Rudy Pelletier and his crews race to make up for lost time but just wind up falling further behind. Rudy assigns his son Jason the dangerous, critical job of replacing a crippled bridge that was washed out in floods. Then two drivers crash their monster log hauling trucks sending shock waves through the Pelletier family that is fighting to keep their timber business alive.
The rain has finally stopped so it's time to get the wood to the mill. Pelletier Inc. is falling behind on its weekly quota so Eldon takes a big risk. Doubling the danger, Eldon hitches a second trailer to his truck and heads out on to the Golden Road - an experiment the other drivers think is nuts. Eldon is determined and looks to prove it can be done.
A hurricane hits, creating near impossible logging conditions all week. First, the Pelletiers have to deal with an overloaded trailer spilling its contents and cutting off logging traffic from Telos to Canada. Then, the worsening rain and mud force the family to shut down operations for a day - a huge financial blow.
It's late fall up in Maine and the land is supposed to be frozen and workable by now. But unceasing rain has left the forest spongy and off limits. Eventually a freeze let's them get back to work, but a veteran driver rolls his loaded truck and ends up in the hospital.
A long awaited snow storm brings what is deemed "white gold" as the ground is frozen and more timber can be harvested. But icy roads cause skidding trucks and a near head-on collision between father and son.
A Nor'easter drops a foot of snow and subzero temperatures lead to frozen machines, frayed tempers and unmet quotas. Meanwhile, a driver looses control of his rig on a snowy hair pin turn and nearly flips his truck into a creek.
Rudy and Eldon come up short on a major contract, and Jeff loses patience as breakdowns continue to cost precious time and money. Then veteran driver Steve Gillman relives the worst day of his life when he wrecked twice in one day.
Lumber markets are collapsing, forcing Rudy and Eldon to downsize earlier than expected. A blizzard keeps log haulers parked in the yard, while Eldon gets stuck in a dangerous corner and Gilley's rig is engulfed in flames after he pushes it too hard.
As winter ends and temperatures rise, exhausted drivers struggle to stay awake on the graveyard shift. Eldon has an accident, and the forest turns into a nightmare when the soft ground and sinkholes attempt to swallow the massive skidder and delimber.
As spring arrives, the most dangerous part of logging season is under way. An accident occurs as sleep-deprived drivers battle exhaustion and confront countless hazards.