- GM will keep Allison badging on 2026 Silverado HD and Sierra HD trucks.
- The transmission hardware never changed despite the branding drama.
- Allison’s name still carries major weight with heavy-duty truck buyers.
In the fall of 2025, General Motors was about to do something drastic. It was planning to remove the Allison Transmission badge from its heavy-duty trucks. We’re not just talking about the ones it was building, but also about unsold units on dealer lots.
It was literally going to de-badge trucks that already had the Allison name on them. But now, it’s changing course, and the two companies are moving forward together.
More: GM Confirms New Silverado And Sierra Are Ready To Break Cover
The entire spat started because Allison reportedly wanted more cash or influence for using its name on trucks. It’s been a fixture of GM heavy-duty trucks for decades. GM balked at that because it was building the gearboxes itself, and Allison was simply certifying and testing the parts.
We’ll come back to construction shortly. The important detail is that for now, cooler heads have prevailed, and that likely all comes down to customers.
The Badge Returns
Heavy-duty truck buyers know and trust Allison. General Motors confirmed to Car and Driver that the badging will return to the trucks in question moving forward. That includes both the GMC Sierra HD and the Chevrolet Silverado HD. GM hasn’t said how many trucks were produced without the Allison branding during the fallout, and there’s no indication that those vehicles will be retrofitted with badges.
Still, the decision to bring the name back suggests GM recognizes the branding’s value, regardless of who actually builds the gearbox. And that’s somewhat ironic because the 10-speed gearbox that we’re discussing is something that GM made in partnership with Ford, of all brands.
In the end, though, this situation didn’t come about because of gears, clutch packs, or torque converters. It was always about perception, and in the heavy-duty truck world, the Allison name still means something. After all, it’s the kind of brand that builds tank gearboxes right now. Toughness is just in the DNA there.
Â
