Nature of Business and Basis of Presentation	12 Months Ended
Oct. 03, 2015
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Nature of Business and Basis of Presentation	Nature of Business and Basis of Presentation Nature of Business On February 24, 2015, Hennessy Capital Acquisition Corp. ("HCAC") consummated its business combination (the “Business Combination”), pursuant to which HCAC acquired all of the outstanding capital stock of School Bus Holdings, Inc. (“SBH”) from The Traxis Group B.V. (the “Seller”). SBH operates its business of designing and manufacturing school buses through its Blue Bird Body Company subsidiary and under the “Blue Bird” name. In the Business Combination, the total purchase price was paid in a combination of cash ($100 million) and in shares of HCAC’s Common Stock (12,000,000 shares valued at a total of $120 million). In connection with the closing of the Business Combination, we changed our name from Hennessy Capital Acquisition Corp. to Blue Bird Corporation. Upon consummation of the Business Combination, SBH became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Blue Bird Corporation and SBH’s direct and indirect subsidiaries became indirect subsidiaries of our parent corporation. We continued the listing of our Common Stock and Public Warrants on NASDAQ under the symbols “BLBD” and “BLBDW,” respectively, effective February 25, 2015. On May 15, 2015, the NASDAQ Staff informed us orally that we must have 400 round lot holders of our warrants, pursuant to Listing Rule 5410(d), in order for our warrants to continue to be listed on either the NASDAQ Capital Market or the NASDAQ Global Market. Our warrants began trading on the OTCQB on June 2, 2015 as the warrants do not currently meet the round lot requirement. Blue Bird Body Company was incorporated in 1958 and has manufactured, assembled and sold school buses to a variety of municipal, federal and commercial customers since 1927. The majority of Blue Bird’s sales are made to an independent distributor network, which in turn sells buses to ultimate end users. The Company is headquartered in Fort Valley, Georgia. References in these notes to financial statements to “Blue Bird”, the “Company,” “we,” “our,” or “us” refer to Blue Bird Corporation and its wholly-owned subsidiaries, unless the context specifically indicates otherwise. Basis of Presentation The accompanying 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 Company uses the equity method to account for its investment in an entity that is not controlled, and where the Company has the ability to exercise significant influence over operating and financial policies. Consolidated net income includes the Company’s share of net income in this entity. The difference between consolidation and the equity method impacts certain of the Company’s financial ratios because of the presentation of the detailed line items reported in the consolidated financial statements for consolidated entities, compared to a two-line presentation of “Equity investment in affiliate” on the Consolidated Balance Sheets and “Equity in net income of non-consolidated affiliate” on the Consolidated Statement of Operations and Comprehensive Income. The fiscal 2014 and fiscal 2013 presentation of Equity in net income of non-consolidated affiliate on the Consolidated Statement of Operations and Comprehensive Income has been reclassified from the previous presentation to conform to the current year presentation. The previous presentation showed the amounts in fiscal 2014 and 2013 net of tax expense of $0.4 million and $2.8 million, respectively. Those tax amounts are now included within the Income tax (expense) benefit line on our Consolidated Statement of Operations and Comprehensive Income. The Company’s fiscal year ends on the Saturday closest to September 30 with its quarters consisting of thirteen weeks in most years. In fiscal year 2015, there were a total of 53 weeks. In fiscal years 2014 and 2013 there were a total of 52 weeks. The Business Combination was accounted for as a reverse acquisition since immediately following completion of the transaction the sole stockholder of SBH immediately prior to the Business Combination maintained effective control of Blue Bird Corporation, the post-combination company. For accounting purposes, SBH is deemed the accounting acquirer in the transaction and, consequently, the transaction is treated as a recapitalization of SBH (i.e., a capital transaction involving the issuance of stock and payment of cash by HCAC for the stock of SBH). Accordingly, the consolidated assets, liabilities and results of operations of SBH are the historical financial statements of Blue Bird Corporation, and HCAC assets, liabilities and results of operations are consolidated with SBH beginning on the acquisition date. No step-up in basis of intangible assets or goodwill was recorded in this transaction. We have effected this treatment through opening stockholders' deficit by adjusting the number of our common shares outstanding. Other than transaction costs paid and a contribution from our majority stockholder for payment of management incentive compensation related to the transaction, the transaction was primarily non-cash and involved exchanges of consideration and equity between our majority stockholder and HCAC and its related entities. In previously reported Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows, we presented borrowings under our senior credit facility gross, as both inflows and outflows from financing activities. As these borrowings are due on demand, they are considered to have maturities of three months or less and therefore qualify for net reporting. Accordingly, in our Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows for the fiscal years ending September 27, 2014 and September 28, 2013 presented in this Report, we have reclassified borrowings under the senior credit facility from gross presentation, as previously reported, to net presentation. The prior presentation of borrowings and payments under the senior credit facility for the fiscal years ending September 27, 2014 and September 28, 2013 showed borrowings of $2.8 million and $63.7 million, respectively, and payments of $2.9 million and $63.6 million, respectively. The current presentation shows net (payments) borrowings of ($0.1 million) and $0.1 million, respectively.

