Building Trucks, A Gilbert Family Tradition

Working as a blacksmith and repairing steel and wood wagons in his twenties, William Gilbert was presented with a new and challenging task: enclosing the body of a local creamery truck. After his first successful crafting of a truck body, William soon began repairing and building other truck bodies as the horse and wagon era died out. He started Jackson Body Co. in 1918 on Main St. in Jackson, Wisconsin.
The business survived in the face of two world wars and a scary depression. William’s son, Harold, recalled manufacturing over 10 million tent stakes made from steel and wood after contracting with the US Army during World War II.
The business was passed on for three generations of Gilbert sons, who learned the trade of building trucks from a young age by working side-by-side with their fathers. The passion for building and fixing trucks remained strong throughout the Gilbert generations, including the current (third-generation) owner, Mr. William Gilbert, and his son, Tom.
The mission of Jackson Truck Body, Inc is to meet the needs of customers by building and repairing trucks and trailers to the highest standard, and continue creating quality custom trucks.