Texas Road Tour 2025: Legislators, First Responders Learn About Autonomous Trucking

by Kiley Thompson | Apr 11, 2025 | Education, Featured

Torc at GTC 2025, announcing collaboration with NVIDIA and Flex

On the road again! Our Torc autonomous truck traveled between Austin and Ft. Worth for the Texas Road Tour 2025

Willie Nelson famously sings about being on the road again, and Torcrs (with their love of all things transportation) made that our theme song during the last week of March 2025. Meeting with both state and local government as well as first responders, we put a few more miles on our autonomous truck between Austin and Fort Worth. Read on to find out details of the events.

March 25

We started the week in Austin, Texas, meeting with individuals from the Texas Department of Transportation at their Stassney Lane facility. Torc brought a vehicle to participate in the TXDOT AV Industry Demonstration Day, which showcased innovative technologies including autonomous passenger vehicles, trucks, and drones.

During this event, Torc met with various departments of transportation and departments of motor vehicles to discuss the benefits of autonomous driving and trucking. We had many meaningful conversations focused on sharing Torc’s approach to safety and how AVs can improve the safety and efficiency of freight transportation.

March 26

Torc conducted a First Responder Training event at Torc’s interim lot in Ft. Worth. Torc staff met with law enforcement, fire, EMS, and other first responders to discuss how to safely and effectively interact with Torc trucks.

“A great highlight was seeing how curious and engaged local first responders are about our trucks,” said Anita Kim, Director of Government Affairs and Policy. “They really appreciated the ability to see our technology up close and learn about how to interact safely with our trucks.”

Richard Russell, Torc’s Senior Manager of First Responder Policy, noted the interest of local law enforcement for Torc to conduct more one-on-one training experiences in the future.

March 27

Braving a stormy forecast, we finished the Road Tour back in Austin. We welcomed many individuals at the Texas state capitol where several companies participated in an autonomous vehicle showcase hosted by the Innovation and Technology Caucus of the Texas Legislature.

“Educating policymakers and first responders about how Torc is approaching safety and our future plans in Texas is critical to successful deployment in the state,” said Anita. “It is really important to have collaborative relationships where we operate and we are planning more events in the coming months.”

Daimler Truck CFO Eva Scherer Joins Torc Board

by Torc | Apr 2, 2025 | News

Daimler Truck Chief Financial Officer Eva Scherer smiles at the camera in a blue blouse and black blazer.

Daimler Truck CFO Eva Scherer Joins Torc Board

Torc is pleased to announce that Eva Scherer, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Daimler Truck Holding AG, has joined Torc’s Board of Directors as of February 24th, 2025. She joins the current board members Karin Rådström, CEO of Daimler Truck, John O’Leary, President and CEO of Daimler Truck North America, and Peter Vaughan Schmidt, Torc’s CEO.

“I am looking forward to joining Torc’s Board of Directors to support the company on their journey towards the commercialization of autonomous trucking,” said Scherer.

Peter Vaughan Schmidt, CEO of Torc, welcomed Scherer to the Board, stating, “Eva’s leadership comes at a crucial time as Torc accelerates its development and commercialization efforts, from strengthening our engineering presence in Ann Arbor to launching a new autonomous truck hub in Dallas-Fort Worth. We’re proud to have her financial expertise as Daimler Truck’s CFO on Torc’s Board as we move toward the commercialization of autonomous trucking in 2027.”

Before becoming CFO of Daimler Truck in April 2024, Scherer held key leadership roles at Siemens AG, including Executive Vice President and Global Head of Investor Relations. With a background in strategic financial management across Europe, Asia-Pacific and the Middle East, she has led initiatives that drive growth and successful long-term value creation.

GTC 2025 Recap: ‘The Competition Is Shocked’ By Progress, Collaboration With NVIDIA, Flex

by Kiley Thompson | Mar 25, 2025 | Featured, News

Sometimes, conferences are so big, they become a city within a city… with a very specific agenda. During the week of March 17, 2025, Over 39,000 people descended on San Jose to see all industry giant NVIDIA had to offer at their annual GPU Technology Conference, or GTC. Too big for a booth, one of Torc’s latest generation of autonomous trucks was stationed in the outdoor GTC exhibit area in Cesar Chavez Park, along with our 2025 custom Torc event experience space.

