Women of Vision: Torc’s Veteran Community

Women of Vision: Torc’s Veteran Community

Torc has begun successful advanced validation of our autonomous trucks without a driver in a multi-lane closed-course environment.

Our Torc community is built on doing the right thing for our communities, our families, and our world at large. Whether we’re working on our technology or speaking to our freight partners, our foundation remains the same: we exist to create a better tomorrow.

Creating that better tomorrow requires vision, purpose, and planning. As we pursue our goal of creating a faster, more efficient supply chain, we look to people like our Torc veterans. Their visionary ability to assess a situation, create an action plan, and execute it quickly and safely is unmeasured – especially when it comes to these two Torc’rs: Andrea Colley and Melissa Ugalde.

 

From Air Force to Autonomy: Andrea Colley

Andrea Colley, Autonomous Vehicle Safety Officer with Fleet Safety at Torc Robotics, enlisted in the United States Air Force as an Air Traffic Controller at 22 years old, from 1985 to 1990. From navigating busy runways to directing international and domestic traffic, Andrea earned her Air Force wings in countless complex scenarios.

“I saw some beautiful countries and met some incredible people,” Andrea says about her time in the Air Force. “We hosted these exercises called Cope Thunder with militaries around the world: Israel, Singapore, the Philippines, The United Kingdom, and Australia all brought their jets in – which, as an Air Traffic Controller, creates a lot of unique harrowing experiences and situations.”

While Andrea initially started her military journey at the Clark Airbase in the Philippines, she finished out her career at the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona.

“[My time in the Air Force] really tested my fortitude and my ability to sequence and control multiple aircraft with different flight characteristics and capabilities,” she added. “While being an Air Traffic Controller seems like it’s just making sure take-off and landing go smoothly, you also have to communicate a ton of information quickly and efficiently in high stakes situations.”

At Torc, Andera’s Air Traffic Controller skills have been invaluable. As part of the Fleet Test and Safety team, her job includes managing the departure and return trips of our autonomous trucking fleet. Whether our test trucks are operating with an In-Vehicle Fallback Safety Driver behind the self-driving wheel or carrying out our validation tests, Andrea is a key part of ensuring our driverless semi-trucks can carry out their middle-mile goals.

She’s also an integral part of making sure our tactics surrounding hub operation are safe, efficient, and secure for our freight partners and customers:

“[In the Air Force] We fortunately had 100 years of aviation history to fall back on and help us develop our policies and procedures and safety culture and the way we go about doing things,” Andrea noted. “At Torc, we’re developing that methodology for driverless trucks. We must proceed with caution, which is what you have to do when you are flying. It doesn’t matter if you’re in aviation or trucking, the approach is the same. If you’re working on a mission, you have to know your equipment is reliable so you can actually focus on the mission at hand.”

Torc recently completed a successful product validation drive wherein our automated truck drove autonomously on a closed course without a single instance of human intervention. Bolstered by artificial intelligence algorithms for self-driving and talented professionals like Andera, our technology is currently proving its reliability and safety via rigorous advanced engineering and testing.

 

From the Marines to Marketing: Melissa Ugalde

Melissa Ugalde, public relations intern with Marketing and Communications at Torc Robotics, enlisted in the United States Marine Corps as a public affairs specialist and videographer at 18 years old. From recording recruiting content to assisting with executive speeches, Melissa produced incredible results for the Marine community across multiple verticals. Over the course of the four years she spent at Camp Pendleton, respectively, Melissa rose through the ranks to earn the title of corporal.

“I joined to serve my country,” Melissa said, “I was never a good student, had a 2.1 grade point average, the military and my country was the only thing that I found passion in. The pride of belonging to such an elite organization, the discipline, and of course, the uniform,” Melissa added with a grin. “My paternal grandfather came here in the 1960s from Spain, and I think that his love for this country manifested in my father through his law enforcement career, and it ended up with me enlisting in the military.”

“I was lucky enough and grew up in a very well-off family in northern New Jersey, I wanted for nothing,” Ugalde said. “I had to grow up quickly, and the Marine Corps offered me that, and allowed me the opportunity to meet people from all over the country. It allowed me to see perspectives I hadn’t previously been open to hearing. Now I’m 25 years old, have already purchased and sold my first home, have become mother and a wife, and I am going to college on the GI Bill; the Marine Corps set me up better than I could’ve straight out of high school.”

