Chapter 35
Chapter 35
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 35
Chapter Title: Ordinary Daily Life (6)
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The next day, Sam showed up early in the morning.
"Jake, remember that Mike I mentioned last time? He got back to me. Wants to meet at 2 p.m. today."
Mike was the truck dealer Sam had talked about before.
I was caught off guard by how quick the response was and asked back.
"Really? Already?"
"Yeah. Mike said a really nice truck just came in. It was used for hauling groceries, and it's in amazing shape."
I could hear the excitement in Sam's voice.
"For groceries?"
"Yep. It can pull a reefer trailer with a refrigeration system no problem. Refrigerated and frozen loads pay way better rates than dry freight."
Just hearing Sam talk about it had me hooked already.
"So where do I need to go at 2?"
"Mike's dealership is east of Austin. If we grab lunch and head out, it'll be perfect timing."
"Got it, Sam. You're coming with, right?"
"Wouldn't miss it."
We decided to leave Nancy with Grandma Margaret for a bit.
This time, both Sam and I had to step out, so no choice.
"Jake... you'll be back soon, right?"
"Of course. Be back before you know it."
She didn't say it outright, but my little princess looked pretty bummed.
In the end, I had to whip up some spaghetti to cheer her up.
"Come back quick!"
Nancy waved at us, hugging Grandma Margaret's beagle.
Even the fiercest beast in the neighborhood couldn't say no to a six-year-old.
"We'll be back."
We hit the road at 1:30 p.m. with Sam.
After about 30 minutes east on I-35, we spotted the "Mike's Premium Trucks" sign.
Semi-trucks lined up across a huge lot.
New ones, used ones, all shapes and sizes—but every single one looked spotless.
A white guy in his early sixties stood up as we walked into the office.
"Sam! Long time no see!"
"Mike, looking good."
The two hugged it out.
"Holy cow, you must be Jake? First time seeing you in person—only knew you from the kid pics. Heard a ton about you from Sam."
Mike extended his hand.
"Nice to meet you."
"Sam's boy is like my own nephew. Just call me Mike."
Mike grinned wide.
"Coffee first? Or straight to the truck?"
"Truck, if that's cool."
Mike nodded at my answer.
"Young blood, huh? Alright, follow me."
Out back in the yard, there it was—a blue semi-truck.
Sleek hood curves, massive silver grille gleaming in the sun.
The deep blue body shimmered with a metallic sheen every time the light hit it.
"2020 Freightliner Cascadia. 380,000 miles."
Mike started the rundown.
"This rig was running grocery deliveries for Sysco Foods. Company truck, so full service records. Inspected every six months."
I walked up to it like I was in a trance.
The cobalt blue paint gleamed spotless under the sunlight.
"Engine's a Detroit DD15. 455 horsepower, 1,650 pound-feet of torque. Gets 7 to 7.5 miles per gallon. Better than what you've got now, right?"
"Yeah, mine's barely scraping 4."
"Fuel savings alone will be huge. Run 500 miles a day, that's $2,000 less a month on diesel."
Mike popped the driver's door open.
He jerked his chin toward the cab.
"Hop in. Gotta feel it for yourself."
The second I climbed into the driver's seat, I forgot to breathe.
Sorry to my old rig, but this was a whole different world.
"Man... this is something else."
No comparison to my 25-year-old truck.
Black leather seats, plush and soft. Dashboard was all digital displays.
"Seats have air suspension. Twelve-way adjustable, lumbar support too. No back pain on long hauls."
Mike pointed to the back.
"Sleeper cab behind you. Take a peek."
I pulled back the curtain like he said, and there was a little room.
Full-size mattress laid out.
"Whoa..."
The sigh slipped out on its own.
Mattress looked at least six feet long.
Storage on both sides, even a small closet.
"Memory foam mattress. Comfy as a hotel bed. Truck stop motels run $50 a night. This saves you over $1,000 a month."
Mike sounded pumped adding that on.
Reading light up top, and—get this—USB ports. Four of them.
My old truck? Dream on.
"12-volt fridge here too. Small, but perfect for drinks and snacks. And this..."
Mike pointed at the ceiling.
"Roof vent. Full ventilation system. Cool in summer, cozy in winter."
More storage under the bed.
"Clothes, sleeping bag, spare shoes—tons of space, right?"
At this point, it wasn't a truck. It was a tiny apartment.
Small, but had everything you needed.
"Can you mount a microwave in here?"
Sam asked from the side, grinning ear to ear.
Mike nodded like he'd been waiting.
"You bet. Comes with a 1,500-watt inverter. Microwave, coffee pot, laptop charging—all good. Even run the APU with the engine off."
"APU?"
"Auxiliary Power Unit. Backup generator. AC, heat, power without idling. Huge fuel saver."
Sam chuckled.
