A behind-the-scenes look at our historic celebration and transition of the Type D legacy
It isn’t every day you get to celebrate a major milestone, so we’ve captured the iconic plant transition of our Type D production and commemorated the milestone in a video celebration. Chronicling the final steps of the last Type D bus to roll off the historic assembly line, the video features interviews with long-time employees — from plant managers to welders to executives — as they share their memories from the front line and add their signature to the last bus to take this route.
Honoring a Legacy
For more than 50 years, Thomas Built Buses’ original plant was home to the iconic Type D transit-style school buses — the Saf-T-Liner® HDX and EFX. With a mix of pride and excitement, these lines are now produced at the Saf-T-Liner production facility across town (formally known as the C2 plant).
“The recent launch of the EFX2 bus at the Saf-T-Liner facility represents the end of an era but also the beginning of a new one,” said T.J. Reed, president and CEO of Thomas Built Buses. “With the EFX2, we are delivering a bus designed with modern advancements in safety and reliability, while leveraging the precision and efficiency of our most advanced manufacturing facility. This is the next step forward in our commitment to delivering best-in-class Type D school buses.”
Changing Gears + Moving Forward
Moving manufacturing of the buses to the company’s modernized, state-of-the-art Saf-T-Liner Plant lets Thomas Built utilize the superior technology and capabilities at the facility, leading to operational refinements, efficiency gains and enhanced product quality. The move demonstrates the organization’s commitment to innovation and customer care.
While we’re closing the chapter on the D Line at our legacy plant, its spirit lives on in the next generation of Type D buses: the HDX2 and EFX2. Built on our most advanced line yet, these models represent the continued innovation and craftsmanship Thomas Built is known for worldwide. Interested in learning more about the most advanced models on the market? Check out the Saf-T-Liner EFX2 and the Saf-T-Liner HDX2 benefit your transportation program.
