Blacksburg, VA – August, 18, 2022) Torc Robotics and Daimler Truck (DT) today announced a change to the executive team at Torc that will usher in the next era of leadership, product commercialization, and customer focus. Effective Oct. 1, Dr. Peter Vaughan Schmidt, currently head of Daimler Truck’s Autonomous Technology Group, will succeed Michael Fleming as chief executive officer of Torc Robotics, an independent subsidiary of Daimler Truck. Fleming will retain a seat on the Torc Board of Directors and remain engaged as a key advisor.
This change in the senior executive position at the company is a natural transition in Torc’s evolution as a company since 2019, when Daimler invested in Torc. Following the investment, Fleming realigned Torc to focus on building autonomous technology for class 8 semi-trucks and quadrupled the company into a global organization with teams in four locations in the United States and Europe. Under his guidance, development teams pushed autonomous-truck technology forward toward Torc’s vision of being the first company to bring a profitable and scalable autonomous truck to market safely.
Martin Daum, chief executive officer of Daimler Truck, noted, “I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to Michael Fleming. His achievements for our company and for our industry as a whole cannot be overstated. He is a true pioneer and visionary who paved the way for autonomous driving, founding Torc Robotics 17 years ago. Torc has been part of the Daimler Truck family since 2019 and, with Michael at the helm, has successfully further developed its software solution for autonomous driving and adapted it to our Freightliner trucks. As a consultant and Member of Torc’s Board of Directors, Michael Fleming will continue to contribute his expertise and I am very much looking forward to continuing our cooperation. Following the pioneering work in recent years, Torc is now entering the next phase. The aim now is to establish Torc as a global company with four locations, bring autonomous trucking technology to perfection in the next few years, and ultimately to series production. I am very pleased that we have the right personality in Peter Vaughan Schmidt to shape this next phase as CEO of Torc. Peter has been responsible for autonomous driving at Daimler Truck for many years and has been closely supporting Torc since we invested in 2019. He therefore has everything it takes to lead Torc, as an independent company in which Daimler Truck holds a majority stake, into a successful future and to bring the entire potential of autonomous trucks to the road.”
After 17 years at the helm, Fleming is stepping down as CEO, but will stay deeply involved as board member and strategic advisor. Fleming hands the reins of the company to Schmidt, who has guided large global companies and brings the expertise required to run organizations and to launch and commercialize products. Schmidt has served Daimler in a variety of roles since 2005 including strategy, product and platform management, as well as production and plant management.
Schmidt has been deeply involved in autonomous technology for a number of years, most recently as head of Daimler Trucks’ autonomous business unit where he orchestrated majority investment in Torc in 2019, and has worked closely with Fleming since. Prior to joining Daimler, Schmidt was a principal and consultant at McKinsey and Company serving the automotive industry.
Schmidt said, “We are all excited about this new chapter in Torc’s history. We’re building on Torc’s long tradition of autonomous innovation and safety and standing on the shoulders of the pioneers who built this industry from the ground up, starting 17 years ago with Torc’s founding. We’re looking forward to focusing on our customers’ needs, developing great technology together, and bringing the best possible product and much needed capacity to market as quickly and safely as possible.”
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 17 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, and Stuttgart, Germany. Torc’s mission is saving lives with autonomous technology, which incorporates reducing highway deaths, enabling critical supplies – including medicines and foods – to reach every community in a timely manner, and helping the transportation industry increase fuel economy, uptime, and capacity.
(Blacksburg, VA – May 5, 2022) Torc Robotics, a pioneer in commercializing self-driving vehicle technology, today announced that Penske Truck Leasing will serve as the truck maintenance service provider for Torc’s autonomous test fleet.
“Penske Truck Leasing’s expertise and impressive track record in the global trucking industry will play a significant role in getting our trucks on the road and strengthening our goal of safe operations,” said Michael Fleming, Torc founder and CEO. “Our objective is to integrate our trucks into the existing freight industry, and we are confident that a current industry leader, like Penske, will provide crucial support in doing just that.”
This agreement is part of Torc’s ongoing commercialization of autonomous trucks for long-haul applications.
Torc recently announced the Torc Autonomous Advisory Council (TAAC) in support of its goal to be the first scalable, profitable, commercialized Level 4 truck solution. Penske Truck Leasing, along with key freight industry leaders, will provide strategic guidance to Torc as it integrates with the freight network and tackles challenges beyond highway driving.