"Damn... my last rig wasn't even this nice. What do you think, Jake? Like a hotel room, huh?"
"Yeah... way better than I imagined..."
Honestly, it blew my mind.
Heard truckers brag about theirs, but seeing it? Night and day.
My 25-year-old had zero sleeping space.
Long hauls meant camping sites or motels every time.
But this? No more hotel worries.
A comfy home on wheels anywhere.
"Back to the driver's seat."
We headed back around to the cab.
Mike pointed at the dash nav.
"Truck-specific GPS. Auto-avoids low bridges, weight-restricted roads. And this..."
He tapped the steering wheel.
"Adaptive cruise control. Matches speed to the car ahead, keeps distance. Cuts fatigue on long runs."
Everything top-tier.
Even the mirrors were next-gen.
"Power-adjust mirrors with heat. No ice in winter. Blind-spot monitoring too."
The gauges showed MPG, engine temp, tire pressure—all live data.
Stuff I'd checked manually before.
"Computer diagnostics. Warning lights pinpoint issues exactly."
Sam jumped in.
"Jake, a truck like this? Ten years easy, no sweat. Keep up maintenance."
Mike nodded.
"Spot on. Sysco babies their rigs—downtime costs money. Last inspection two months ago. Fresh oil, filters, brake pads."
We climbed down and checked the rear.
Trailer hitch—kingpin and fifth-wheel plate spotless.
"Air lines, electrical connectors—perfect. No leaks."
Mike said it with total confidence.
Checked the rear tires too.
"Michelins. 10/32 tread left. Another 50,000 miles easy."
Had to admit it. Pristine condition.
Sam was beaming, kicking the tires lightly.
"Well-maintained. Top of the company fleet, this one."
After the walkaround, back to the office.
Mike pulled out a binder.
"Full service history here. Every check since 2020. Oil changes, brakes, tires—nothing missed."
Flipped through: meticulous logs.
Now the price was nagging at me. Good used rigs ain't cheap.
"What's the damage?"
"Honestly? 80 to 85 grand easy. Condition's flawless. But... for Sam's boy, no haggling—70k straight. Deal?"
Seventy thousand dollars.
For the year and shape? Steal.
I had 25k from the dresser sale, plus 5,650 saved.
Total: 30,650. Short.
"Mike, financing available?"
Mike grinned and nodded.
"Of course. Deal with a bank—truck collateral. Around 6.5% interest, five-year terms."
"25k down, rest financed?"
He punched the calculator.
"25k down, 45k loan... monthly payments about $869."
Better rates and terms than expected.
Payments wouldn't crush me.
"For real?"
"Collateral keeps rates low. Business loan too—tax deductible."
Sam nodded, turning to me.
"Jake, pulling 8k a month net with the straight truck, right?"
"Yeah."
"Semi? Minimum 15k. Plus fuel savings add up big."
He was right.
Even with insurance hikes, registration, tire fund, maintenance set-aside...
Still plenty of room.
"Grocery hauls got steady demand too. Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, H-E-B always need reefer runs. 2.5 to 3 bucks a mile."
Mike chimed in.
"Three dollars?"
"Yeah. Fresh goods—time-sensitive, premium pay. Cali to Texas, 1,500 miles? 4,500 bucks. Round trip: 9k."
Whole new league.
Now? Same run nets maybe 3k.
"Can hook you up with reefer rentals too. 500 a week covers it. Grocery contracts pay that off day one."
Mike slid over his card after that pitch.
"Told you—Sam's kid is family. Got grocery distributors in my client list. I'll intro you. New truck plus my word? They'll bite."
Stepped out for a minute, got Sam's take.
"What do you think, Sam?"
"Objectively prime rig. Not 'cause I've known Mike 30 years—this deal's straight-up generous. Guy's solid."
"I get that, but the loan..."
"Jake, business means loans. Key is what you earn with it. Low risk here."
Sam got serious.
"Think options. Groceries? Gold mine. People gotta eat—no recession kills that."
"Yeah?"
"Damn right. Financial crash, COVID—grocery runs never stopped. Home cooking boomed, supermarkets overloaded."
His stories rang true.
"Gotta upgrade sometime. Don't half-ass it—go quality, make money. Experience talking, Jake."
"You're right. Let's do it."
Sam beamed.
"Smart call."
Back inside.
"Mike, sold."
"Won't regret it."
Mike grabbed papers.
"25k down, 45k loan. I'll handle bank docs—just need your business license and ID."
"Uh... license is at home."
"No sweat. Sales contract today, bring it tomorrow—we finalize and hit the bank."
We nodded.
"Cool, there by morning."
"Bank at 11 a.m. tomorrow—be here by 10."
"Got it."
Mike offered his hand.
Shaking it, it hit me.
A brand-new truck. For real.