At the heart of the Torc experience, conference attendees closely inspected a sample of Flex’s Jupiter compute design platform, the scalable deck that holds the NVIDIA-powered DRIVE Orin system-on-a-chip (SoC) and DriveOS operating system. This scalable high-performance production hardware and software platform is already on the roads in our autonomous-ready Freightliner Cascadias.

“It was really exciting to make our GTC debut this week, along with the announcement of our NVIDIA and Flex collaboration,” CJ King, Torc CTO, said at the event. “As we get closer to commercialization, it’s essential to share more of our best-in-class technology and get our world-class engineers out here to meet and share the story of Torc with others.”

In case you missed it: Torc Collaborates with Flex on Physical AI Platform for Autonomous Trucks, Accelerated by NVIDIA

Virtual Reality was one of the most popular attendee experiences across all the exhibitors this year, including the Torc VR, which allows individuals to “see” the built-in redundancies and systems inside the Freightliner Cascadia chassis. The Autonomous Demo Experience, which plays recorded Torc ADS highway drives along with their sensor visualizations, provided context when speaking to visitors about our sensor suite and product acceptance.

“Showcasing Torc’s production-intent hardware, software and AD kit on Daimler’s Freightliner Cascadia at this level created a significant wave of attention,” said Andrew Culhane, CCO. “We’re thankful for the attention we got from the thousands of GTC attendees, reporters, and technology partners. It’s another proof point that we’re right where we need to be right now, leading the pack in autonomy.”

The world’s leader in AI technology, NVIDIA announced the releases of new Rubin GPUs for 2026, Rubin Ultra in 2027, a new Feynman architecture in 2028, as well as the next-gen Blackwell Ultra B3000 GPUs. Jensen Huang’s two-hour keynote address on Tuesday drew over 20k people to San Jose’s SAP Center.

In case you missed it: GM, Gatik, Torc Team Up With NVIDIA to Accelerate Self-Driving

Torc's autonomous truck among the crowd at GTC

Torc Collaborates with Flex on Physical AI Platform for Autonomous Trucks, Accelerated by NVIDIA

by Torc | Mar 18, 2025 | News, Featured

The platform leverages NVIDIA DRIVE AGX with Flex’s Jupiter compute platform and manufacturing capabilities to support Torc’s productization and scaled market entry in 2027

BLACKSBURG, Va – March 18, 2025 – Torc, a pioneer in commercializing self-driving class 8 trucks, today announced its collaboration with Flex (NASDAQ: FLEX), a world-class provider of automotive-grade compute platforms, and NVIDIA to develop a scalable physical AI compute system for autonomous trucks.

The physical AI developed at Torc enables self-driving trucks to perceive, understand, and perform complex actions in the real (physical) world. For Torc, physical AI is the core of its software stack that enables trucks to autonomously perceive and navigate their surroundings end-to-end and in real-time using sensors like lidar, radar, and cameras. This allows the truck to make informed decisions about lane changes, braking, and obstacle avoidance to ensure safe and efficient autonomous driving operations and is the first deployment of physical AI for autonomous long-haul trucking at production scale.

Torc collaborated closely with NVIDIA on a multi-chip adaptable architecture that leverages DRIVE AGX using the DRIVE Orin system-on-a-chip (SoC) and DriveOS operating system, and with Flex for their Jupiter compute design platform and advanced manufacturing capabilities. This provides Torc with a scalable high-performance production hardware and software platform based on the autonomous-ready Freightliner Cascadia equipped with advanced technologies and redundant systems designed to support future deployment of autonomous driving capabilities. This platform was successfully validated by Torc’s driverless product acceptance test on a closed course at highway speeds last year.

NVIDIA DRIVE solutions, paired with Flex’s automotive compute design capabilities, adhere to Torc’s stringent size, performance, cost, and reliability requirements while meeting the total cost of ownership targets of its fleet customers who are pursuing non-stop, long-haul driverless trucking integration. This work provides a true Software Defined Vehicle (SDV) functionality: it is adaptable to ever changing operational design domains, including new lanes, new routes, new hubs, new hardware and sensor configurations, new operational rules, new road conditions, and more.

“NVIDIA DRIVE AGX has been industry-proven in full production for automotive real-time applications at the edge. It delivers the high compute performance, low latency, and multi-sensor connectivity needed for Torc’s sophisticated autonomous trucking software, delivering robust perception, prediction, and planning for safe and reliable operation,” said Rishi Dhall, Vice President of Automotive at NVIDIA. “Torc is on a clear path to scalable production for its commercial launch in 2027 and working toward a seamless upgrade to NVIDIA DRIVE AGX with DRIVE Thor.”

