Highway Thru Hell

Highway Thru Hell is a Canadian documentary TV series that follows the operations of Jamie Davis Motor Trucking, a heavy vehicle rescue and recovery towing company based in Hope, British Columbia. Quiring Towing, Aggressive Towing, Mission Towing and Reliable Towing are also featured in the series.[1] The show focuses on the hardships of operating along the highways of the BC Interior, especially the Coquihalla Highway (Coq).

Not to be confused with Highway to Hell, Hell's Highway, or Saskatchewan Highway 35.
Highway Thru Hell
Heavy wrecker
GenreDocumentary, reality
Created byMark A. Miller, Kevin Mills, and Neil Thomas Great Pacific Television
StarringJamie Davis
Colin McLean
Cam Neno
Al Quiring
Gord Boyd
Cary Quiring
Jason Davis
Chris Mervyn
Ken Duperon
Dylan Greenwood
James Luke
Mitch Karr
Narrated byDavid Pettitt
ComposerMark A. Miller and Paul Airey
Country of originCanada
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons9
No. of episodes118
Production
Production locationsHope, British Columbia, Canada
Aldergrove, British Columbia, Canada
Merritt, British Columbia, Canada
Running time43–44 minutes
Release
Original networkDiscovery Channel Canada (September 2012-present)
Discovery Channel (Spring 2012-October 2013)
The Weather Channel (October 2013-present)
National Geographic (2012-present)
National Geographic Channel (UK and Ireland) (2013-present)
TV3 (New Zealand) (2015-present)
ABC2 (2016-present)
National Geographic Channel (Scandinavia) (2013-present)
Picture format480i (SDTV)
1080i (HDTV)
Original releaseSeptember 4, 2012 (2012-09-04) –
present
Chronology
Related showsHeavy Rescue: 401
External links
Highway Thru Hell
Great Pacific TV

Episodes
Main article: List of Highway Thru Hell episodes

[2]

SeasonEpisodesSeason PremiereSeason Finale
1 10 September 4, 2012 December 25, 2012
2 13 September 3, 2013 November 19, 2013
3 13 September 2, 2014 November 25, 2014
4 13 September 8, 2015 December 1, 2015
5 13 September 13, 2016 December 6, 2016
6 14 September 5, 2017 December 4, 2017
7 17 September 4, 2018 December 25, 2018
8 17 October 7, 2019 January 27, 2020
9 18 September 14, 2020 TBD

Formula

In his review of High Arctic Haulers, another reality-TV series produced by Great Pacific Media, Jim Bell of Nunatsiaq News described the formula used by this and similar shows.[3]

There is also a spin-off series called Heavy Rescue: 401 in which some of the Coquihalla heroes of Highway Thru Hell comment on the trials and difficulties faced by the tow truck operators on the 401.

Rugged teams of blue-collar heroes, mostly male, struggle against bad weather, bad luck and other hardships to transport the necessities of life...[3]

History

The show was created by Mark A. Miller, Kevin Mills and Neil Thomas. Neil Thomas met one of Jamie Davis' heavy rescue operators after his moving truck broke down on Highway 5 in the summer of 2010. In the early winter of 2011 Cameraman Kevin Mills and executive producer Mark Miller were passing through Hope, BC and dropped in on Jamie Davis Motor Truck. The idea of a show about heavy recovery was discussed; Davis expressed a desire to change the public's perceptions about his industry. The winter of 2010-2011 had been a record setting season for JDMT.

The show debuted on Discovery Channel (Canada) on Tuesday September 4, 2012 in Canada.[4] Steep hills, lethal drop-offs, killer rockslides, and the worst weather in a decade captivated audiences, with Highway Thru Hell ranking as the #1 series premiere in Discovery Channel Canada's history. Its second season, premiered on September 3, 2013, and featured 13 episodes as well as four reloaded episodes with new content, factoids and viewer tweets.

At the end of Season 2, Jamie Davis sought out new territory, expanding his business (and his fleet) along Alberta Highway 63[5] as competition in Hope, B.C. became more intense.

