On one of the coldest frontiers on earth, road construction crews begin the process of creating the most unique passage in the world: a 350 mile highway of ice.  Truck drivers from all over North America make the long journey to Yellowknife, Canada for their chance at some quick cash.

For every load they haul across the ice, truck drivers are able to make as much as $2000.  If they have the stamina and strength to weather brutal temperatures and severe blizzards, they can make a year’s salary in just eight weeks. However, they have to move fast and get as many loads as possible - before spring arrives and the road melts away. 

In this episode, our truckers have completed almost a month of round the clock operations in temperatures of forty degrees below zero. They have hauled more than 100,000 tonnes of supplies to isolated mining camps in the tundra. However, accidents and strict safety regulations have sent many drivers packing. The ice road is testing the limits of man and machine, meaning that one unfortunate trucker is about to fall through the ice.

Jay Westgard embarks on a trip to the De Beers mine with the season’s heaviest and most valuable piece of equipment. He is hauling a 95,000-pound diamond ore scrubber. Without this key piece of equipment, the De Beers mine cannot go into production in the autumn. However, Jay needs to transport it across more than 200 miles of lake ice.

As soon as he pulls out of the yard, it is clear this haul will be a challenge. It is top heavy and it rocks the trailer around every corner. For the next twelve hours, this load continues to put this young veteran to the test.

Rookie trucker T.J. Tilcox is also getting tested by the ice road. In the last episode, he began driving a new truck. But on his maiden voyage, he crashed into a passenger vehicle. Now, he is in the hot seat while a safety inspector investigates the cause of the accident. If T.J. is found guilty of driver negligence, he could be kicked off the road.

Rick Yemm continues to make the long hauls with no heating apparatus in his truck. He has taken time off only to fix what he needs to keep his truck running. However, Rick is intent upon catching up with his boss, Hugh. Down time means losing money for the fiercely competitive trucker, and he decides to risk frostbite and brave the cold.

Hugh is putting the pedal to the metal, and it seems nothing will slow him down. However, he soon stumbles upon an ice road trucker’s worst nightmare. In front of him, a truck goes through the ice. Emergency crews spring into action, and the road is shut down until the fuel tanker can be safely pulled from the clutches of the ice. Luckily, this driver is spared. However, if the ice continues to break down, the end of this eventful ice road season could be right around the corner.