Paul Rosa, senior vice president of procurement and fleet planning, Penske Truck Leasing, said “We are very pleased to support Torc’s fleet uptime with our best-in-class truck maintenance program. This arrangement serves as a great complement to our work on the Torc Autonomous Advisory Council.”
About Penske Truck Leasing
Penske Truck Leasing is a Penske Transportation Solutions company headquartered in Reading, Pennsylvania. A leading global transportation services provider, Penske Truck Leasing operates more than 372,000 vehicles and serves customers from more than 1,300 locations in North America, South America, Europe, Australia, and Asia. Product lines include full-service truck leasing, contract maintenance, commercial and consumer truck rentals, used truck sales, transportation and warehousing management, and supply chain management solutions. Visit www.pensketruckleasing.com to learn more.
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 17 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 an engineering office in Austin, Texas. Torc’s mission is saving lives with autonomous technology, which incorporates reducing highway deaths, enabling critical supplies – including medicines and foods – to reach every community in a timely manner, and helping the transportation industry increase fuel economy, uptime, and capacity. Follow Torc for more news and information.
(Blacksburg, Va. — April 6, 2022) Torc Robotics, an independent subsidiary of Daimler Truck, is opening a technology and software development center in Stuttgart, Germany. Torc is a leader in SAE Level 4 self-driving vehicle software for heavy-duty vehicles. Torc Europe GmbH will tap into the available talent pool in one of Germany’s prime automotive development regions. The Stuttgart team will support the ongoing development of SAE Level 4 virtual driver for deployment in autonomous trucks in the United States.
“Torc is working closely with Daimler Truck to optimize the entire product stack including the virtual driver, sensing and computer hardware, and the redundant chassis to be the first company to launch a scalable and profitable self-driving product,” said Torc Founder and CEO Michael Fleming. “Torc’s Stuttgart technology and software development center will leverage the deep automotive and trucking technical and product expertise to make this a reality.”
Torc Europe GmbH is an independent entity and a 100% subsidiary of Torc Robotics, Inc. The office is in Untertürkheim, in close proximity to an existing Daimler Truck R&D facility and near the Daimler Truck headquarters. The 18,000 square-foot technology center has an additional 12,000 square feet that will be used as a workshop.
“Stuttgart is known as an area with a wealth of automotive and autonomous vehicle expertise. We hope to leverage this significant talent pool to meet our commercialization goals and support our mission of increased safety and efficiency,” said Torc Vice President of Engineering Mike Avitabile. “Collaboration thrives because of the partnership with Daimler Truck, a leader in the trucking industry. Combining Daimler Truck’s experience with Torc’s expertise in automated vehicle software and automated truck systems will help accelerate bringing our product to market.”
Torc and Daimler Truck are collaboratively pursuing a common goal of developing and bringing autonomous trucks for long-haul trucking (SAE Level 4) to the roads within the decade. This pure-play approach is directed at solving what Fleming calls “one of the most complex engineering feats of our generation.” The challenge is to reinvent the truck to accommodate a safe, scalable Level 4 product, while integrating with the complex, interconnected freight network to support sustained innovation and efficiency.
Torc and Daimler Truck
In 2019, Daimler Truck invested a majority share in Torc, the first autonomous vehicle (AV) company to enter an integrated partnership with a truck original equipment manufacturer. Torc and Daimler Truck, with its North American entity, are ramping up development and testing in the United States, which requires support in areas such as simulation, machine learning, and infrastructure.
In addition to the facility in Stuttgart, Torc recently opened a 20,000-square-foot facility in Austin, Texas. In 2021, the company added a 28,000-square-foot office space for its workforce in Blacksburg’s Corporate Research Center. A fully operational test facility in Albuquerque, New Mexico, opened in 2020. The Albuquerque location allows daily, multi-shift runs of Torc’s autonomous test trucks on highways in New Mexico and Texas.
The company is growing and is hiring software engineers, data scientists, and architects in the areas of systems, safety, validation, and product development. To learn more about employment opportunities at Torc Robotics, visit the Careers page.