In Season 3, Jamie Davis is seen dealing with the growing pains of business expansion, especially as senior drivers step into managerial roles in his absence, sometimes leaving chaos in their wake. This season tackled the issue of PTSD as some drivers came into contact with tough situations. Al Quiring's family business, Quiring Towing, features more prominently this third season. The Coquihalla also saw an active avalanche season during this time.

For Season 4, filming occurred during the winter season of 2014 - 2015 in all BC and Alberta locations as Davis' company is split into two "camps", during this time Jamie would sometimes call in Aggressive Towing, his brother's company, for back-up. Mission Towing in B.C.'s Fraser Valley began to feature during Season 4, also depicting a company run by several generations of tow-operators in one family business. This season featured the Hope Ice Storm event which lasted over a few days.

Season 5 of Highway Thru Hell aired on Discovery Canada beginning on September 13, 2016 and kicks off with a teary-eyed Jamie Davis selling his beloved rotator. Al Quiring's team tackles some difficult excavator recoveries in B.C.'s nasty peat bog and Jamie's crew suffers some near-misses.

In season 6, Jamie Davis Towing closed the Alberta offices and began operating out of Hope and Chilliwack, BC. In an effort to make his business more lean, Jamie begins buying and restoring older equipment like the vintage 22 ton, Holmes Python wrecker that joins Jamie's fleet.

Season 7 began airing September 4, 2018. At Davis’ yard in Hope, B.C., Classic Holmes tow trucks – some nearly half a century old – are replacing newer, costlier wreckers. For Davis, the vintage trucks are more than just a passion – they represent survival. Under pressure to reduce costs and stay competitive, Davis is confident he and his crew can tackle some of the toughest jobs – on and off the Coquihalla Highway – using an older, rebuilt fleet. Colin McLean is back in Hope as lead driver, but having run some of the top-of-the-line hydraulic trucks, Davis’ “old iron” is going to take some getting used to.

This 7th winter sees some of the younger generation stepping up, as Cary Quiring is one of the first to respond to a mass-casualty event[6] on the Coquihalla and Dylan Greenwood of Mission Towing takes the lead on some big wrecks and recoveries in the Fraser Valley. Reliable Towing out of Merritt, British Columbia makes their debut in the second half of Season 7, first on a small truck and trailer wreck with pigs inside and then in the next episode with a 6 semi crash on the Coquihalla north of Merritt. Mudslides and rockslides contribute to a tough time for recovery crews all around.

International broadcast

In the United States, Season 8 of Highway Thru Hell started January 5, 2020 on The Weather Channel. The first season aired on National Geographic Channel in spring 2013.[7] The Weather Channel began airing the show in October 2013.

  • As of spring 2017, series 1-5 were available in some Netflix territories including the U.S.[8]

Fleets

Jamie Davis Motor Truck fleet

Modern Fleet

  • HR 127 2019 Mack Anthem, 30 ton Century 5230
  • HR 130 2020 Peterbilt 389,30 Ton Century 5230

Coastline Trucks

  • 46 Peterbilt DTU
  • 47 1979 Holmes 600 ( currently red with a Holmes 500 being rebuilt to replace with a new Holmes 600 and a gearbox)
  • 48 2020 Ford F-550 Flat Deck
  • 50 Western Star Holmes 750 (Currently being rebuilt)

Holmes Fleet

  • HR 70 1980 GMC, 45 Ton Holmes 1801 "The General"
  • Holmes 1601 Python, 22 ton (Currently being rebuilt and No return to service date is known)
  • HR 63 Mighty Mo Western Star Holmes 850 40 ton
  • HR 50 Holmes 1625, 25 ton - Bruce "Crazy Horse" Hardy's Former Truck (Currently being rebuilt with a 1625 Legend off of Truck 44 and not in service)
  • Truck 47 1979 Holmes 500, 10 ton (Currently being rebuilt to replace the gearbox with a Holmes 600 to replace the Holmes 500 which was destroyed during a tow in Season 7 and is not in service)
  • R-120 (Rescue)
  • TR-52 Kenworth Tractor Trailer - "007"(blown engine, no longer in service)
  • TR-57 Western Star Tractor (sold?)
  • TR-58 Western Star(sold)
  • TR-37 1974 Peterbilt Tractor
  • FD-114 Kenworth deck truck
  • 129 2017 Chevy 4 door 1-ton tow truck
  • TR-128 Volvo Tractor
  • FD-121 Flatdeck
  • FD-124

