Nature of Business and Basis of Presentation	9 Months Ended
Jun. 27, 2026
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Nature of Business and Basis of Presentation	1. Nature of Business and Basis of Presentation Nature of Business Blue Bird Body Company ("BBBC"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Blue Bird Corporation, was incorporated in 1958 and has manufactured, assembled and sold school buses to a variety of municipal, federal and commercial customers since 1927. On April 1, 2026, BBBC completed its acquisition of the remaining 50% of the outstanding voting common stock of Micro Bird Holdings, Inc. ("Micro Bird"), which was previously an unconsolidated Canadian joint venture. Micro Bird produces Type A school buses in Drummondville, Quebec, and since September 2025, has been producing small and mid-sized commercial buses and a small number of Type A school buses at a newly opened facility in Plattsburgh, New York. The acquisition of the remaining 50% of the outstanding voting common stock of Micro Bird resulted in it becoming a wholly-owned subsidiary at the beginning of the third quarter of fiscal 2026 and subsequently. See Notes 11, Equity Investment in Affiliates, and 13, Micro Bird Acquisition, for further discussion. The majority of BBBC and Micro Bird sales are made to an independent dealer network, which in turn sells buses to ultimate end users. References in these notes to condensed consolidated financial statements to “Blue Bird,” the “Company,” “we,” “our,” or “us” relate to Blue Bird Corporation and its wholly-owned subsidiaries, unless the context specifically indicates otherwise. We are headquartered in Macon, Georgia. Basis of Presentation The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. All significant inter-company transactions and accounts have been eliminated in consolidation. The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”) for interim financial reporting and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. The Company’s fiscal year ends on the Saturday closest to September 30 with its quarters consisting of thirteen weeks in most years. The fiscal years ending October 3, 2026 ("fiscal 2026") and ended September 27, 2025 ("fiscal 2025") consist or consisted of 53 and 52 weeks, respectively. The third quarters of fiscal 2026 and fiscal 2025 both included 13 weeks. The nine month periods in fiscal 2026 and 2025 both included 39 weeks. In the opinion of management, all adjustments considered necessary for a fair presentation of financial results have been made. Such adjustments consist of only those of a normal recurring nature. Operating results for any interim period are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the entire year. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by U.S. GAAP for complete financial statements. The Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet data as of September 27, 2025 was derived from the Company’s audited financial statements but does not include all disclosures required by U.S. GAAP. For additional information, including the Company’s significant accounting policies, refer to the consolidated financial statements and related footnotes as of and for the fiscal year ended September 27, 2025 as set forth in the Company's fiscal 2025 Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") on November 24, 2025. Business Update The global automotive industry supply chain constraints that arose subsequent to the novel coronavirus pandemic known as "COVID-19" and that were further exacerbated by additional stress resulting from various global military conflicts continued to impact our business and operations during the first three quarters of both fiscal 2025 and 2026. Specifically, they continued to result in higher purchasing costs to procure the raw materials inventory needed to produce buses. Additionally, there were still occasional shortages of certain critical components that limited the number and/or mix of buses that we could produce and sell. Nonetheless, ongoing improvements in manufacturing operations over the past several years have resulted in the consistent production of buses to fulfill sales orders during these same periods. In addition to periodic inventory shortages and general inflationary pressures resulting from the global supply chain constraints discussed above, changes in trade policies and tariffs began to impact our business and operations in the second half of fiscal 2025 and continuing into the first three quarters of fiscal 2026 by increasing our procurement costs for certain imported inventory. However, the higher inventory purchase costs that we incurred in producing and selling buses during the first three quarters of fiscal 2025 and fiscal 2026 resulting from the above factors, as applicable, did not negatively impact our operating results or cash flows during these periods as such impacts were largely offset by proactive increases in the sales prices we charged for our products. Significant uncertainty still exists concerning the magnitude and duration of the ongoing (i) supply chain constraints and (ii) changes in governmental policies, programs, regulations and/or laws and accordingly, precludes any prediction as to the ultimate severity of the adverse impacts on our business, financial condition, results of operations, and liquidity. Use of Estimates and Assumptions The preparation of financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions. At the date of the financial statements, these estimates and assumptions affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities, and during the reporting period, these estimates and assumptions affect the reported amounts of revenues and expenses. For example, significant management judgments are required in determining excess, obsolete, or unsalable inventory; the allowance for doubtful accounts; potential impairment of long-lived assets, goodwill and intangible assets; and the accounting for self-insurance reserves, warranty reserves, pension obligations, income taxes, environmental liabilities and contingencies. Future events, including the extent and duration of continued supply chain constraints and their related economic impacts, and their effects cannot be predicted with certainty, and, accordingly, the Company’s accounting estimates require the exercise of judgment. The accounting estimates used in the preparation of the Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements may change as new events occur, as more experience is acquired, as additional information is obtained and as the Company’s operating environment changes. The Company evaluates and updates its assumptions and estimates on an ongoing basis and may employ outside experts to assist in the Company’s evaluations. Actual results could differ from the estimates that the Company has used.

