A massive storm blows in and all traffic on the ice road comes to a standstill. And if wheels aren't turning, no one's earning. George, Tim and Lisa take shelter at Coldfoot, the only truck stop on the road. But this season's heavy haul ace, Jack Jesse, tries to outrun the storm. Hugh and Alex start out on their second runs. While Alex is plagued with mechanical problems, Hugh heads out for the ice road, but his lack of familiarity with Carlile trucks almost causes him to have an accident. When George and Tim reach Atigun Pass, they face deep snow and icy roads more treacherous than ever before. And it's slow going for Lisa because she's hauling her first ever wide-load and must give way to oncoming traffic. When she reaches Atigun Pass, blowing snow reduces visibility to almost zero. But her troubles are far from over. After she crosses the pass, her pilot truck breaks down, and she must continue her journey alone through the brutal Arctic storm.

Lisa Kelly auditions to be the first woman to break into the elite Heavy Haul division by commanding a convoy of pilot cars while hauling 80-foot sections of wide-gauge pipe. Having spun out before with a much shorter load, she faces a daunting task involving a 600 mile run through the Brooks Range mountains, over the wind-blasted North Slope, and across the ice road of the Arctic Ocean itself.  Hugh "The Polar Bear" Rowland aims for an even bigger title--that of master of all of North American ice roads. But Hugh's archrival Alex Debogorski is matching him shift-for-shift. In an epic five hundred mile race that runs from the truck yards of Fairbanks to the shores of the Arctic Ocean, Hugh and Alex duel for North American bragging rights. Tim Freeman's goal is a more universal one--survival. He wants to finish his rookie season with his truck, and himself, in one piece.