The BEST episodes of Heavy Rescue: 401
Every episode of Heavy Rescue: 401 ever, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of Heavy Rescue: 401!
Heavy Rescue: 401 focuses on a group of heavy recovery drivers working to keep traffic rolling on some of the busiest and most unforgiving roads on the planet. Up to 400,000 vehicles travel Ontario’s 400-series highways every day. The section of the 401 through Toronto is the busiest stretch of highway in the world. Highway 402 near Sarnia is an important link to the US Midwest, plagued by blinding lake effect snow squalls. These routes are lifelines for the nation’s industrial heartland and for thousands upon thousands of commuters. When disaster strikes on these roads, the pressure is on to get them cleared and reopened. Police and the Ministry of Transport depend on Southern Ontario’s heavy recovery operators. To keep closures to a minimum, crews often work just inches from open lanes and speeding traffic.
#1 - Shock and Awe
Season 1 - Episode 2 - Aired 1/10/2017
A semi-truck crash shuts down a crucial border route, putting pressure on lead operator Kevin to reopen the road; rookie heavy rescue driver Sonny helps a trucker stuck on a dangerous stretch of highway; a tanker wreck causes commuter chaos in Toronto.
#2 - Anything Can Happen
Season 1 - Episode 4 - Aired 1/24/2017
James and Bubba recover a semi that smashed into a building without bringing down the whole structure; Kevin faces problems with a tractor-trailer that has crashed in deep mud.
#3 - War Zone
Season 1 - Episode 1 - Aired 1/3/2017
Rookie Sonny faces a 40-car pile-up that turns a major highway into a war zone; in the snow belt, a fierce storm triggers a triple-semi crash; the father-son team at Preferred Towing race to clear the road as weather blasts in.
#4 - All Around Us
Season 1 - Episode 3 - Aired 1/17/2017
A courier truck rolls over; Mark finds himself in the middle of a crash zone on the 401 during a storm; and the crew are faced with an icy airbag job.
#5 - A Load of Problems
Season 1 - Episode 5 - Aired 1/31/2017
Gary's team fights to upright a battered trailer that is dangerously close to splitting open; a rookie takes his first shot as lead operator on the rotator under tough conditions.
#6 - Honour Guard
Season 1 - Episode 6 - Aired 2/7/2017
Gary's second-in-command Kyle tangles with a wreck that will prove if he's got what it takes to lead the team; Sonny heads to the scene of a violent jackknife where curious drivers are causing further problems.
#7 - Nerves of Steel
Season 1 - Episode 7 - Aired 2/14/2017
A whiteout pile-up scatters heavy I-beams across the highway, testing James and his crew; Kevin must lift a 20,000-pound chunk of steel off the road. Herb's crew stares down a huge mess and a marathon recovery in tough condition.
#8 - Worlds Apart
Season 1 - Episode 9 - Aired 2/28/2017
Members of the "Highway Thru Hell" crew join the 401 crew to weigh in on the unique challenges of recovery operations in Ontario and B.C.. comparing the biggest wrecks and toughest jobs over the past winter.
#9 - In For The Long Haul
Season 5 - Episode 13 - Aired 3/30/2021
John Allen finds himself in need of a heavy rescue when he gets stuck on an icy side road; a rotator operator takes on a tough challenge when he tries to save a trailer buckling under heavy concrete; a new member joins the Preferred crew.
#10 - This Is Crazy
Season 6 - Episode 6 - Aired 2/28/2022
An Eastern Ontario crew works to untangle a truck from a thick stand of trees; Mike Ross and Austin battle a trailer ready to burst; Andrew's crew faces a tragic job after losing a key member of their team.
#11 - For Some Reason, I Like It
Season 5 - Episode 14 - Aired 4/6/2021
Racing to prevent a fuel spill, Mitch must execute a complex maneuver he's never tried before; Adam attempts to help out a group of drivers stranded on a dangerous hill; when James Ireland faces a tough wreck, he turns to his wife, Fabiana.
