If Lane decides to “stop the Chop” at Carlile, the fault can be laid on no one else but Porkchop and his foolish decisions.
In a Ice Road Truckers rookie season that has been particularly challenging for him, you have to wonder, why would Porkchop be trying to antagonize Carlile trainer Phil?
It’s true, as one Huliq reader, Melissa, recently suggested, Phil does not always appear to be objective when reviewing the driving skills of new Carlile drivers:
I am sitting here watching the episode Cold Blooded and I can hardly stand it. People bad mouth Porkchop, but I think Phil is a jerk.
Every time there is a new driver, he doesn’t like them. Is that his mission in life?
That point definitely has merit. But, as far as Porkchop goes, he doesn’t do himself any favors with the choices he makes when dealing with a situation he views as unpleasant or unfavorable.
He does realize, of course, that Phil is a trainer for Carlile, and he SHOULD realize that he is a trusted voice advising Carlile boss Lane.
But, he apparently does not realize that, like any work situation, it’s all a game, and one has to play by the rules, like it or not.
IRT Porkchop: ‘Real Life’ Or TV Character?
Porkchop is a great guy, commented Huliq reader Dan Ribar on a previous article. He’s also great for ratings.
Did you hear him on 1st Guard Radio? He gives more than he takes and is very involved with children and helping the community.
I personally like him in real life AND on the show. Listen to the show at 1st guard radio dot com and see what I mean.
Fair enough; he very well may be the greatest guy in the world in “real life.” But, Ice Road Truckers is not “real life;” it’s a TV show, and the “Porkchop” we see is a character.
And, he’s not a very smart character. Besides flipping off Phil as he blew past him on a previous episode, he decided to “play” with him last night, speeding up and trying to hide from him.
So, is it any wonder he is on the edge of being shown the door at Carlile? And, come on, is it anyone else’s fault but his? It really does not matter that Porkchop was unaware that Phil was sent out by Lane to “spy” on him; antagonizing a superior with the power to take your job is just not much of an action plan.
How about really “showing him” and driving as well as you can when you see him on the haul road?
Nah—that might help him keep his job.
At any rate, Phil was clear on his position on Porkchop:
“This road isn’t for everybody. It’s definitely not for Porkchop. He’s definitely out of his league here. It’s definitely a lack of ability.”
On Sept. 9, a new episode of Ice Road Truckers returns, and a teaser suggests that Porkchop could have driven his last load on the Dalton, “Maybe they need to come down to the Lower 48 and learn how to drive a real truck,” he tells the camera, presumably after talking with Lane. But, of course, teasers are notoriously misleading—so stay tuned.
Oh, and one last question for the week: What is it going to take for Austin to learn that, yes, it is better to chain up when perhaps you could have made it up a slippery hill than to keep tempting fate and refusing to chain up until you find yourself either stuck in the middle of a road, a curve, or find yourself sliding backwards down a hill?
Maybe Phil should spy on Austin for a few trips.
