When talking to our friend Raiko Graveran in Florida about his truck “Little Blue” and how it came to be, we quickly realized this was more than just a story about a truck – it was a story about freedom, commitment, dedication, and hard work to make his American dreams come true. Listening to Raiko talk about where he came from (the eastern side of Cuba) and all it took to get here – and then to get where he is today – is nothing short of amazing! We take so much for granted being born in the USA, and immigrants like Raiko seem to have a deeper appreciation for the freedoms and opportunities we have here.
Growing up in a farming family, both of Raiko’s (pronounced like Rico) grandfathers were farmers. His dad and uncle became interested in driving trucks at a young age in Cuba. When he was four or five years old, his dad would let him sit on his lap and hold the wheel. Later, when he got bigger, he got to sit in the passenger seat. When Raiko was almost a teenager his dad allowed him to park the truck and run the back roads a little bit. Raising pigs and chickens, he got his first bicycle at the age of 13, and then at 17 he got a moped.
When Raiko graduated from high school, he got 98.6 out of 100 on his final test, which allowed him to attend technical school for mechanic “stuff” for both gas and diesel. He never worked as a mechanic, but he used this education to learn about what he loved and to help others. In a small town, everyone knows each other, and he would help whoever needed it. He saved his money and got a little farm tractor when he was 22. It took a couple years, but he eventually was able to find the parts (and money), to be able to rebuild the engine. After that, he would drive around town in the little tractor, hauling trash and moving gravel and sand, and helping people move (they paid him like a taxi).
In 2007, when he was 26, he and five friends from childhood took a year to build a raft and plan to come to the United States to escape the politics and the economy of Cuba. It’s a dangerous undertaking, to say the least. Their first raft broke, but on their second attempt, they were successful. Building the raft on six 55-gallon drums, they used an irrigation tube to make the front. There was a little engine on the back, but they couldn’t start it until they were far enough from the shore so nobody would hear the noise. They used a compass to guide them, and one of the guys also knew how to follow the stars.
I cannot imagine what it would be like out on the open sea for 36 hours, at times in the dark, on a homemade raft, with no life jacket, and having faith they would get where they were supposed to go – but they did exactly that. Raiko had an uncle that got here the same way back in 1961. Other family members made the treacherous trip in the 1970s, so Raiko was fortunate to have family members here that could take him in and help him get work and his citizenship.
In the beginning, Raiko worked all day in construction with his uncle, Monday through Friday, and then from 5:30-9:00 PM every weeknight, he went to English class. On Saturdays, he would pressure wash driveways and houses as a part time job. His uncle forced him to speak English and put him with other English speaking co-workers. Raiko had never been in an air conditioned room, and when he first got here, he would often wear a sweatshirt inside because he would be cold.
The first year he was in the USA he was on parole, and one year and a day after being here, he applied for his green card. After five years and one day, he applied for his citizenship. He did all the work to accomplish this goal himself and proudly became a US citizen.
His dad had a friend in Orlando that told him if he got his CDL he would give Raiko a job. So, he got his CDL, and his trucking career officially started in the US, all the while saving money as he worked and learned. In December of 2009, Raiko had the opportunity to spend his entire savings of $4,000, along with four more $500 payments, to buy a 1995 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.
Learning about truck shows on social media, now that his baby was all put back together, he took it to his first show at the 75 Chrome Shop in Florida in 2021. It was here, not that far from his home in Orlando, that he dipped his toe into the truck show pond – and that changed his life. Before he went, he wasn’t sure if people would like him and his truck, but both were received very positively. 10-4 Magazine was there that year, and my editor (and 10-4 owner) Daniel Linss remembers taking the time to meet Raiko at that event and giving him a pat on the back for customizing an FLD. Dan thought Raiko and his truck were both super cool!
The next truck show he took his completed masterpiece to was Walcott in 2022 and, it’s sad to say, he was afraid that he might be bullied. Thankfully, that did not happen, and he began to meet people and form new friendships that continue to grow today. In 2023, he did ten shows, and he has trophies at home from most of them. Playing with the heavy hitters in Louisville in 2024, he took home 2nd place in the Custom Antique class. At the Walcott Truckers Jamboree in 2024, all the drivers in the show picked “Little Blue” and Raiko as their Driver’s Choice winner! This one speaks volumes, and I know that it’s the award every driver at that show would love to receive the most.
This “Little Blue” truck isn’t some big ol’ W900 Kenworth or a Peterbilt 379 – she’s a 1995 Freightliner FLD with an integral sleeper. But she proves what a lot of hard work and love can do. This is one well put together, clean and classy, little work truck! Some trucks just go to shows, but this one is the way Raiko earns his living. This is a humble driver who will help others. When we got to visit him at his house, he had just finished driving a friend’s truck for two weeks after this friend had lost his son. He also recently went home to help his mom after a hurricane, and I’m sure there are many more people he has helped.
Cuba is not that big of an island, so trucking there is much different than here in the States. Raiko said it was more fun trucking in Cuba – here in the USA, it’s more lonely. I think if he had been able to truck like we did back in the 70s to the early 2000s, he would feel a bit different. We had a network back then, and we have a lot of friends that we made back then that are still friends today. Sharing the good times we had back then, we also talked about how different things are today, and most of us would sadly agree these changes are not for the better.
I think Raiko Graveran would have fit in back in the “old days” just fine. He has that old school mentality, an amazing work ethic, and absolutely loves trucks and trucking. He thanks God for all his blessings and says “thank you” to this country for letting him become a citizen and allowing him to live the American Dream! Those of you who were lucky enough to be born here in the USA need to stop and appreciate what you have, because if we don’t keep fighting for it, the American Dream will cease to exist for future generations.