Old School Trucks: Ryal Bush — Part 2






































![]() |
The migration north was helped by the aquisition of numerous trucks from the Ashburton travel fleet, including this Mack Ultraliner
|
![]() |
The Ex-Ashburton Transport Mark Ultraliner parked up next to 'Inter-Force' in the late mid-Canterbury sun
|
![]() |
Another of the Ashburton Transport Mack's re-painted in Ryal Bush livery
|
![]() |
This T600 Kenworth was a verstile unit
|
![]() |
When not used as a bulkie could be converted to a tractor unit
|
![]() |
An EC14 ERF on stock duties
|
![]() |
A Mitsubushi Shogun unloading at the now defunct Sockburn Works
|
![]() |
Mack Quantume also made an appearenc in the fleet
|
![]() |
A sharp looking Hino 700 on dropsider duties
|
![]() |
An FH Volvo aptly named 'Bush Viking'
|
![]() |
An 8X4 sterling named 'The Colonel' seen here on Bluff Road servicing a shipment of fertiliser
|
![]() |
Numerous day cab Argosys joined the fleet in the mid 2000s
|
![]() |
Follwed by this sleeper cabbed version
|
![]() |
UDs still have a place in the fleet today. This pair of CW385s is pictured when brand new in 2011
|
![]() |
A later model 'Cheese Grater' Argosy
|
![]() |
'Unk' is a tough -looking Ashburton-based K200 Kenworth
|
![]() |
The stunning K200 Kenworth Anniversary Flagship celebrating 65 years of Ryal Bush Transport
|
![]() |
The versatility of the current fleet is shown here as the anniversary truck is converted to milk tanker duties for the busy season
|
![]() |
To this day, the fleet continues to run array of makes and models with a definte Kenworth and Freightliner influence
|
Part 2 of Ryal Bush old school trucks
From my earliest memories of Ryal Bush Transport pioneering long distance deer cartage during the ’80s, followed by expansion in the mid ’90 s due to the dairy boom, the Ryal Bush livery was to become commonplace in mid-Canterbury, with the opening of a branch in Ashburton, the catalyst of which was acquiring what remained of the then local company Ashburton Transport. A couple of Mack Ultraliners and a Superliner were among the trucks inherited from Ashburton Transport, and gradually, the fleet became more uniform with the Southland depot counterparts. These days, the fleet remains mixed with Japanese, European, and American brands with Freightliner and Kenworth being some of the latest purchases. One such recent Kenworth purchase was a stunning new K200 Anniversary Flagship, which was put on the road to celebrate 65 years of Ryal Bush Transport. This unit is one of the many that demonstrate the versatility of the modern fleet with stock crates able to be swapped out with milk tanks during the peak of the dairy season each year. The Ryal Bush livery has remained largely unchanged for many decades and while the flagship has changed from a B-Series ERF to a K200 Kenworth, today’s Ryal Bush fleet still maintains a classic look reminiscent of years gone by.
Keep up to date in the industry by signing up to Deals on Wheels' free newsletter or liking us on Facebook.