Would you drive over a frozen ocean for $1,300?

Maximum guts: Ice Road Truckers.

These people make in the neighborhood of $1,300 per load, hauling stuff from Fairbanks to Prudhoe Bay, Alaska during the winter season.

Mountain ranges, roads with grades as high as 13%, fog, blowing snow, blizzards with up to 70-MPH winds.

Seeing your tires spinning, fighting to keep traction on a road of solid ice.

From Prudhoe Bay is an oil rig 70 miles north. To deliver freight to it you have to drive over frozen ocean, and your rig can weigh 90,000 lbs.

I just finished watching a couple of episodes, and although it's different, it had me on the edge of my seat a few times.

Link

Would you do this job for $1,300 per load?

I'm licensed to drive an 18-wheeler, but I don't think I would want to risk it.

Edit: Only thing I could think of being more nerve-wracking than driving on solid ice would be Bomb Disposal.

Nah, But I'd cut both my arms off for a billion dollars.Locke562

Nah, But I'd cut both my arms off for a billion dollars.Locke562

Using what?

Because if you were to use a saw, then you would cut one arm off using your other arm, then how do you cut that arm off? :shock:

I use to watch that series, some hair raising stuff... I don't think I would have the bottle to do it.

There's a crazy clip from ice road truckers where the ice is undulating like ocean waves behind one of the big rigs. It's insane.

I think it would depend on how long the drive was, and how often I could be guaranteed to get a load. Is it $1,300 for a day's drive? A week's drive? Do you spend half of your money waiting around for your next job?

hell yea I would

Oh, Arctic ocean? That doesn't sound as dramatic.

I think it would depend on how long the drive was, and how often I could be guaranteed to get a load. Is it $1,300 for a day's drive? A week's drive? Do you spend half of your money waiting around for your next job?

swamprat_basic

Usually, the driver gets an immediate load going back. But sometimes they crash for the night and start the next day.

Oh, Arctic ocean? That doesn't sound as dramatic.

avatar_genius

Oh, how so?

I saw an entire rig break through the Arctic Ocean ice, and sink immediately to the bottom during one cutscene.:o

[QUOTE="Locke562"]Nah, But I'd cut both my arms off for a billion dollars.awssk8er716

Using what?

Because if you were to use a saw, then you would cut one arm off using your other arm, then how do you cut that arm off? :shock:

There was a thread on that a couple days ago.

[QUOTE="avatar_genius"]

Oh, Arctic ocean? That doesn't sound as dramatic.

topsemag55

Oh, how so?

I saw an entire rig break through the Arctic Ocean ice, and sink immediately to the bottom during one cutscene.:o

If you drove on it near December solstice, you could probably do it.

Yeah, there's danger involved, but I imagine it could be doable (unless I'm wrong).

[QUOTE="topsemag55"]

[QUOTE="avatar_genius"]

Oh, Arctic ocean? That doesn't sound as dramatic.

avatar_genius

Oh, how so?

I saw an entire rig break through the Arctic Ocean ice, and sink immediately to the bottom during one cutscene.:o

If you drove on it near December solstice, you could probably do it.

Yeah, there's danger involved, but I imagine it could be doable (unless I'm wrong).

You are right, it is definitely doable, but scary as hell.....you see the ice cracking right in front of you, and the sound of it in the stillness of winter is spine-tingling.

[QUOTE="avatar_genius"]

[QUOTE="topsemag55"]

Oh, how so?

I saw an entire rig break through the Arctic Ocean ice, and sink immediately to the bottom during one cutscene.:o

topsemag55

If you drove on it near December solstice, you could probably do it.

Yeah, there's danger involved, but I imagine it could be doable (unless I'm wrong).

You are right, it is definitely doable, but scary as hell.....you see the ice cracking right in front of you, and the sound of it in the stillness of winter is spine-tingling.

That's why you should have a safety team on-by.

I was living on that northern coast (well west of Prudhoe Bay) for a year, and I saw the ocean freeze solid.

We were not permitted to walk on it however.

There were times we couldn't even step outside, as the wind chill went as far down as -150 F. Any exposed skin would freeze within 5 seconds at that temperature.

Nah, But I'd cut both my arms off for a billion dollars.Locke562

[QUOTE="Locke562"]Nah, But I'd cut both my arms off for a billion dollars.xaos

You have to do it to yourself, that's the point.

