Big news in the P&D world this week! Blue Bird (of school bus manufacturing fame) announced that they’ve entered into a definitive agreement with Ford to assume responsibility for producing the F-53 and F-59 commercial stripped chassis, which will be paired with Ford’s powertrain solutions.
As part of this agreement, Blue Bird is acquiring the Detroit-based plant where the F-53 and F-59 chassis have long been manufactured.
This new generation of F-59 chassis is expected to arrive in 2028.
This is huge news - for contractors worrying about fleet strategy in the wake of the news that Ford is discontinuing its production of the industry-standard chassis, it offers a light at the end of the tunnel.
Okay, But What Do I Do Until 2028?
Hello Truck Lease has your back. We’ve negotiated a special deal with Ford to ensure step van inventory allocation through 2027 - which bridges the gap between when Ford stops producing units, and when Blue Bird goes live.
The trucks you know and depend on will continue to be available from the team you rely on (us!).
Got questions? Fill out our Learn More form, or give us a call. We’re happy to answer any questions you have about how this news affects your fleet strategy.