#12 - Slay The Dragon
Season 5 - Episode 15 - Aired 4/13/2021
Adam improvises when heavy winds complicate a tough recovery; Gary's new team and hopes are put to the test against a heavy sea container; when a trailer loses its wheels, Duncan has to wrestle it to the road.
#13 - A Major Situation
Season 5 - Episode 17 - Aired 4/27/2021
Sonny needs to pull off an urgent recovery with all eyes on him; a tight recovery puts Duncan right up against a live lane of traffic; Gary's crew takes on the last big rollover of the winter as a blast of frigid weather makes the job more difficult.
#14 - When They Need Help, I'll Be There
Season 6 - Episode 1 - Aired 1/24/2022
The first storm of the season forces OPP Sgt. Kerry Schmidt to take hands-on action; Collin leads the crew to recover a tanker with a highly toxic payload; the Ross crew faces a trailer on its head that demands a double roll to wrangle it upright.
#15 - Wreck and a Half
Season 6 - Episode 2 - Aired 1/31/2022
Bill Wright and his son need to become a tight team on a remote job; a city-based crew heads north to fight a demolished tractor-trailer in rugged terrain; Kevin feels the pressure when a load of steel smashes onto the highway right before rush hour.
#16 - A Real Logjam
Season 6 - Episode 3 - Aired 2/7/2022
Investigators race to find crucial evidence in the wake of a devastating crash; the Didone family welcomes the next generation to the world of heavy recovery as they battle a diesel spill; an unexpected malfunction puts Collin directly in the line of fire.
#17 - Scared as Hell
Season 6 - Episode 4 - Aired 2/14/2022
Todd tests his skill against a truck crashed up a steep slope; Bill Wright must learn to trust his son as they struggle against a swampy wreck; a frustrating job rattles Duncan while a key member of his team fights to return from a serious injury.
#18 - A Whole Lotta Kaboom
Season 6 - Episode 5 - Aired 2/21/2022
An overpass jackknife pushes Bill Wright into quick action; Collin's first heavy job after a close call forces him to put his father's new safety plan to the test.
#19 - Everything That Can Go Wrong
Season 5 - Episode 3 - Aired 1/19/2021
Sonny and his new boss face their first heavy test, fighting a semi frozen hard into the mud; a double collision brings border traffic to a halt in Sarnia, forcing Gary and crew to wrangle a difficult load of cargo.
#20 - Recipe For Disaster
Season 5 - Episode 12 - Aired 3/23/2021
When the Classic and Lucky crews battle a trailer ready to break in two, they make a drastic decision, turning to their tree expert and his chainsaw; Mike and David Ross ease out a semi caught between a culvert and a heavy steel coil.
#21 - No Other Choice
Season 5 - Episode 11 - Aired 3/16/2021
A massive super-storm blasts across the province; Sonny hurries to help a stranded customer.
#22 - I Don't Stop
Season 5 - Episode 10 - Aired 3/9/2021
A tractor-trailer rolls over in an icy median; the oldest member of Duncan's team takes on the most dangerous job; a fiery wreck in Toronto turns Steve's crew into a pit crew; swapping wheels in a race against rush hour.
#23 - Moment of Truth
Season 5 - Episode 9 - Aired 3/2/2021
Mitch from B&G joins forces with John Allen to clean up a triple collision and a badly leaking tanker; a newly promoted rotator op fights a trailer that's ripping in two; Kevin rushes to clear a wreck in time for an important family milestone.
#24 - This Ain't Gonna Be Pretty
Season 5 - Episode 8 - Aired 2/23/2021
A massive storm across the southern tip of the province pushes the County crew into an intense double recovery; a tree stump in the worst possible spot threatens a big job for Duncan.
#25 - Thread the Needle
Season 5 - Episode 7 - Aired 2/16/2021
A tractor wedged between an overpass and a guardrail forces the Ross crew into a game of inches; Herb's crew goes deep into the woods to rescue a tree-bound truck; Sonny tries to clear a stalled semi in a dangerous spot.