At Torc, Melissa contributes to the marketing team by conducting competitor research, connecting with first responders, and more.  She credits her ability to build relationships with customers, regulators, and her fellow Torc community to her Marine history. Alongside Torc’s marketing and communications team, Melissa helps drive the future of freight.

“I got to tell the story of the Marine Corps to the public,” Melissa said. “I became very passionate about becoming a part of history and that carries over in my work at Torc. It’s fascinating to see how things run from a strict military public affairs side of things to a civilian company side of things. It’s been a huge adjustment not having to say ‘good morning ma’am’ to every single person that walks past.”

Veterans like Melissa and Andrea help us look at the self-driving challenge from multiple angles. From providing insights on how departure clearance might operate to working with first responders on how roadside stops could operate, our veterans help us ideate and execute the policies and procedures surrounding our robotic truck technology.

Torc Robotics Recognized as a 2024 Public Relations and Marketing Excellence Awards Winner

Torc Robotics Recognized as a 2024 Public Relations and Marketing Excellence Awards Winner

Torc has begun successful advanced validation of our autonomous trucks without a driver in a multi-lane closed-course environment.

Torc Robotics is proud to announce that it has been named a winner in the 2024 Public Relations and Marketing Excellence Awards, presented by the Business Intelligence Group.  The 2024 Public Relations and Marketing Excellence Awards identify outstanding agencies, departments and executives who have successfully executed strategies to solve real business challenges. The recognition of Torc’s Public Relations team as Department of the Year highlights the group’s success in educating the public about autonomous trucking through thoughtful social and earned media efforts.  

 A Year of Milestones in PR  

In 2023, the integrated approach of combining media placements and a focused social media strategy generated over 10 million social media impressions—a 264% increase from 2022 —and 30,000 new followers. These efforts, along with a 40% increase in thought leadership pieces and 5% increase in SOV against competitors helped strengthen Torc’s reputation as a thought leader and raise public awareness of autonomous transportation.   

Driving Awareness for Autonomous Trucking and Industry Leadership 

“We’re incredibly proud to receive this award, which recognizes our PR team’s relentless dedication to advancing Torc’s thought leadership, driving education and raising awareness around autonomous trucking,” said Laura Lawton, Director of External Communications at Torc Robotics. “This accolade celebrates the exceptional accomplishments of our team as we continue to drive Torc’s vision for the future of freight.” 

Russ Fordyce, CEO of the Business Intelligence Group, congratulated the winners, stating, “Congratulations to Torc Robotics for their remarkable achievement. This award is a testament to the skill, innovation, and passion that Torc brings to the field. We are proud to celebrate organizations like Torc Robotics that set the benchmark for excellence in public relations and marketing.” 

 

Daimler Truck subsidiary Torc Robotics achieves Driver-Out Validation Milestone  

Daimler Truck subsidiary Torc Robotics achieves Driver-Out Validation Milestone  

Torc has begun successful advanced validation of our autonomous trucks without a driver in a multi-lane closed-course environment.
  • Autonomous driving company, Torc Robotics, backed by Daimler Truck achieves driver-out capability on closed course in Texas as it works toward a 2027 commercial launch. 
  • Conducted at full operating speed of up to 65 mph, the product acceptance test underscores Torc’s progress.  
  • Joanna Buttler, Head of Autonomous Technology Group at Daimler Truck, says: “The autonomous-ready Freightliner Cascadia with redundant safety features is an industry-first and lays the foundation for autonomous driving. Congratulations to Torc for successfully achieving driver-out capability on a closed course. This demonstrates the progress and integrated development between Daimler Truck and Torc as we focus on achieving driver out on public roads as the next milestone to make autonomous trucking at scale a reality.” 

Leinfelden-Echterdingen, Germany / Portland, Oregon, USA / Blacksburg, Virginia, USA – Torc Robotics, an independent subsidiary of Daimler Truck and a pioneer in self-driving vehicle technology, recently announced that it has successfully completed advanced validation of their driverless trucks in a multi-lane closed course environment in Texas earlier this year.  