On April 1, 2026, BBBC completed its acquisition of the remaining 50% of the outstanding voting common stock of Micro Bird Holdings, Inc. ("Micro Bird"), which was previously an unconsolidated Canadian joint venture. Micro Bird produces Type A school buses in Drummondville, Quebec, and since September 2025, has been producing small and mid-sized commercial buses and a small number of Type A school buses at a newly opened facility in Plattsburgh, New York. The acquisition of the remaining 50% of the outstanding voting common stock of Micro Bird resulted in it becoming a wholly-owned subsidiary at the beginning of the third quarter of fiscal 2026 and subsequently. See Notes 11, Equity Investment in Affiliates, and 13, Micro Bird Acquisition, for further discussion.

The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”) for interim financial reporting and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. The Company’s fiscal year ends on the Saturday closest to September 30 with its quarters consisting of thirteen weeks in most years. The fiscal years ending October 3, 2026 ("fiscal 2026") and ended September 27, 2025 ("fiscal 2025") consist or consisted of 53 and 52 weeks, respectively. The third quarters of fiscal 2026 and fiscal 2025 both included 13 weeks. The nine month periods in fiscal 2026 and 2025 both included 39 weeks.

In the opinion of management, all adjustments considered necessary for a fair presentation of financial results have been made. Such adjustments consist of only those of a normal recurring nature. Operating results for any interim period are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the entire year. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by U.S. GAAP for complete financial statements.

The Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet data as of September 27, 2025 was derived from the Company’s audited financial statements but does not include all disclosures required by U.S. GAAP. For additional information, including the Company’s significant accounting policies, refer to the consolidated financial statements and related footnotes as of and for the fiscal year ended September 27, 2025 as set forth in the Company's fiscal 2025 Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") on November 24, 2025.

The global automotive industry supply chain constraints that arose subsequent to the novel coronavirus pandemic known as "COVID-19" and that were further exacerbated by additional stress resulting from various global military conflicts continued to impact our business and operations during the first three quarters of both fiscal 2025 and 2026. Specifically, they continued to result in higher purchasing costs to procure the raw materials inventory needed to produce buses. Additionally, there were still occasional shortages of certain critical components that limited the number and/or mix of buses that we could produce and sell. Nonetheless, ongoing improvements in manufacturing operations over the past several years have resulted in the consistent production of buses to

In addition to periodic inventory shortages and general inflationary pressures resulting from the global supply chain constraints discussed above, changes in trade policies and tariffs began to impact our business and operations in the second half of fiscal 2025 and continuing into the first three quarters of fiscal 2026 by increasing our procurement costs for certain imported inventory.

However, the higher inventory purchase costs that we incurred in producing and selling buses during the first three quarters of fiscal 2025 and fiscal 2026 resulting from the above factors, as applicable, did not negatively impact our operating results or cash flows during these periods as such impacts were largely offset by proactive increases in the sales prices we charged for our products.

Significant uncertainty still exists concerning the magnitude and duration of the ongoing (i) supply chain constraints and (ii) changes in governmental policies, programs, regulations and/or laws and accordingly, precludes any prediction as to the ultimate severity of the adverse impacts on our business, financial condition, results of operations, and liquidity.

The preparation of financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions. At the date of the financial statements, these estimates and assumptions affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities, and during the reporting period, these estimates and assumptions affect the reported amounts of revenues and expenses. For example, significant management judgments are required in determining excess, obsolete, or unsalable inventory; the allowance for doubtful accounts; potential impairment of long-lived assets, goodwill and intangible assets; and the accounting for self-insurance reserves, warranty reserves, pension obligations, income taxes, environmental liabilities and contingencies. Future events, including the extent and duration of continued supply chain constraints and their related economic impacts, and their effects cannot be predicted with certainty, and, accordingly, the Company’s accounting estimates require the exercise of judgment. The accounting estimates used in the preparation of the Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements may change as new events occur, as more experience is acquired, as additional information is obtained and as the Company’s operating environment changes. The Company evaluates and updates its assumptions and estimates on an ongoing basis and may employ outside experts to assist in the Company’s evaluations. Actual results could differ from the estimates that the Company has used.