Highway Thru Hell S13 Ep04
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00:00The following program is rated 14 plus and may contain coarse language, violence, nudity,
00:11mature subject matter, or scenes which may not be suitable for all viewers.
00:14Viewer discretion is advised.
00:23This time on Highway Thru Hell, crash, that's not good, and burn, I gotta put it out, Reliable
00:32takes a hit, M.S.A., inches from disaster, and Jamie heads off-road, early winter, and
01:02winter, in British Columbia's Coastal Mountains, I've been driving for 22 years, and this is
01:14one of the most mild winters I've ever seen, way warmer than what it should be, El Nino
01:21is back, crazy warm weather, B.C.'s snow levels are 39 percent below normal, Environment
01:31Canada says it's all thanks to an earlier than anticipated El Nino, it's bringing dry
01:38roads, everything looks clear coming up, unpredictable conditions, I wouldn't hold my breath on that,
01:47and false confidence, watch your speed, on the Coquihalla Highway, there's a truck on
01:55fire up here somewhere, he must have got those brakes pretty hot, dispatched out of Merritt,
02:08a reliable towing 35 ton, awesome truck, nicknamed Big Blue, we got a burner to go
02:18to, and heavy operator Bob Potts, I've been reliable off and on about two years, I just
02:27love doing recoveries because that's one thing I love doing, it's been burning all night
02:34long, so hopefully it's out, we don't know until we get there, Bob's been in the industry
02:43for quite some time, he's got a lot of experience, not afraid to get his hands dirty, that's
02:52not good, the wreck has been burning, untouched, wow, yeah, still on big time fire, for 16
03:06hours, it's catching on fire everywhere now, it's on the tire, those tires, they'll be
03:19a big explosion, oh man, unbelievable.
03:50We have a truck on fire, on the Coquihalla, on the shoulder, a relentless blaze, it's
04:01all we need is having a boom, is forcing Bob to play firefighter, if the tires blow, that's
04:11more work, I got to put it out, we want to try to soar it as is, I've heard of smoke
04:19breaks before, but that's ridiculous, outside municipal limits, burn it up good, the fire
04:28department isn't an option, there's no fire department, so when we're there, we have to
04:36look out for ourselves.
04:37With the last of the flames snuffed out, that was bad for your lungs, Bob steps out of harm's
04:53way, number one is our safety, but the wreck, oh yeah, that's coming down, is still a threat
05:03to drivers, the wall's going to collapse into the slow lane, the concern is the wall
05:13has no structure anymore, lulled by the dry conditions, drivers speed past the hazard,
05:23we can't do the job until the flaggers are there, because they slow down the traffic,
05:29here comes our flagger guy, traffic control arrives, to shut down the granny lane, and
05:40now with more room to work, oh yeah, an 8 ton excavator rolls up, with salvage contractor
05:53Bill Bremner, Bill does all the clean up, I need his excavator to bring down the walls,
06:03yeah, bring her down buddy, we're going to take the walls, fold them, watch nothing snaps
06:14back at you, okay, 500 kilometers northeast, they got a good dump of snow here, in the
06:41foothills of the Rocky Mountains, it's a colder winter driving experience, we call it the goat,
06:55in a rugged highway tractor, it's a bit crusty and old, but it's got a good engine in it, Jamie
07:02Davis heads to an unusual backroad job, it's one of those weird loads, but we specialize in weird,
07:12you made it right, called out by a snowmobile club, Jamie arrives to his mission,
07:21hauling a snowcat up the hill, very specialized machine that you don't come across very often,
07:32yes siree Bob, every winter season, they groom the local area ski hills,
07:41and it's world-class snowmobile trails, backcountry snowmobiling, it's a big sport,
07:50people come from all over, it's huge, should be good there, but measuring 14 feet wide,
08:03some flags, the snowcat sticks out two feet on each side, that overhang, that's the biggest issue
08:14here, the 85 kilometer journey, will lead through roadways, narrow passages, and steep grades,