Conducted at full operating speed of up to 65 mph, the product acceptance test underscores Torc’s progress in autonomous driving capabilities and prepares the company to be able to scale and commercialize safe, robust autonomous trucking solutions by 2027. Unlike a demo, this milestone highlights Torc’s entry into scalable product release, with their applied artificial intelligence technology, system architecture, production-intent embedded hardware, and safety engineering converging to shape a product that prioritizes true software best practices and safer roadways for all. 

This product validation milestone exemplifies Torc’s commitment to rigorous safety and maturity standards, marking a critical step from advanced engineering and development to full productization on a unified, embedded platform.  

Joanna Buttler, Head of Autonomous Technology Group at Daimler Truck, says: “The autonomous-ready Freightliner Cascadia with redundant safety features is an industry-first and lays the foundation for autonomous driving. Congratulations to Torc for successfully achieving driver-out capability on a closed course. This demonstrates the progress and integrated development between Daimler Truck and Torc as we focus on achieving driver out on public roads as the next milestone to make autonomous trucking at scale a reality.” 

“This is a key moment in our mission to build a profitable, scalable business as the world’s leading autonomous solution,” commented CEO Peter Vaughan Schmidt. “We observed impressive reliability in our repeated driverless runs, which leveraged Torc’s unparalleled embedded and integrated platform on Daimler Truck’s Freightliner Cascadia. We look forward to unlocking the full value of autonomous driving software for customers who prioritize safety, operations costs, ease of use and reliability.” 

Achieving the ability to run a truck without a safety driver in the cab is a significant milestone in the commercialization of autonomous driving. So far, Daimler Truck and Torc have tested and developed autonomous driving with a safety driver and an operator on board. Their task is to constantly monitor the truck during all operations and be ready to take over from the autonomous driver at any time. Daimler Truck and Torc have proven that Torc’s autonomous driving software can safely navigate on highways, surface streets, ramps and turns at controlled intersections. 

 

Torc Robotics Performs Successful Fully Autonomous Product Validation

Torc Robotics Performs Successful Fully Autonomous Product Validation

Torc has begun successful advanced validation of our autonomous trucks without a driver in a multi-lane closed-course environment.

BLACKSBURG, Va – Oct. 29, 2024 – Torc Robotics, an independent subsidiary of Daimler Truck AG and a pioneer in commercializing self-driving vehicle technology, today announced it began successful advanced validation of the company’s autonomous trucks without a driver in a multi-lane closed-course environment earlier this year.

Conducted at full operating speed of up to 65 mph to optimize fuel efficiency, Torc’s driverless product acceptance test underscores Torc’s evolution to productization, positioning the company to scale and commercialize safe, robust autonomous trucking solutions by 2027. Unlike a demo, this milestone highlights Torc’s entry into scalable product release, with the company’s applied artificial intelligence (AI) technology, system architecture, production-intent embedded hardware and safety engineering converging to shape a product that prioritizes true software best practices and safer roadways for all.

Artificial intelligence has undoubtedly been the biggest buzzword of the year, but real-world uses are few and far between. Autonomous trucking is one of the most concrete applications for AI that can drive demonstrated revenue, business value and industry transformation – and Torc is at the forefront of creating a safe autonomous solution with safety, scalability and cost efficiency top of mind,” commented Torc’s Chief Technology Officer, CJ King. “With our long-standing tenure in the autonomous space, this milestone reinforces Torc’s safety-focused commitment to driving the future of freight.”

This product validation milestone exemplifies Torc’s commitment to rigorous safety and maturity standards, marking a critical step from advanced engineering and development to full productization on a unified, embedded platform.

“This is a key moment in our mission to build a profitable, scalable business as the world’s leading autonomous solution,” commented CEO Peter Vaughan Schmidt. “We observed impressive reliability in our repeated driverless runs, which leveraged Torc’s unparalleled embedded and integrated platform on Daimler Truck’s Freightliner Cascadia. We look forward to unlocking the full value of autonomous driving software for customers who prioritize safety, operations costs, ease of use and reliability.”

Torc has begun successful advanced validation of our autonomous trucks without a driver in a multi-lane closed-course environment.
Torc has begun successful advanced validation of our autonomous trucks without a driver in a multi-lane closed-course environment.

