The past and present Mid Canterbury Transport staff will meet at the Hotel Ashburton on April 5.
About 35 people have registered so far, including Barry Sumner of Temuka who will have a restored Mid Canterbury Transport truck at the event.
Sumner restored a Ford D series which was painted in the colours of Mid-Canterbury Transport.
It will be one of two restored trucks expected. The other is from Christchurch.
Sumner said they were the only two he knew of that had been restored.
The red vehicles have a distinguished emblem on the door - a truck wheel with wings.
The transport company was set up as an amalgamation of many smaller companies across the district before World War 2, Sumner said.
"There were a lot of transport companies around the district before the war … they all amalgamated to form Mid Canterbury Transport," he said.
"I think it had something to do with saving fuel."
He said at the time the government had a law to protect rail services and there was a 40-mile (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."
Sumner said the company had depots at Coalgate, Methven, Mount Somers, Mayfield, Hinds, Ashburton and Christchurch.
"Mid Canterbury (Transport) did the bulk of all the freight."
It operated many divisions until the mid-1970s, including livestock transport, general cartage, passenger services, furniture removal, engineering divisions, and a concrete plant.
Sumner started with the firm in 1956 and said, at one point, the company had more than 100 trucks in its fleet.
Reunion organisers, convenors Allie Glossop and Lorraine Kershaw, are keen to hear from any drivers, staff and partners who have not yet registered for the lunch.
Allie’s late husband Bruce was a past freight driver for the company.
"It was quite big in the day," she said.
- Anyone who wants to attend the Mid Canterbury Transport event can contact Allie on 027-4798143 or Lorraine Kershaw on 027-2491788.