08:26following the quarter million dollar machine, are members of the local snowmobile club,
08:37there's a chance of meeting snowmobile traffic without radios, okay, copy that,
08:50but weighing over 10,000 pounds, we're actually on a logging road now, this load will put Jamie
08:58to the test, we're dealing with some logging roads, and they're not paved highways, you got
09:04to be right on your game, five hours southwest, right on, Bob's burner wreck is being taken down
09:21to size, I need Bill to bring down the walls and fold them this way, so I can haul it,
09:34but first, I need to deal with what's left of the tractor, it's a challenge for any burnt truck to
09:45get on a deck, okay, keep winching, lacking any remnant of wheels, the wreck starts to veer off
10:08course, Bill, is there any way that you can push it, I can keep it straight for you all the way up, okay,
10:24having an excavator, it's not a huge one, it's a little one, but it does the job,
10:30with the tractor loaded, just take it easy, okay, Bob returns his focus to the trailer,
10:45I got to cage the brakes before I haul it down the road, to release the brakes, the 62 year old
10:53has to get down and dirty, I don't care how old I am, I'll go down there and get dirty too,
11:07ah, but the brakes bolts, they're jammed, won't budge, we won't be going anywhere, come on,
11:24in the Rockies, Jamie hauls an oversized load through the mountains,
11:34foggy roads aren't maintained like a highway, but up ahead, the bridge that we're gonna go across,
11:41it's very narrow, with a snowcat blade stretching 14 feet across, so I'm gonna follow the pilot
11:49here, he'll need some extra help, pilot trucks warn oncoming motorists that there's something in
11:56tow and it's oversized, the bridge he has to cross is only 10 feet wide, the pilot's gonna
12:06stop the bridge traffic for us, with a pilot truck at the other end, thanks guys, we'll just be a minute,
12:14Jamie makes his approach, get right over as far as I can, the bridge is just barely wider than the
12:27trailer, but with his load sticking out even further, you just see how tight space this is,
12:34he'll need to clear the three foot tall railings, it's a fairly challenging move to ensure that this
12:42thing's going to get across properly and there's not going to be no damage,
12:47I thought this bridge was wider actually,
12:51I'm going to have to really use all the skill I have to get across without having an upset or a
12:56problem here, it's real tight, in the foothills of the Rockies, why are we stopped, with a wide load,
13:13it's very narrow, very tight, Jamie's feeling the squeeze, it's rubbing a bit,
13:23with an oversized load, the back end of the trailer is scraping the side of the bridge somewhat,
13:30we're pushing it to the limit here, but with just inches to spare, okay,
13:36okay, Jamie makes the quarter million dollar snowcat glide over the railings,
13:43as long as the snowcat's good, I'm good, it's the kind of jobs I like actually,
13:51the more weirder it is, the more fun it is, all right, so that's one obstacle,
13:58with the bridge cleared, thanks a lot guys, have a great day, Jamie's biggest challenge lies ahead,
14:08you don't know what the off-road with the logging roads are going to be like,
14:11a 46 kilometer climb, bush is a little more different, back into the mountains,
14:20it's one thing to go up a logging road empty, it's another thing with a big load on it,
14:25taking over for the pilot vehicle, are the snowmobile club members,
14:32most of the logging trucks do chain up, what are your thoughts,
14:38it looks not bad so far to me, okay, hauling the 10,000 pound load uphill,
14:47this truck's got double lockers, Jamie has faith in his highway tractor,
14:57that's why they call it the goat, because it climbs really well,
15:00it's a big advantage to have lockers,
15:05when turning, differentials allow wheels to rotate at different speeds,
15:12but in slick conditions, locking differentials or lockers, allow the wheel with traction to receive
15:20power, forcing the wheels to rotate at the same speed, to propel the vehicle forward,
15:34the trick is getting some momentum,
15:35come on baby,
15:46it's pretty steep, keep you on the edge of your seat, it's a tough goal, but we're making it work,