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 17 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 self-driving trucks. “Trucking is the backbone of the United States economy, delivering food and products to every community in the country,” said Torc CEO and Founder Michael Fleming. “Daimler Truck has led innovation in trucking for more than a century, from the first truck, to driver-assist technology. Torc is working with Daimler Truck to commercialize self-driving trucks to make our roads safer and better, fulfilling our mission of saving lives.”
Daimler Truck’s Freightliner Cascadia test truck in front of the Torc Europe Stuttgart office.
Advisory Council Includes Partners with Decades of Combined Experience in Parcel Delivery, Logistics, Technology, and More
(Blacksburg, VA) Torc Robotics, a pioneer in commercializing autonomous vehicle technology, today announced the launch of the Torc Autonomous Advisory Council (TAAC) in support of its goal to be the first scalable, profitable, commercialized Level 4 truck solution. The TAAC is comprised of key freight industry players who will provide strategic guidance to Torc as it integrates with the freight network and tackles challenges beyond highway driving.
“Torc has a history of collaborating with our partners who are experts in their field. The Torc Autonomous Advisory Council is the next step in the process of incorporating deep industry insights and expertise as Torc works to commercialize autonomous trucking,” said Michael Fleming, Torc founder and CEO. “We view this Council as a vital part of our work to integrate autonomous trucking into the existing freight industry while ensuring autonomous trucking benefits are realized with optimum safety.”
The cross-functional TAAC has various trucking industry backgrounds in courier and parcel delivery, less-than-truckload, full truckload, technology, and supply chain logistics. It will provide significant insights into the needs of the freight industry, validate logistics and operations development (hub logistics, tracking, etc.), and optimize safe autonomous trucking operations in the existing network.
“We’re committed to testing and providing the most effective vehicle technologies for our customers and driving innovation when it comes to mobility,” said Paul Rosa, Penske Truck Leasing senior vice president, procurement and fleet planning. “We believe it’s important to collaborate with other leading companies who are creating the next generation of transportation solutions to meet the future needs of our industry and enhancing the supply chain.”
“Torc’s Autonomous Advisory Council will help shape the future of the trucking transportation industry,” said Rob Reich, Schneider executive vice president and chief administrative officer. “We see great potential for this technology to improve efficiency while helping to lower cost. Being part of the Council allows carriers like Schneider to have a strong voice in how autonomous vehicles (AVs) are developed and tested, and how this technology will complement our professional over-the-road driver associates.”
Some of the TAAC members include Baton, C.H. Robinson, Covenant Logistics, Penske Truck Leasing, Ryder System, Inc., and Schneider. Daimler Truck North America, a pioneer in autonomous driving, is the sole original equipment manufacturer on the Council.
The Council meets quarterly and focuses on interactive discussions and brainstorming on a variety of topics. TAAC recently held its first quarter 2022 meeting in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Members have visited Torc’s Albuquerque test center and have participated in demonstrations in Torc autonomous trucks. The expertise shared by members of the TAAC will bring Torc one step closer to commercializing self-driving trucks.
“At C.H. Robinson, we see the potential for AV technology to transform logistics and to essentially create a new mode of freight transportation,” said Pat Nolan, C.H. Robinson vice president of North American Surface Transportation. “That’s why we’re joining the Torc Autonomous Advisory Council to help maximize the benefits for the industry as a whole, to ease the capacity crunch for shippers, and to serve as a voice for our 85,000 carriers. Making sure shippers have access to AV and making sure smaller carriers are represented in the conversation is critical. We know Torc shares that belief.”
About Torc Robotics Torc Robotics, headquartered in Blacksburg, Virginia, is an independent subsidiary of Daimler Truck AG, the global leader and pioneer in trucking. Founded in 2005 at the birth of the self-driving vehicle revolution, Torc has 16 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 self-driving trucks. “Trucking is the backbone of the U.S. economy, delivering food and products to every community in the country,” said Michael Fleming, Torc founder and CEO. “Daimler has led innovation in trucking for more than a century, from the first truck, to driver-assist technology. Torc is working with Daimler Truck to commercialize self-driving trucks to make our roads safer and better, fulfilling our mission of saving lives.”
(Blacksburg, Va.) Torc Robotics, an independent subsidiary of Daimler Truck AG, has named Sandeep Ohri Senior Vice President of Product Management. As Torc continues its development to commercialize autonomous trucks, the goal is to bring the first safe, profitable autonomous truck product to the U.S. market. Ohri will be responsible for driving the end-to-end product life cycle and product portfolio, including product vision, roadmap creation and communication, and release planning.