Nature of Business and Basis of Presentation

Nature of Business

On February 24, 2015, Hennessy Capital Acquisition Corp. ("HCAC") consummated its business combination (the “Business Combination”), pursuant to which HCAC acquired all of the outstanding capital stock of School Bus Holdings, Inc. (“SBH”) from The Traxis Group B.V. (the “Seller”). SBH operates its business of designing and manufacturing school buses through its Blue Bird Body Company subsidiary and under the “Blue Bird” name. In the Business Combination, the total purchase price was paid in a combination of cash ($100 million) and in shares of HCAC’s Common Stock (12,000,000 shares valued at a total of $120 million). In connection with the closing of the Business Combination, we changed our name from Hennessy Capital Acquisition Corp. to Blue Bird Corporation.

Upon consummation of the Business Combination, SBH became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Blue Bird Corporation and SBH’s direct and indirect subsidiaries became indirect subsidiaries of our parent corporation. We continued the listing of our Common Stock and Public Warrants on NASDAQ under the symbols “BLBD” and “BLBDW,” respectively, effective February 25, 2015. On May 15, 2015, the NASDAQ Staff informed us orally that we must have 400 round lot holders of our warrants, pursuant to Listing Rule 5410(d), in order for our warrants to continue to be listed on either the NASDAQ Capital Market or the NASDAQ Global Market. Our warrants began trading on the OTCQB on June 2, 2015 as the warrants do not currently meet the round lot requirement.

Blue Bird Body Company was incorporated in 1958 and has manufactured, assembled and sold school buses to a variety of municipal, federal and commercial customers since 1927. The majority of Blue Bird’s sales are made to an independent distributor network, which in turn sells buses to ultimate end users. The Company is headquartered in Fort Valley, Georgia. References in these notes to financial statements to “Blue Bird”, the “Company,” “we,” “our,” or “us” refer to Blue Bird Corporation and its wholly-owned subsidiaries, unless the context specifically indicates otherwise.

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying 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 Company uses the equity method to account for its investment in an entity that is not controlled, and where the Company has the ability to exercise significant influence over operating and financial policies. Consolidated net income includes the Company’s share of net income in this entity. The difference between consolidation and the equity method impacts certain of the Company’s financial ratios because of the presentation of the detailed line items reported in the consolidated financial statements for consolidated entities, compared to a two-line presentation of “Equity investment in affiliate” on the Consolidated Balance Sheets and “Equity in net income of non-consolidated affiliate” on the Consolidated Statement of Operations and Comprehensive Income. The fiscal 2014 and fiscal 2013 presentation of Equity in net income of non-consolidated affiliate on the Consolidated Statement of Operations and Comprehensive Income has been reclassified from the previous presentation to conform to the current year presentation. The previous presentation showed the amounts in fiscal 2014 and 2013 net of tax expense of $0.4 million and $2.8 million, respectively. Those tax amounts are now included within the Income tax (expense) benefit line on our Consolidated Statement of Operations and Comprehensive Income.

The Company’s fiscal year ends on the Saturday closest to September 30 with its quarters consisting of thirteen weeks in most years. In fiscal year 2015, there were a total of 53 weeks. In fiscal years 2014 and 2013 there were a total of 52 weeks.

The Business Combination was accounted for as a reverse acquisition since immediately following completion of the transaction the sole stockholder of SBH immediately prior to the Business Combination maintained effective control of Blue Bird Corporation, the post-combination company. For accounting purposes, SBH is deemed the accounting acquirer in the transaction and, consequently, the transaction is treated as a recapitalization of SBH (i.e., a capital transaction involving the issuance of stock and payment of cash by HCAC for the stock of SBH). Accordingly, the consolidated assets, liabilities and results of operations of SBH are the historical financial statements of Blue Bird Corporation, and HCAC assets, liabilities and results of operations are consolidated with SBH beginning on the acquisition date. No step-up in basis of intangible assets or goodwill was recorded in this transaction. We have effected this treatment through opening stockholders' deficit by adjusting the number of our common shares outstanding. Other than transaction costs paid and a contribution from our majority stockholder for payment of management incentive compensation related to the transaction, the transaction was primarily non-cash and involved exchanges of consideration and equity between our majority stockholder and HCAC and its related entities.

In previously reported Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows, we presented borrowings under our senior credit facility gross, as both inflows and outflows from financing activities. As these borrowings are due on demand, they are considered to have maturities of three months or less and therefore qualify for net reporting. Accordingly, in our Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows for the fiscal years ending September 27, 2014 and September 28, 2013 presented in this Report, we have reclassified borrowings under the senior credit facility from gross presentation, as previously reported, to net presentation. The prior presentation of borrowings and payments under the senior credit facility for the fiscal years ending September 27, 2014 and September 28, 2013 showed borrowings of $2.8 million and $63.7 million, respectively, and payments of $2.9 million and $63.6 million, respectively. The current presentation shows net (payments) borrowings of ($0.1 million) and $0.1 million, respectively.