15:57hey Jamie, there's a few snowmobiles coming at you, okay,
16:01good sliders everywhere,
16:08finally, all right, we're here, they arrive at the backcountry trails and the snow cats winter home,
16:17being in the towing business, bad weather and cold weather equals work, I don't understand how
16:24people want to go out in the cold weather and in the snow storm and have fun, all right guys,
16:30yeah, thanks, thanks a lot, awesome, snowmobiles aren't anything I've been around,
16:36but who knows, one day, I'll give a snowmobile a chance,
16:48600 kilometers southwest, oh come on,
16:52oh, brakes, Bob is desperate to get a burned out trailer off the coke, still a little bit
17:02cold underneath, I got burnt a couple times, but that's the work, they should be coming undone,
17:11but they don't, unable to cage the brakes,
17:17take this off, pop the pin, the recovery hits the seven-hour mark, so Bob switches to plan B,
17:27I'm gonna use a saw, I have to cut the rods, so the brakes will release,
17:35release, yeah, that's how I like it, baby,
17:48the job's almost done and I just can't wait to get that trailer into a yard and go home and shower,
17:56oh yeah,
18:04yeah, we're good, after a hard day's work, you're good, here's your cookies, Bob
18:15gets his reward, there you go, I got cookies now, awesome, I was hungry,
18:20with the trailer on the hook, so I don't think that's going anywhere, Bob's job is done,
18:32going home, going to see my wife, she thinks I'm crazy because what I'm doing at my age,
18:40it's all done, I'm gonna go and then I can start cleaning up, yep, thank you, some people are built
18:46to be working hard and Bob, he's one of them, header home,
18:54he's not afraid to just switch it up and get the job done,
19:17160 kilometers southwest, she's coming down good, in the Fraser Valley,
19:32an MSA towing medium duty wrecker rolls out to a call, it's been raining a lot,
19:40with Gursimran Banwate or Sim, just like a little small cargo trailer, the trailer's still connected
19:49to the truck, we need to get this out right away because the customer has some expensive equipment
19:57in there, along for the ride, surprise this truck didn't end up in the ditch, his older brother
20:04Gurshan, when there's nasty weather like this, phone will ring and there we go again,
20:12tonight they're bringing along first time swamper, this is your first recovery, yeah,
20:18called Jeet Kang, it's just fun seeing big huge machines stuck and then we just come out there
20:26and just pull them out like it's nothing, the 22 year old mechanic in training,
20:33starting to get there now, starting to get there, is learning the tricks of the trade,
20:39okay go put your wrench, from the main man himself, Karpal Banwate, okay go now,
20:48Kuljeet is really good at the mechanical because he has the common sense, but he's more than just
20:55an employee, he's also Gurshan's brother-in-law, they're more than just bosses, they're like family,
21:02they are family, today on the busy Fraser highway, he pulls up to his first recovery job,
21:14this is brutal, a loaded cargo trailer dangling seven feet deep in a ditch, that's pretty bad,
21:24we're dealing with a steep bank, having a soft shoulder as well, that's probably good guys,
21:32but low visibility, there's a tow truck, on a busy stretch of road, I can't see anything now,
21:40is cause for concern, it's very dark and it's raining quite a bit, we don't want someone to
21:46come speeding in and then hit one of us while we're working, to recover the trailer,
21:53they need to detach the pickup, currently anchoring it in place,
21:59first things first, get a line onto the trailer to make sure we have a good hold of it,
22:04this is so soft, muddy boots and rain, water on metal, it makes it even more slippery and
22:17the risk of everything just goes up, told you, pass me the line so I can hook it in there, yeah,
22:24with lines securing the trailer, they'll disconnect the units and then winch the
22:35trailer onto the road, I'll just tighten it and line up, the 12 ton wrecker holds,
22:47and Gersharn releases the hitch,
22:51yo, drive ahead, keep going, keep going, keep going, step by step, we're getting closer,