About Torc Robotics

Torc Robotics, headquartered in Blacksburg, Virginia, is an independent subsidiary of Daimler Truck AG, a global leader and pioneer in trucking. Founded in 2005 at the birth of the self-driving vehicle revolution, Torc has over 19 years of experience in pioneering safety-critical, self-driving applications. Torc offers a complete self-driving vehicle software and integration solution and is currently focusing on commercializing autonomous trucks for long-haul applications in the U.S. Torc operates test facilities in Dallas, Texas, and engineering offices in Austin, Texas; Blacksburg, VA, and Montreal, Canada. Torc’s purpose is driving the future of freight with autonomous technology. As the world’s leading autonomous trucking solution, we empower exceptional employees, deliver a focused, hub-to-hub autonomous truck product, and provide our customers with the safest, most reliable, and cost-efficient solution to the market.

 


Assets

Torc Robotics Expands Leadership Team with New VP of HR Operations and VP of Global Talent Management 

Torc Robotics Expands Leadership Team with New VP of HR Operations and VP of Global Talent Management 

Lisa Nelms and Annie Reape bring nearly four decades of experience to
Torc Robotics’ HR team

BLACKSBURG, Va – Oct. 24, 2024 – Torc Robotics, an independent subsidiary of Daimler Truck AG and a pioneer in commercializing self-driving vehicle technology, today announced the appointment of two new vice presidents. Annie Reape will take on the role of VP of Global Talent Management and Lisa Nelms will join as Vice President of HR Operations.

In her new role, Reape will join the senior leadership team and support in leading Torc’s global talent management group, aiming to support, develop, and retain top talent for the organization. Her role will be critical in aligning global talent initiatives with Torc’s growth objectives and fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace.

Similarly, Nelms will act as a member of the senior leadership team and manage and optimize the day-to-day systems, process improvement and overall operations of Torc’s HR function. She will focus on enhancing employee engagement, overseeing HR processes and technology, ensuring a supportive work environment as Torc continues to drive innovation in the autonomous trucking space.

Nelms and Reape will report directly to Jamie Swaim, Chief People Officer at Torc.

“Annie Reape’s wealth of expertise in talent management and HR Business Partnership and Lisa Nelms’ extensive experience in Workday Optimization and HR Operations will be instrumental in supporting Torc through its next growth stage,” said Jamie Swaim, Chief People Officer at Torc. “As we work toward autonomous trucking commercialization at scale, their expertise fostering innovative workplace cultures and driving team growth is more crucial than ever, and we’re thankful to have them join this expanded team.”

With 16 years of experience, Nelms brings deep knowledge in HR technology. She has a proven track record of driving HR transformations and optimizing organizational effectiveness. Previously, Nelms was VP of HR Modernization at Cognizant and an HR Transformation Practice Leader at DXC Technology. In these roles, she developed integrated HR programs, spearheaded business modernization efforts and drove cross-functional collaboration.

With two decades of experience in HR leadership and organizational development, Reape also excels in transforming global talent management strategies and enhancing organizational effectiveness. Her background spans roles in major companies such as Fortune Brands Water Innovations and Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems, where she led teams through complex HR system implementations, strategic talent development, and organizational change management.

This announcement follows the news of Jamie Swaim’s appointment to Chief People Officer.


 

About Torc Robotics

Torc Robotics, headquartered in Blacksburg, Virginia, is an independent subsidiary of Daimler Truck AG, a global leader and pioneer in trucking. Founded in 2005 at the birth of the self-driving vehicle revolution, Torc has over 18 years of experience in pioneering safety-critical, self-driving applications. Torc offers a complete self-driving vehicle software and integration solution and is currently focusing on commercializing autonomous trucks for long-haul applications in the U.S. Torc operates test facilities in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and engineering offices in Austin, Texas; Stuttgart, Germany; and Montreal, Canada. Torc’s purpose is driving the future of freight with autonomous technology. As the world’s leading autonomous trucking solution, we empower exceptional employees, deliver a focused, hub-to-hub autonomous truck product, and provide our customers with the safest, most reliable, and cost-efficient solution to the market.