Retired drivers Barry Sumner and Kevin Ager each have a restored Mid Canterbury Transport truck from the early 1970’s.
Their D-series models hail back to their formative years when they worked for Ashburton’s former transport company, which at one time had more than 100 vehicles in its fleet.
It wound up in 1975.
Barry, a stock driver, was aged just 18 when he started working for the company, which was an amalgamation of many smaller companies across the district before World War II.
At the time the government had a law to protect rail services and there was a 40 mile or (64km) distance limit on carting goods.
‘‘It had to go on rail. So we had railway from Methven to Rakaia, and another from Tinwald to Mount Somers with various stations along the line,’’ Barry said.
He said the company had depots at places like Coalgate, Methven, Mount Somers, Mayfield, Hinds, Ashburton and Christchurch.
‘‘Mid Canterbury (Transport) did the bulk of all the freight.’’
His work, from 1966 to 1975, included being based at outlying depots of Rakaia and Lauriston.
He found his 1972 Ford D0707 in 2021 at Mt Aspiring Station, Wanaka.
The seven tonne truck was then rebuilt and recertified. It took two years.
Barry said work on the chassis work was carried out by Scott Engineering at Winchester, while the mechanical repairs were done by A&M Motors at Winchester.
For most of the year it sits on show at the South Canterbury Traction Engine and Transport Museum.
However recently Barry took it to the Mid Canterbury Transport luncheon gathering in Ashburton of past employees and partners.
About 54 people turned out. Among them was Kevin with his restored 10 tonne, D1618.
Kevin was a general freight, stock and bulk grain driver.
He worked at the company for a total of eight years, starting in 1964 when he was just 15-yearsold.
He left at aged 18 but returned three years later and stayed with the company until it closed in 1975.
Cliff Ager started with the company in 1969, aged about 18.
He was there for six years, then when the company closed went to McCormicks Transport freight department.
Reg Cavill, was 14 and a half years old when he started working at the company in the late 1960’s. He left about aged 17.
He had followed in the footsteps of his late father, also named Reg, who worked as a dozer driver for the company, as well as in the grain store.
Luncheon co-organiser Allie Glossop’s late husband Bruce was a long-time employee at the company.
He drove a stock truck which came to be known as the Grey Ghost, while Colleen Summer, since married to Bruce, worked at the dairy beside the grain shed.
Mid Canterbury Transport had many divisions through until the mid 1970’s. Among them livestock, general cartage, passenger services, furniture removal, an engineering division, and a concrete plant.