23:01but now, it doesn't take, 3,000 pounds of the owner's machinery,
23:093,000 pounds of the owner's machinery, you think it'll damage it anymore,
23:16hang in the balance, it's a very steep ditch and we're worried all this guy's equipment's
23:23gonna fall out, we were not able to block the lane, unable to gain a stronger angle of pull,
23:32drag it up like this, all right, yeah, just do that, they go for broke,
23:46it's working against that bank there, it's sitting in kind of an awkward position,
23:52and as we're pulling it out, it's becoming more and more top heavy,
23:57the 3,000 pound trailer, does it want to go over, is inches away from disaster, back that way,
24:06yeah, the more we pull, the more it feels like it's about to go over and there's no way we can
24:14go over, man, there's no way we can let this go back into the ditch,
24:24it's pretty wet here, in the Fraser Valley, yeah, it's nasty, working next to a live lane,
24:33MSA's trailer recovery, the more you pull it up that bank, the more it's going to want to
24:39go over though, no, yeah, tilts towards disaster, it feels like the trailer is just trying to
24:46slip away and make its way back into the ditch, confined to the shoulder,
24:53they only have one option, the angle of it's not going to change,
24:58the incline's not going to change, so there's only one thing to do, is just keep pulling,
25:05the brother's gamble,
25:08pays off, it's a moment of relief when the trailer finally levels itself out, you should try to just
25:14pull it straight out, yeah, but to get it onto pavement, they'll need to make room,
25:22can you drive the truck ahead then, it's time, just get Kolji to do it, for the rookie swamper,
25:30yo, Kolji, jump in there, to step in, there's pressure, because you're on the side of the
25:36highway, you got to get it out of there as quick as possible, okay, drive straight ahead,
25:45but as Kolji hits the gas,
25:50yo, hold it,
25:51what are you doing, I don't know what happened, that's the PTO, PTO is power take off, that's
26:03what runs the hydraulic pump for the wrecker, if you leave it on and then you start to drive,
26:09then the pump spins faster than it should, driving with the PTO engaged, turn it down,
26:17can damage the wrecker, he's good at what he does,
26:21but when it comes to recovery and more technical work, he doesn't have the experience,
26:26Gersharn switches the PTO off, novel, and his brother-in-law is back on track,
26:34I'm always down to learn more, as much as possible,
26:36that's good, with a wrecker out of the way,
26:51nice, the 3,000 pound trailer,
26:57it's pretty good, is finally back on firm ground, it wasn't too bad, we were able to pull it out
27:04pretty quick, and the boys, it's miserable, can soon get out of the rain, but we're almost on the
27:16job, we can finally go home, put this over and through the hook, Kolji's first recovery, yeah,
27:29is in the parks, Gersharn and Gersimran are great mentors, cross-chain it, put this on that side,
27:39they've got lots of knowledge and a lot for me to learn from, yeah, that's good,
27:44yeah, I can't wait for recovery work, should we go, yeah, let's go,
27:50Kolji is really good at the mechanical, and now he's learning recovery,
27:58he will be the multi-functional guy, he will be all in one,
28:06yeah, it's all good,
28:07back up on the coca-cola,
28:30for one of the drivers,
28:37it's a tower's worst nightmare, I've been in a big accident here, Bob and his wrecker Big Blue,
28:50were hit towing the burned trailer, I'm watching this guy coming at me,
28:58and I'm going, oh my god, he's gonna, he's gonna hit me,
29:08I just can't believe it, I'm in shock, scary,
29:25on the coca-cola,
29:27unbelievable, we're on the receiving end of a rear-ender,
29:46no fatalities, I'm shaking, right, I think I'm okay, I'm not sure, but I'm all stressed out,
29:57oh, earlier tonight, Bob finished the job, so I don't think that's going anywhere, and set out,
30:07headed home, with a burned out trailer on the hook, minutes later, a semi went to pass Bob's wrecker,
30:19but with a four-wheeler in its way, it smashed into the burnt trailer,
30:28you know, the only safe thing to save me, that wreck, eh, the burnt trailer, holy,
