Torc Officially Opens First Autonomous Hub in Fort Worth, Celebrates Commercialization Era
The weather forecast for the week of May 11th in Fort Worth was clear and hot, unlike the week before. The week of May 4th, the skies were darkened by massive storms, dropping almost two inches of rain in a day. On the 11th, the high temperature was 75, and on the 12th, it was 79. But on Tuesday, May 13, 2025, the day Torc cut the ribbon on its newest location – its first autonomous trucking hub – it was a sweltering 97.
Welcome to DFW, everyone said. It’s spring but summer is coming. This is just the beginning.
And they’re right. This is indeed just the beginning. After 20 years in the robotics business, and six years of software research and development, Torc officially opened the company’s first commercial hub on that hot Tuesday morning, preparing to get their self-driving trucks hauling commercial freight on the I-35 corridor.
As we embark on this next phase, we are more excited than ever to be part of this community, to innovate alongside you, and to continue our mission to Drive the Future of Freight with purpose and passion.
– Peter Vaughan Schmidt, CEO
Torc welcomed local dignitaries, government officials, first responders, partners, neighbors from Hillwood’s AllianceTexas development, and many local community members and vendors. Tours were provided through the building, highlighting Torc’s story and history, path to commercialization, job creation, and how the autonomous yard flow will work.
The Hub features a customer experience center, offices, and dedicated control centers for fleet management and operations. It is located on I-35, the major freight route between Dallas and Laredo, Texas. Laredo is the largest economic port of entry in the US, with more than 15,000 truck crossings per day and $320B in total trade in 2024, and Fort Worth is a major distribution point to the rest of the country.
The Brains of the operation
One of the stops on the tour was inside the brain of Torc’s Hub, the Mission Management room. Dominated by a movie-theater sized screen with multiple tracking visuals playing simultaneously, the Mission Management room will track the lifecycle of each autonomous mission. Guests learned about the different parts of the mission, from the rigid pre-trip checklist through to the arrival transmissions at the end of a journey. Questions asked and answered included details on job creation over the next year through to customer success models and long-term plans for additional routes.
This hub represents more than just logistics. It represents years of relentless planning and prioritization, input from industry experts, and the dedication and tireless effort of Torc’s teams. It’s the realization of a bold vision—where autonomous trucks revolutionize the freight industry by making it more efficient, cost-effective, safe and reliable.
– Andrew Culhane, CCO
Guests were able to climb into one of Torc’s new fifth generation Freightliner Cascadia autonomous trucks, and see the Flex unit inside.
Watch the ribbon cutting ceremony.
THE EMBODIMENT OF Torc's COMMERCIALIZATION ERA
In the afternoon, after the official guests had toured the facility, Torc’rs welcomed their families and friends in to see their new offices. Everyone played corn hole and giant Connect 4, and ate spicy tacos and snow cones. Our safety drivers introduced their toddlers to their colleagues. Kids and families sat in the truck cab for pictures. People fanned themselves with Torc fans and escaped back inside for the A/C. Together, everyone watched a screening of Torc’s newest video, The Road Rises, playing on Mission Management’s screen. It focuses on the people behind the technology, and celebrates the accomplishments of hundreds of individuals, working together as one Torc team.
The few remaining empty hub offices will soon be filled by new Torc’rs. It will become more bustling, even more energetic. There will be more long hours and longer days, and then it’ll become a 24-hour a day facility. But May 13th was about celebrating getting to this point. It was opening the doors.
The road to Torc’s 2027 market entry is paved with groundbreaking advancements, and a lot of that pavement is in Fort Worth and Texas now. Keep following Torc as we continue to drive the future of freight.
Today isn’t just about opening a new location for Torc — it’s about opening doors to the future.
– Peter Vaughan Schmidt
