting out and doing something fun...

Whoa!

This beats the office.

...nice change.

Yippee-ki-yay!

Yeehaw!

Southwest and closer to the coast...

...at Reliable Towing's yard

in Merritt...

Here they come,

the rest of the burned truck.

...Bob is on hand...

Only axles now.

...as the final piece

of yesterday's wreck rolls in.

Now it's to our yard, and I feel good,

job's done.

I feel very lucky.

This wreck did save my life.

Thank you, brother.

I got you, buddy.

Yeah, right on.

When you have a team,

they want to be just like a family, right?

It's hard to find,

and Reliable, it's a family.

Still a bit of whiplash, I'll admit, but I-I'm...

I feel pretty good.

My wife,

the first thing she did when I walked through the door,

is gave me a big hug.

We'll see how much damage on my truck.

Wow.

Unbelievable.

Big Blue finished the job.

Tough tow truck.

Maybe recuperate

from, uh...

all the pain that I'm going through right now.

The team understands

that there's no pressure from me

to get back onto the playing field

without properly dealing with these things.

Safety is always paramount.

You only live once,

try to live the best of it.

I'm taking time off

just to get back into the swing of things.

I live to do another wreck.

Next time on Highway Thru Hell...

This is just going to be ugly.

...rocking the rollover...

She's a little heavy.

...a fresh team...

It's smoking.

...over the edge...

No!

That's not good.

...Jamie...

The back end is going over..

...holds on...

Whoa, it's tippy, eh?

...and Aggressive...

Hold on, hold on.

...gets down and dirty.

Holy!