30:35just pushed it all the way up, absorbed most of the impact, protecting Bob, when he hit it,
30:43it was like an accordion, the landing gear came up, and hit my wheel lift,
30:49I've never seen a trailer buckle like that, I'm doing 40 kilometers, and I saw this guy just flying,
30:58and I'm going, hang on, bang, I got whiplash, hit my head on the steering wheel,
31:13we're just trying to do our job, that's all, but we're the ones that get hurt or killed,
31:24you okay here, bud, salvage contractor Bill was only a few minutes behind, my neck, my back,
31:33how's he, they're both fine, that's why I went, checked on, I feel very lucky, could have been worse,
31:43paramedics arrive, come on in the back, how are you feeling right now,
31:51just a little sore in the neck, and assess Bob's injuries,
31:58I definitely think you should get checked out at the hospital, the bottom line is,
32:02that's your decision, if you want to, no, I'm fine, I just like, I'm a little bit shook,
32:08yeah, and they wanted me to go to the hospital, but I want to stay on scene and finish the job,
32:18wow, arriving moments later, holy, Merritt Regional Manager Lane Perry,
32:28right after it happened, Bob called me, and we started calling 911, and
32:33we got out there as quick as we could,
32:39yeah, I'm just gonna check on Bob,
32:43bud, yeah, what do they say, I'm okay, if I didn't know it was coming, I probably would
32:50have got hurt a lot more, glad you're okay, thanks, it was a big sigh of relief,
32:57Bob's gonna actually like walk away from this accident,
33:05as word spreads, all of reliable Merritt rolls in, he's grabbing dinner, and I heard it on the radio,
33:15so I come out right away, when you hear about something like that, it's like knowing one of
33:20your family members is involved, hey man, good, with this job, working on the highway,
33:29it could cost you your life, hi Josh, Bobby, that's wild, I feel grateful for being alive,
33:39glad you're okay, Bob, oh, me too,
33:42and I feel grateful for them caring, they're there to help me out,
33:55with team reliable rallying to his side, I'm gonna do some work now, Bob's soldiers on,
34:03well, let's try and re-hook to this thing, when I'm on a job, I like to finish the job,
34:09I'll just pull forward, okay,
34:17watch yourself, guys,
34:22I just want to be a team member,
34:27and get it over and done with,
34:29okay, but before Bob can tow the wreck away, this kink right here is my concern,
34:37Lane makes an unsettling discovery, the minute he starts driving away,
34:43his potential, this section of the trailer can just break, I don't trust that,
34:48south of Merritt, a critical kink in a trailer,
34:53a bunch of tow truck drivers cleaning up, has added a major risk to towing it off the highway,
35:01if we don't play our cards right, we'll lose half of the trailer,
35:07the trailer's gonna fold in half on that spot now,
35:10breaking into pieces while we're towing it, that's not cool,
35:15just two hours earlier, the trailer was being towed by big blue,
35:22when a passing semi slammed into the back,
35:28now,
35:29okay, I want a chain with a hook on each end,
35:36I'm gonna run chain under the trailer,
35:41we're gonna support it with chain, I'm just going to give it some structure,
35:46yeah, we'll need one more, yeah, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten,
35:54I'm just going to give it some structure, yeah, we'll need one more, yeah, for the other side,
36:01and try and support that weak spot, so that we could get it off the road, okay, we're ready,
36:08oh yeah, yeah, bruised but not beaten, Bob, okay, gets back behind the wheel,
36:15there we go,
36:23but this time he won't be alone, here comes the parade, he'll have a team reliable escort,
36:32it's holding together, yeah, following you pretty good bud,
36:36I was still in shock by the accident,
36:43but everybody from reliable was there, I can't ask for better,
36:5011 hours since Bob arrived for the burner, oh yeah, the wreck is finally off the road,
36:59we got it out of the way, it's a lot of relief,
37:07I feel good now, I'd rather get back to the yard, but that's tomorrow,
37:13a cleanup crew will be back when the sun's up,
37:19team reliable, Bob, my crew did awesome, I'm very proud of them, in that time of stress,
