Last winter, Jamie Davis Heavy Rescue, which is profiled on the hit Discovery reality show “Highway Thru Hell,” expanded, setting up a second heavy rescue towing business in Alberta in addition to maintaining his business in Hope, B.C., where his team is always busy managing wrecks on the Coquihalla. Season 3 of the series is back on Tuesday, September 2nd at 10pm as viewers find Davis now juggling two operations in two provinces and having to hand over the day-to-day to his second-in-command.
CraveOnline: What are viewers in store for when it comes to Season 3 of “Highway Thru Hell”?
Jamie Davis: The major difference between last season and now is the fact that we’re operating in Alberta and BC at the same time. Alberta poses different challenges because it’s a much colder climate, there’s a lot more drive snow, and a lot of the rigs we’re trying to move tend to be heavier-duty than in BC (with heavier loads and they’re heavier trucks, which gives our guys a bit more struggle). We have to do a lot of adapting.
And we have a couple of new people who are coming in.
What are the struggles working in British Columbia?
In BC [the team] struggles with the heavy, wet, dense snow. They also have to struggle with older equipment because we can’t afford to put much investment there.
You’ve been in this business your whole life – is it an industry that has changed a lot?
It’s a very difficult industry to be successful in. There’s an ever-changing environment around you – there’s competitiveness, technology, and you have to work in some of the worst conditions. It’s certainly not a job for everybody or for the faint at heart. As an employee you have to be a person who likes the adventure and the adrenaline rush of it. It’s very difficult to have good quality, dedicated people who want to go out at any time. These guys are going into an area most people wouldn’t venture to.
How do you feel when you see yourself on television? Are you getting accustomed to being in the spotlight?
We’re getting used to filming, and we’re getting to know the industry and understand how TV is made. At the end of the day we still have to keep our feet on the ground and realize we’re running a towing business. TV will come and go, but our main focus is to run our towing business.
Any embarrassing moments?
I’m not afraid to show the good and the bad days. There are things that are shown on TV that I’m not impressed with but they’re real and I think it’s important for people to know the upside and the downside of the business… and that not every day is a good business day. What you see is what you get.