[QUOTE="xaos"][QUOTE="Locke562"]Nah, But I'd cut both my arms off for a billion dollars.avatar_genius

You have to do it to yourself, that's the point.

Has there been an accident on the show? Discovery channel tend to be over-dramatical.

[QUOTE="xaos"][QUOTE="Locke562"]Nah, But I'd cut both my arms off for a billion dollars.avatar_genius

You have to do it to yourself, that's the point.

[QUOTE="avatar_genius"]

[QUOTE="xaos"] I'd cut both of your arms off for significantly lessFoggel

You have to do it to yourself, that's the point.

Great.

Maximum guts: Ice Road Truckers.

These people make in the neighborhood of $1,300 per load, hauling stuff from Fairbanks to Prudhoe Bay, Alaska during the winter season.

Mountain ranges, roads with grades as high as 13%, fog, blowing snow, blizzards with up to 70-MPH winds.

Seeing your tires spinning, fighting to keep traction on a road of solid ice.

From Prudhoe Bay is an oil rig 70 miles north. To deliver freight to it you have to drive over frozen ocean, and your rig can weigh 90,000 lbs.

I just finished watching a couple of episodes, and although it's different, it had me on the edge of my seat a few times.

Link

Would you do this job for $1,300 per load?

I'm licensed to drive an 18-wheeler, but I don't think I would want to risk it.

Edit: Only thing I could think of being more nerve-wracking than driving on solid ice would be Bomb Disposal.

topsemag55

1) You say $1300 per load, but how does this translate into dollars per year? What does the average ice road trucker make in a year? Because the amount of money per load means little to me, since I have no idea how much time it takes to haul a load, or how many loads are hauled per year.

2) I doubt that it's that dangerous. I find it hard to believe that the condition of the ice isn't monitored. And I'm willing to bet that VERY few people get killed by going through the ice. Because even if nobody cared about the safety of the truckers, the fact is that the truckers are HAULING A LOAD. A load that has to get somewhere, and a load that is going to get lost if the ice breaks. No one wants a driver to get killed, but let's suppose for a minute that no one cares about the drivers. The driver is hauling a load. If the driver goes through the ice, the load goes through the ice with them.

And even on a return trip after delivering the load, a driver going through the ice means that the TRUCK has gone through the ice. And I'm willing to bet that no one wants to lose an entire freaking truck.

It's like, I hear that these guys are required to stop and rest for a certain number of hours after spending so much amount of time driving. This is reasonable. It not only ensures the safety of the DRIVERS, but it also ensures the safety of the LOAD and the TRUCK. It's in no one's best interest that someone on an ice road sinks into the sea, and I'm betting that that's VERY rare.

1) You say $1300 per load

MrGeezer

Try watching an episode or two prior to debate.:)

Your questions are actually answered within them.:)

I'm not a fan of the cold, so no.

I'd do it for $1300.01, but not $1300, no sir.

I'd do it for $1300.01, but not $1300, no sir.

Cactus_Matt

If you get a CDL, get hired & on that road making deliveries, I'll send you that penny.:P:lol:

[QUOTE="MrGeezer"]1) You say $1300 per load

topsemag55

Try watching an episode or two prior to debate.:)

Your questions are actually answered within them.:)

Considering I'd probably pay more than that for gas for the trip, no.

SpaceMoose

I can't say a per-mile rate if it isn't stated. *facepalm* The driver himself didn't veer off from that figure, either.

Common sense dictates that if the company they work for doesn't put it on the air, then no one viewing it would know, would they?

Unless a run is a round-trip, then it could be they're getting $2,600 per round-trip, since they get a return load.

I can't say a per-mile rate if it isn't stated. *facepalm* The driver himself didn't veer off from that figure, either.

Common sense dictates that if the company they work for doesn't put it on the air, then no one viewing it would know, would they?...topsemag55

if I can deliver the loads on a hovercraft or one of those trucks from the jetsons I would

if I can deliver the loads on a hovercraft or one of those trucks from the jetsons I would

kemar7856

[QUOTE="Locke562"]Nah, But I'd cut both my arms off for a billion dollars.Mario2007

[QUOTE="topsemag55"]

I can't say a per-mile rate if it isn't stated. *facepalm* The driver himself didn't veer off from that figure, either.

Common sense dictates that if the company they work for doesn't put it on the air, then no one viewing it would know, would they?...SpaceMoose