FORT VALLEY, Ga. — Blue Bird will continue to offer an extended warranty this year for Allison transmissions on Blue Bird diesel buses, the school bus OEM announced on Thursday.

Blue Bird began offering the seven-year, unlimited-mile Allison Transmission warranty in 2017.

Now, Blue Bird has extended the extended coverage through 2018 (as of Jan. 1). The seven-year, unlimited-mile warranty applies to all Blue Bird buses using the Allison Transmission 2500 and 2550 Pupil Transport Series models. The transmission warranty covers 100% of parts and labor.

“The continuation of this extended warranty adds even more value to our bus offerings,” said Mark Terry, chief commercial officer at Blue Bird Corp. “A standard extended warranty on a reliable transmission, such as Allison, adds to the reliability of our buses, which transport our most precious cargo every day.”

The extended seven-year warranty comes standard on all new Blue Bird buses shipped from the factory from Jan. 1, 2018, through Dec. 31, 2018. For customers to maintain the additional coverage, the terms and conditions of the Allison Transmission Extended Transmission Coverage must be followed.

“Allison is excited to partner with Blue Bird to extend best-in-class transmission coverage to the school bus market,” said Heidi Schutte, vice president of sales for the Americas with Allison Transmission. “Allison is committed to providing our customers with the greatest possible value by combining the proven durability of Allison products with seven-year coverage for greater peace of mind.”