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Edited by Brad Smith
One look around Nashville,
Tennessee these days and you may
catch a glimpse of a happy gang of
loyal customers chasing after the
Peach Truck which is a '64 Jeep
Gladiator. Thanks to Stephen and
Jessica Rose Nashville Tennessee is
now home to fresh sweet Georgia
peaches as well as country music.
by Jessica Rose
It all started with a problem.
My husband, Stephen was in
need of a new car. His car
had passenger side issues; a
door that wouldn't close and
a dashboard leak. Needless
to say, his passengers were
miserable.
I (Jessica) wanted him to get
a truck, because you never
know when you might need
one (so practical). Stephen,
on the other hand, wanted a
Jeep (so fun)!
One fateful evening after work, Stephen asked me to come check out an old truck with him. Honestly, I
was hesitant. Ultimately, Stephen needed a commuter car, not a cool old truck... but off we went. We
pulled up to the Home Depot parking lot and there it was - the '64 Jeep Gladiator! 3 speed, straight 6
engine, stick shift, bucket seats, and a perfect dashboard. As I walked around the sweet thing, I felt as
if it was about to talk to me. That grill and those headlights - it was like seeing a member of the family!
We "took it for a ride" in the parking lot and
discovered three things.
- It needed some tender loving care and a new
clutch desperately.
- We had a lot to learn from our new friend.
- We were falling in love and couldn't help it.
Then a miracle happened, Stephen
reminded the gentleman that he
had said he might be interested in
a swap if it was the right car. So
Stephen shared that he had a
1995 Ford Thunderbird, with a leak
and a door that won't shut. At
that moment the man's eyes lit up.
"I love T-Birds!" The rest is history.
The next day Stephen and the
gentleman swapped cars and the
Jeep was ours. Stephen drove the
Gladiator for 8 months as a
commuter car. Slow and steady,
topping out at 52 mph up and
down I-65. He loved every minute
of it.
The Peach Truck has continued to grow and this summer (2013) we are expanding our delivery of Fresh
Georgia Peaches to small towns in Kentucky and Tennessee, continuing our growth in markets around
Nashville and starting an online store, buying peaches online and have delivered within days of being on
the tree. These peaches come from the oldest peach farm in Georgia, Pearson Farm. They are tree
ripened, hand picked, and sold within days of being on the tree. We are very proud of this beautiful fruit
and excited to bring them to more people this summer.
After the drive we talked money. Their price was too high with the obvious clutch repairs in the
near future. And we couldn't justify spending a lot, especially on a truck that might not get Stephen
to work each day.
Our story begins with Jessica's brother Mike contacting JeepTruck.com inquiring about fixing
up the couples American classic Jeep truck as a wedding gift for his sister Jessica and her
husband Stephen. Mike went on to explain how the couple is using the Gladiator to help
promote their peach business. In fact the Gladiator not only inspired the company's name
"The Peach Truck" it can also be found incorporated into the company's logo.
Follows is Jessica's story about their Peach Truck we know you'll enjoy it. We know you'll
also enjoy their fresh sweet peaches. Check out their website and online store at
ThePeachTruck.com and try some for yourself.
How one couples love for each other, peaches and a Gladiator Jeep truck leads to sweet success.
Stephen and Jessica's wedding. We had the truck front
and center, we even took communion off the hood.
A few months later we birthed the idea for selling his family's 5th generation Fresh Georgia Peaches in
and around Nashville, and our Jeep Truck became The Peach Truck. We did some work on him; fixing the
clutch, switching out the bucket seats for a bench seat, and putting sideboards up. The Gladiator is a
part of the family; we love him dearly and have been through a lot together.
Stephen and Jessica's nephew Will, he
loves to pretend to drive The Peach
Truck and doesn't understand why he
can't have a peach in the middle of
winter.
Stephen, Jessica and The Peach Truck at a local
selling spot in Nashville. It always draws a crowd and
then the peaches keep them coming back.
Without sideboards with Stephen in the drivers
seat. This is the couples first day with the Jeep.