10-4 Magazine / March 2025 77 Freightliner FLD. He took the plunge, kept working and saving, and then got his own authority in 2015. In 2016 Raiko bought his house. He is very good at saving his money, completing a project, then saving for the next project. We got to visit him there when we were in Orlando, and I think it’s an awesome retro looking place that fits him perfectly. His “Little Blue” truck and his home look like they belong together, and with Raiko’s favorite color being blue, it’s a bit of perfection. Over the years, he collected parts and ideas for his truck, and then in 2020, during covid, he took the truck apart, and then put her back together, making her an award winning show truck, right there in his driveway! He did most of the work himself and learned as he went. With the dash completely out and all the wires looking like a mess of spaghetti, he tapped into the original wire harness and added six gauges and more lights. One light that he added was a brake light inside the cab, one like his dad had in his truck, back in Cuba. When Raiko touches the brakes, this light comes on in the cab, along with all his regular brake lights. He doesn’t really know why his dad had that light, but I for one think he is honoring his father’s legacy for doing this. I remember sitting in Jake Bast’s white 379 Peterbilt at Truckin’ For Kids in Irwindale, CA several years ago and him telling me about all the things he had in his truck that his dad had in his – that always makes it more special. Taking the cab off and pulling the engine out, Raiko took “Little Blue” down to just frame rails. Putting her back together was like a giant puzzle, but every piece went right back into place like it was supposed to. Painting it all right there in his driveway under a small metal shelter, Raiko did the work himself, making sure to clean and polish everything along the way, as well.
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