HISTORY™ GEARS UP FOR THE NEW SEASON OF ICE ROAD TRUCKERS

05-07-2009

“It happens real fast up there, and I don't care how good a driver you are or what—

Sooner or later it will reach out and grab you..” veteran trucker George

 

JUST WHEN YOU THOUGHT TRUCKING COULDN’T GET MORE DANGEROUS…

 

BATTLING THE MOST TREACHEROUS LANDSCAPE ON EARTH: NORTHERN ALASKA

 

NEW SEASON PREMIERES SUNDAY, MAY 31, 9PM ET/PT

 

New York, May 6, 2009 – HISTORY™’s #1 series is headed to Alaska, 250 miles north of the Arctic Circle – to where a group of elite truckers face their most perilous journey yet. Chronicling both the incredible challenges as well as the history of this fascinating region, season three of ICE ROAD TRUCKERS premieres Sunday, May 31, 9pm ET/PT.

 

With less than three months to shuttle critical supplies to the oil camps of Alaska’s North Slope, drivers are pushed to their limits. These are ice roads of a different breed. The 400 plus miles stretch from Fairbanks to the remote outpost of Deadhorse, and is fraught with harrowing danger from steep mountain ice, to frozen tundra and the treacherous ice roads of the Arctic Ocean. It is man and his machine vs. nature and the wildest, roller coaster ice road in the world. Only the strong and lucky survive. Hundreds of talented truckers have lost their lives trying to navigate this virtual obstacle course where one literally never knows what lies around the bend - from unexpected weather, virtual whiteouts and treacherous terrain, this is by far the most death defying route to date.

 

Ice Road legends Hugh “Polar Bear” Rowland and Alex Debogorski, each whom have never met a road that they could not get the best of, return this season to take on a road, the likes of which neither has ever seen. Only the most experienced truckers would dare to drive this route where big rigs slide off 100 foot cliffs, come head-on with other trucks around hairpin curves, and where whiteouts, avalanches and -70 degree temperatures are just a few of the fearsome challenges encountered on a daily basis. Could their luck finally run out?

Hugh and Alex also face the prospect of no longer being considered the kings of the road, as drivers new to ICE ROAD TRUCKERS, but with experience on these treacherous pathways, attempt to knock off the reigning champions. Their co-workers at Carlile Transportation, including veteran George Spears, the “King of the Haul Road” and  the fearless Jack Jesse, know what it’s like to haul everything from giant loads of construction materials to oversized drilling rigs across the deadliest ice passage in North America. Additional truckers followed during season three are Tim Freeman, an ice road rookie from Blackduck, Minnesota and Lisa Kelly, the first full-time female driver to be seen on ICE ROAD TRUCKERS.

 

Over the years, veterans and newcomers alike have been launched into snow banks or have rolled off cliffs.  The steep (12%) grades require chains and up to four “push” trucks to get heavy loads (sometimes more than 1 million pounds) over the pass. Once at the top, the goal is to gun it downhill to reach the other side.  The Department of Transportation patrols this road daily for avalanches and blast several times a week to prevent deadly snow accumulation.  But no matter how hard they work, there’s little they can do to battle relentless snow-drifts and icy conditions.  Extreme weather blows in without warning and can leave drivers stranded in whiteouts for days. There’s only one stop to fuel up, no cell phone service, and no emergency services for 250 miles in any direction.  It is here that the next chapter in HISTORY’s hit series returns with more heart-stopping adrenaline more then ever. ICE ROAD TRUCKERS, it really is a job to die for.

 

Debuting in June 2007, ICE ROAD TRUCKERS quickly became a critical and ratings success for History with a passionate fan base. It is a classic story of adventure, perseverance, human ingenuity and most importantly danger. Although technology has changed how people deal with the conditions of the Arctic Circle, the people of the region cling to their deep roots and traditions of which ice road trucking has been an integral part for many generations. Every day the truckers are taking their lives into their hands. One miscalculation of the road, bad weather or an unseen road hazard can mean the difference between life and death. No matter who the driver is, taking frozen roads north of the Arctic Circle is a unique and harrowing experience - even the most seasoned truckers will find themselves challenged by polar conditions, isolation and the lack of creature comforts.

 

ICE ROAD TRUCKERS is produced for HISTORY by Original Productions, a FremantleMedia Company. Executive Producer for Original Productions is Thom Beers; Co-executor Producers are Philip Segal, Jeff Conroy and Dawn Fitzgerald. Executive Producer for History is Julian P. Hobbs.  

 

HISTORY™ and HISTORY HD™ are the leading destinations for revealing, award-winning original non-fiction series and event-driven specials that connect history with viewers in an informative, immersive and entertaining manner across multiple platforms. Programming covers a diverse variety of historical genres ranging from military history to contemporary history, technology to natural history, as well as science, archaeology and pop culture. Among the network's program offerings are hit series such as Ax Men, Battle 360, The Universe, Cities of The Underworld and Ice Road Truckers, as well as acclaimed specials including 102 Minutes That Changed America, King, Life After People, 1968 with Tom Brokaw, Lost Book of Nostradamus and Star Wars: The Legacy Revealed. HISTORY has earned four Peabody Awards, four Primetime Emmy® Awards, 12 News & Documentary Emmy® Awards and received the prestigious Governor's Award from the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences for the network's Save Our History® campaign dedicated to historic preservation and history education. Take a Veteran to School Day is the network's latest initiative connecting America's schools and communities with veterans from all wars. The HISTORY web site, located at www.history.com, is the definitive historical online source that delivers entertaining and informative content featuring broadband video, interactive timelines, maps, games, podcasts and more. ###

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