Ohri was most recently the former vice president of products and strategic partnerships at Phantom AI, an autonomous-driving platform startup which delivers computer vision, sensor fusion, and control capabilities to automotive original equipment manufacturers. He helped define the product portfolio and strategy and created partnerships that drove the company towards commercialization.
With 20+ years of experience as a strategic and results-driven product strategy and product management leader, Ohri was responsible for a multimillion-dollar product portfolio. Ohri’s strength is leveraging technical expertise with deep business knowledge. He works across organizations to create product vision, identify mutually beneficial customer-driven opportunities, and deliver large-scale products that consistently exceed company objectives.
“I look forward to leading Torc’s product management efforts, focusing on bringing the product to market in order to meet and exceed customer needs,” said Ohri. “Torc is in the business of saving lives and I’m excited to be part of the journey.” Torc is currently running its Level 4 autonomous test trucks on public roads in multiple locations including New Mexico, Texas, and Virginia, with plans to expand in the southwest corridor of the U.S.
About Torc Robotics Torc Robotics, headquartered in Blacksburg, Virginia, is an independent subsidiary of Daimler Truck AG, the global leader and pioneer in trucking. Founded in 2005 at the birth of the self-driving vehicle revolution, Torc has 16 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 self-driving trucks. “Trucking is the backbone of the U.S. economy, delivering food and products to every community in the country,” said Torc CEO and Founder Michael Fleming. “Daimler has led innovation in trucking for more than a century, from the first truck to driver assist technology. Torc is working with Daimler Truck to commercialize self-driving trucks to make our roads safer and better, fulfilling our mission of saving lives.”
(Blacksburg, Va. – October 13, 2021) Torc Robotics, an independent subsidiary of Daimler Truck AG, has named Jane Bailey Vice President of Marketing & Communications. Bailey is the former vice president of marketing and communications for GE Digital and for Luna Innovations. She brings decades of experience in global customer marketing, product marketing, revenue marketing, and marketing communications to Torc, where she joins an executive team focused on commercializing self-driving trucks.
While at GE Digital, Bailey was responsible for the organization’s global product marketing and customer advocacy across its entire software portfolio. Joining GE at an important juncture in its journey to become a world-class software company, Jane’s efforts to build a product marketing team were critical to developing compelling messaging, strategically positioning products, and successfully driving product demand.
At Torc she will apply her deep experience in corporate communications as well as her collaboration, culture-building, and sales support talents to Torc’s high-powered team.
“I am truly excited,” said Bailey, “to join this group of dedicated and passionate people who are ushering in the future of transportation and freight. There is great and meaningful work being done at Torc to bring self-driving trucks to market, and I am honored to be involved in our mission to save lives through safer roads.” Bailey’s expertise in media and analyst relations will be a significant part of her new role, as will involvement in Torc’s recruiting and talent development efforts.
About Torc Robotics
Torc Robotics, headquartered in Blacksburg, Virginia, is an independent subsidiary of Daimler Truck AG, the global leader and pioneer in trucking. Founded in 2005 at the birth of the self-driving vehicle revolution, Torc has 16 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 self-driving trucks. “Trucking is the backbone of the U.S. economy, delivering food and products to every community in the country,” said Torc CEO Michael Fleming. “Daimler has led innovation in trucking for more than a century, from the first truck to driver-assist technology. Torc is working with Daimler Truck to commercialize self-driving trucks to make our roads safer and better fulfilling our mission of saving lives.”
(Blacksburg, Va.) Torc Robotics, an independent subsidiary of Daimler Truck AG, has named Marnie Young Chief People Officer. She will lead People Operations, Human Resources, Talent Acquisition, Benefits, and Compensation.
Young is the former vice president of human resources for Luna Innovations and for GE Digital. She brings more than 25 years of experience in a variety of people optimization, management, and engagement roles to Torc, where she joins an executive team focused on commercializing self-driving trucks.
During her career, Young has led companies through acquisitions, divestitures, and integrations, and the setup of international domestic office locations in a variety of challenging regions and environments. She is also very experienced in implementing cloud-based enterprise financial and human capital management systems. At Torc, Young will apply her knowledge and experience of leading high-performance teams, building strong foundations for scalability, and partnering with leadership to support Torc’s growth goals.
