Lil’ Troy almost lost his life on Monday (Dec. 6) after the 18-wheeler truck he was driving caught on fire. According to ABC 13, the “Wanna Be A Baller” MC, who now owns a Missouri City-based trucking company, was driving his big rig back to the Texas city from Arkansas when he saw smoke emerging from under the hood.

Lil’ Troy spoke to the Houston news outlet about the near-death experience on Wednesday (Dec. 8).

“Right before I got ready to exit, I started to see fire and flames coming up from the hood. I was like, ‘Oh, I got to get out this truck.’ You know what I’m saying? It’s fire!” he told the outlet.

Lil’ Troy said he bought the 18-wheeler for his Birklett Trucking Company just two months ago. Everything in the vehicle was destroyed in the fire except for the 55-year-old’s glasses, keys and cellphone.

“It took them a while to put the fire out,” he said of the firefighters who responded to the scene. “While they were there, it went, ‘Boom’ again! So, I thank God for the fire department. They came and made sure nobody else got injured at the same time.”

Lil’ Troy added that the near-tragedy put things into perspective.

“I think God has a better plan for me,” he said. “I started thinking about my family and worrying about how they need me. It’s not my time to go right now.”

According to the outlet, Lil’ Troy is now working with his insurance company to replace the truck and an investigation has been launched to determine how the fire started. The Houston native said he’s ready to get back on the road despite the incident.

“Life after music… [I’m] doing something different. My second journey in life,” he said. “… I hit the highway making money the fly way. You know what I’m saying? Truck driving is the new way.”

Lil’ Troy also posed about the fire on Instagram. See his post below.