Attendees at the NAPT Summit Trade Show in Memphis, Tenn., next week can see a redesigned All-American, forward-engine and rear-engine school bus that Blue Bird said was redesigned with students, drivers, technicians and transportation directors in mind.
New features of the transit-style, Type-D include improved turning radius, driver visibility, and a factory-paint warranty that Blue Bird said are best-in-class. The All American also has a new passenger window design and enhanced serviceability.
“Blue Bird’s All American line has been an industry staple since its introduction in 1948, and to this day it holds the number one sales position in the Type D segment,” said Phil Horlock, president and CEO of Blue Bird Corporation. “While developing the All Americans, we spent significant time focusing on customer-led product improvements to ensure these buses would strengthen our leadership position in the Type D segment. We look forward to introducing these redesigned buses at the upcoming NAPT trade show.”
Blue Bird also announced that the redesigned Type-D buses meet the Colorado Racking roll-over specification as a standard offering, while similar transit-style school buses from competitors only offer this as an option, the company added. Blue Bird said the specification “highlights the strength of the core All American bus design.”
Bus drivers will notice a cockpit that was redesigned to comfortably fit virtually any body size and with ergonomics similar to the Blue Bird Vision. Blue Bird said the new All Americans also share many body parts with the Blue Bird Vision, resulting in a reduction in parts and service complexity. These enhancements will continue to set the industry standard for the Type D product line.
In related news, a propane savings calculator kiosk will accompany the Blue Bird Micro Bird and Blue Bird Vision propane-autogas buses on display at NAPT. The NAPT Summit Trade Show begins on Tuesday, Oct. 23 and concludes Wednesday, Oct. 24.