“I am excited to continue the amazing work that Torc has created,” said Young. “A strong foundation has been laid and it will serve us well in this next phase of incredible expansion. As we enter the next stage of growth, we’ll be focused on recruiting, benefits, compensation, learning and development, and engagement goals.”
About Torc Robotics
Torc Robotics, headquartered in Blacksburg, Virginia, is an independent subsidiary of Daimler Truck AG, the global leader and pioneer in trucking. Founded in 2005 at the birth of the self-driving vehicle revolution, Torc has 16 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 self-driving trucks. “Trucking is the backbone of the U.S. economy, delivering food and products to every community in the country,” said Torc CEO and Founder Michael Fleming. “Daimler has led innovation in trucking for more than a century, from the first truck to driver-assist technology. Torc is working with Daimler Truck to commercialize self-driving trucks to make our roads safer and better, fulfilling our mission of saving lives.”
(Blacksburg, Va. – January 6, 2021) Torc Robotics will open its third U.S. location in Austin, Texas, in early 2022. The approximately 21,000-square-foot office will complement the self-driving truck firm’s Blacksburg, Virginia, headquarters and its Albuquerque, New Mexico, test center. The expansion coincides with the recent two-year anniversary of Torc joining the Daimler Truck family as an independent subsidiary.
Torc, a pioneer in commercializing self-driving vehicle technology, and Daimler Truck, the market share leader in commercial vehicles, have pledged to commercialize Level 4 autonomous trucks at scale within the decade. Level 4 vehicles can operate autonomously under certain conditions and parameters. “Trucking is the backbone of the U.S. economy, and we predict hauling freight will be the first successful commercial application of self-driving on-road vehicles,” said Michael Fleming, Torc Founder and CEO. “This is why we’re laser-focused on the freight industry, taking a pure-play approach and joining forces with the leading heavy-duty trucking manufacturer in North America.”
“We are aggressively hiring key talent in Engineering and Product Development to support our strategic growth. With Austin’s relatively low cost of living as compared to other major cities in the U.S. and high quality of life, it was the logical choice for our new facility,” said Mike Avitabile, Vice President of Engineering. “The local talent pool is impressive, and the city is also known for being innovative, collaborative, and entrepreneurial. We are confident that our future Austin Torc’rs will share our passion for this technology and mission of Saving Lives.”
Along with the deep talent pool, Avitabile said that Austin was strategically selected due to its location along the Southwest shipping corridor, which is a key area for long-haul freight travel in the U.S. While the Texas facility will host mainly software development teams, Torc also plans to utilize the area to expand autonomous test truck development.
In addition to testing in other regions, Torc manages a fully operational test facility in Albuquerque, running multiple routes and shifts each day on New Mexico highways. This past year, Torc expanded on-road testing in Texas. Additional routes are planned, strategically based on major freight haulage lanes.
The expansion into Austin is part of Torc’s continued, steady growth since Daimler Truck acquired a majority share two years ago. Torc has more than tripled in size and continues to grow. In 2020, Torc expanded its footprint in Blacksburg adding nearly 16,000 square feet to its headquarters, and in 2021 the company added 28,000 square feet of office space for its workforce in Blacksburg’s Corporate Research Center.
“With self-driving trucks, we are solving one of the most challenging engineering feats of our generation,” Fleming said. To support this need, the Austin office will primarily serve as another Product Development center for Torc and will employ engineering talent across the autonomy, systems, and infrastructure teams, as well as provide opportunities within product management. Torc has also been recruiting heavily for its growing engineering team in Blacksburg.
To learn more about employment opportunities at Torc Robotics, visit the Careers page.
Torc Robotics, headquartered in Blacksburg, Virginia, is an independent subsidiary of Daimler Truck AG, the global leader and pioneer in trucking. Founded in 2005 at the birth of the self-driving vehicle revolution, Torc has 16 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 self-driving trucks. “Trucking is the backbone of the U.S. economy, delivering food and products to every community in the country,” said Torc Founder Michael Fleming. “Daimler has led innovation in trucking for more than a century, from the first truck to driver assist technology. Torc is working with Daimler Truck to commercialize self-driving trucks to make our roads safer and better fulfilling our mission of saving lives.”