37:28everybody worked together, I love you buddy, don't wrestle with me, I got a big Bob hug,
37:37Bobby's emotional, reliable, it's a family, we care for each other, right,
37:44and that's what a team is all about,
37:46I have a real surprise, I'm gonna eat you burger,
38:02sunshine, the next morning, no time to waste here, a red one-ton heads down a back road
38:13with Jamie, so we'll head up there right now, and his stepson Brandon Codalis,
38:20kind of funny getting you out doing something like this though, that was no profit and fun,
38:26but today, I think you'll enjoy it though, Jamie's trading his wrecker for a sled,
38:34for Jamie, there isn't much of a work-life balance, are you excited? Yeah, I've never done it before,
38:40I think it's important to have a little fun, this will be the one that you're taking out, okay,
38:49it's totally polar opposite to me going to work, is that the old guy sled, but I'll give it a chance,
39:01I think once he starts revving it up a little bit,
39:06fire it up, I think he'll really enjoy it,
39:11okay, I'm gonna go, I'm gonna launch,
39:18oh wow, that's got a kick, oh yeah, that thing will go man, these machines, they go like heck,
39:26and I feel like I'm gonna wipe out already, no, you won't, you won't, if you crash one of them,
39:30I think it would really, really hurt, all right, whoa, whoa,
39:47whoa, on a frozen playground,
39:51Brandon, I'm just hanging on for dear life, has pushed Jamie out of his comfort zone,
39:57keep up with the old man, hey, seeing him go out and have a little fun,
40:07I think it's good for him, and I enjoy it myself, my arms are sore already, just hanging on,
40:14that's like pulling winch line all day,
40:16well, I'm gonna go on one more burn, but I got to save my energy for Rex,
40:22okay, going and doing something that doesn't involve work,
40:30yeah, you almost have a guilty feeling,
40:36so getting out and doing something fun,
40:40this beats the office, nice change,
40:56southwest and closer to the coast, oh yeah, at reliable towing's yard in Merritt,
41:04here they come, the rest of the burn truck, Bob is on hand, only axles now,
41:15as the final piece of yesterday's wreck rolls in, now it's to our yard and I feel good, job's done,
41:24I feel very lucky, this wreck did save my life,
41:32thank you brother, I got you buddy, yeah, right on, when you have a team,
41:38they want to be just like a family, right, and it's hard to find, and reliable they are,
41:46a little bit of a whiplash, all of it, but I feel pretty good,
41:54my wife, first thing she did when I walked through the door, gave me a big hug,
42:02well, see how much damage on my truck,
42:04wow, unbelievable, big blue, finished the job,
42:12tough tow truck,
42:16maybe recuperate from all the pain I'm going through right now,
42:20the team understands that there's no pressure for me to get back onto the playing field without
42:26properly dealing with these things, safety is always paramount, you only live once,
42:34try to live the best life possible,
42:36I'm taking time off just to get back into the swing of things,
42:42I live to do another wreck,
43:06next time on Highway Through Hell,
43:09this is just going to be ugly,
43:11rocking the rollover,
43:13she's a little heavy,
43:14a fresh team,
43:15it's smoking,
43:16over the edge,
43:18no,
43:20it's not good,
43:21Jamie,
43:22back end's going over,
43:23holds on,
43:27that's tippy,
43:28and aggressive,
43:30hold on, hold on,
43:31gets down and dirty,
43:36hold on,
43:37Jamie,
43:38hold on,
43:39Jamie,
43:40hold on,
43:41Jamie,
43:42hold on,
43:43Jamie,
43:44hold on,
43:45Jamie,
43:46hold on,
43:47Jamie,
43:48hold on,
43:49Jamie,
43:50hold on,
43:51Jamie,
43:52hold on,
43:53Jamie,
43:54hold on,
43:55Jamie,
43:56hold on,
43:57Jamie,
43:58hold on,
43:59Jamie,
44:00hold on,
44:01Jamie,
44:02hold on,
44:03Jamie,
44:04hold on,
44:05Jamie,
44:06hold on,
44:07Jamie,
44:08hold on,
44:09Jamie,
44:10hold on,
44:11Jamie,
44:12hold on,
44:13Jamie,
44:14hold on,
44:15Jamie,
44:16hold on,
44:17Jamie,
44:18hold on,
44:19Jamie,
44:20hold on,
44:21Jamie,
44:22hold on,
44:23Jamie,
44:24hold on,
44:25Jamie,
44:26hold on,
44:27Jamie,
44:28hold on,
44:29Jamie,
44:30hold on,
44:31Jamie,
44:32hold on,
44:33Jamie,