The first bus off the manufacturing line was one of the first school buses to be made of steel, according to the company. Buses today are still built of steel.
Blue Bird makes several models of buses today that run on a variety of fuels, including propane and natural gas, and diesel. Blue Bird buses are built to haul people, not freight, and thus use different construction methods.
Blue Bird's biggest sales distributor, Central States Bus Sales, is headquartered in Missouri, but has a major sales and service facility in Big Rock, Illinois.
Albert Luce founded Blue Bird with the motto "God is our Refuge & Strength," which is still in use today. The company employs a full-time chaplain who provides nondenominational services for employees who wish to worship on company time.