Incident Response

  • IR104 (Incident Response) Toyota Tundra pickup truck
  • IR105
  • IR106
  • IR108 4-wheel drive
  • IR118 Toyota Tundra

Jamie's former fleet
Previous trucks include HR116 which had a 50-ton capacity and HR117 which was a tri-drive 50-ton wrecker with side puller (SP 850-XP). HR116, HR150 and HR117 were all Western Star Trucks and built by Miller Industries.
  • Truck #44 (Used for parts)
  • MR60 (Army Truck) Holmes 600
  • MR 62 Holmes 600
  • MR 64 15 Ton Peterbilt
  • HR 66 International 25 ton
  • HR 52 2012 30 ton Century (Kenworth T800) [Sold to Tonk's Towing in Richmond B.C ]this was the second HR 52. The first HR 52 was a Century 7035 on a 1999 Kenworth W900. Peninsula towing currently owns this truck.
  • HR 68 2012 Western Star 35 ton Century [Sold to Berg's Towing in IL and then to Val-U Auto & Towing in Owego, New York]
  • HR 116 2015 Western Star 50 Ton Century 9055 (Sold to Reliable Towing Merritt, BC)
  • HR 117 2015 Western Star 50 Ton Century 9055 with SP-850 XP side puller - [Sold to Berg's Towing - Monmouth,IL Traded in to Zip's]
  • HR 150 #1 the first rotator.Century 75 ton (2009 Peterbilt) [Sold to United Towing Services Inc in Canmore, AB who then sold it to FIFE in Washington state who painted it white and then eventually sold it to....]
  • HR 150 #2 2012 Western Star Century 1075 75 ton rotator- The Famous Rotator [Sold to Berg's Towing in Monmouth, IL Traded in to Zip's]
  • HR 126 1999 Peterbilt 25 ton Vulcan V50 (Sold to some towing company, TBD)
  • FD54
  • HU55
  • AC103
  • FD45
  • IR109

Quiring Towing fleet

[10]
Unit 90 - "The Green Goblin" - 2007 Kenworth T800H with a Vulcan V100 tri-axle wrecker with side puller
Unit 55 - "Plan B" - 2017 Kenworth T800 Vulcan V100 tandem wrecker
Unit 95 - 2009 Kenworth T300 20 ton single axle
Unit 85 - 2016 Kenworth T800 28' Tandem NRC 40TB Flatdeck
Unit 50 - 2016 Kenworth T470 26' 10-tonne Jerr-Dan Flatdeck with SRS10 Side Recovery System

References
  1. Alex Strachan (September 7, 2013). "TV weekend: Boardwalk Empire back for Season 4; Highway Thru Hell storms in with Season 2 (with video)". O Canada. Canada.com. Retrieved 14 March 2014.
  2. Highway through Hell
  3. Jim Bell (2020-01-08). "Review: Northerners will love CBC's High Arctic Haulers". Nunatsiaq News. Retrieved 2020-01-09. Nunavut’s lands, seas and communities also function as stars of the show, revealed in stunning digital video, some of it shot from overhead drones. Future episodes will feature communities like Naujaat, Gjoa Haven, Kugluktuk, Pangnirtung and Hall Beach.
  4. John Doyle (Sep 4, 2012). "Highway Thru Hell: tough, but Canadian-style tough". Globe and Mail. Retrieved 14 March 2014.
  5. Edmonton Journal (November 9, 2013). "Highway Thru Hell takes a spin on Highway 63". University of Alberta. Retrieved 14 March 2014.
  6. CTV (February 26, 2018). "Bus passengers describe terrifying scene after pileup on B.C. highway". CTV. Retrieved February 26, 2018.
  7. "Global Showbiz Briefs: Nat Geo Channel Picks Up 'Highway Thru Hell', Al Clark Honored, Jackie Chan, Berlin Film Festival". Deadline Hollywood. November 20, 2012. Retrieved 14 March 2014.
  8. "Netflix availability".
  9. "ProSiebenn Maxx Showpage".
  10. "Quiring Towing Fleet". Quiring Towing>>Services. Retrieved 25 September 2019.
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