“Our collaboration with Torc, Daimler Truck, and NVIDIA illustrates how Flex partners across the full ecosystem to enable mobility companies to launch next-generation technology with greater resilience and speed,” said Mike Thoeny, President, Automotive, Flex. “We appreciate the trust Torc and Daimler Truck have placed in Flex through leveraging our Jupiter compute platform and advanced manufacturing capabilities to deliver autonomous long-haul trucking at scale.”

“Using Daimler Truck’s autonomous Freightliner Cascadias with built-in redundancy, our work with NVIDIA and Flex is already providing a stable and proven foundation for Torc’s autonomous vehicle technology,” said Torc’s CEO, Peter Vaughan Schmidt, “By leveraging NVIDIA’s DRIVE AGX in-vehicle compute and DriveOS, along with Flex’s Jupiter compute platform, we are able to ensure a low-risk, high-confidence path to production that is able to seamlessly transition as NVIDIA’s and Flex’s solutions continue to evolve.”

Along with Flex, Torc will showcase the advanced capabilities of the joint solution on its demo truck at NVIDIA’s upcoming GTC event from March 17-21, 2025, in San Jose, CA.

About Torc

Torc, 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 nearly 20 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. In addition to its Blacksburg headquarters and engineering offices in Austin, Texas, and Montreal, Canada, Torc has a fleet operations facility in the Dallas-Fort Worth area in Texas, to support the company’s productization and commercialization efforts, as well as a presence in Ann Arbor, MI, to take advantage of the autonomous and automotive talent base in that region. 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.

Manifest 2025: Torc’s autonomous showcase debut steals the limelight

by Kiley Thompson | Feb 18, 2025 | News

Every trade show has that one booth that stands out as memorable. At Manifest 2025, from February 10-12 in Las Vegas, Torc was the owner of that booth. With the debut of our new road-show ready, custom-wrapped, open sided showcase trailer – pulled by an autonomous truck and positioned right at the front of the exhibit hall – the Torc presence at booth 215 had all the attendees talking.

Of particular interest to the attendees was a new demo experience setup, complete with a real Freightliner Cascadia driver’s seat. Guests choose from a selection of drives with their accompanying ADS data, to experience the wheel tracking while following the views and visualizations. The demo experience also highlights Aeva’s velocity-perception lidar providing another layer of explanation. After getting a first-pass explanation of self-driving technology, participants remarked they had a better understanding of the significance of the 2024 product acceptance footage playing on booth screens. Many conversations concluded with a truck walk-around and sensor sighting, ending with a selfie moment.

“We’re making it a point to get louder,” said Andrew Culhane, Torc’s Chief Commercialization Officer, who participated in a fireside chat about autonomous futures at the show. “With the new relationships we’re creating at shows like Manifest, we’re creating that larger and more complete autonomous ecosystem necessary to drive the future of freight for our partners. The Manifest show is a great place to have a spotlight moment.”

“Whenever we’re able to talk with freight professionals, trucking companies, supply chain experts and innovation thought leaders, we want to put our best foot forward and educate, not only about what we’re doing, but what the broader horizon holds for all of us,” said Jane Bailey, Vice President of Marketing & Communications. “Manifest is an exciting place to share how and what we’re doing with people who get the enormity of this technology.”

TransportTopics published news direct from the show floor, mentioning Torc’s attendance and the launch of hub-to-hub highway operations in 2027. Torc CEO Peter Vaughan Schmidt participated in a roundtable discussion on Wednesday, February 12, with Dustin Koehl, COO of Covenant, Josh Araujo, CEO of Forterra, and Paul Enos, CEO of the Nevada Trucking Association, moderated by Richard Bishop.

Manifest attracted 6,000 freight logistics, supply chain, and innovation professionals in 2025. This year’s Torc footprint and presence was the largest so far in the company’s history.

Torc's autonomous truck at Manifest 2025; a black semi-truck, wrapped with orange and blue abstract shapes, parked beneath a Torc sign

A banner that reads, "Torc.AI" on a convention center floor.

Torc Robotics' booth at Manifest: a truck trailer broken out with places to sit, watch videos about Torc, and talk to Torc employees.

The inside of Torc Robotics' booth at Manifest 2025. Several black couches and brown leather loveseats surround a coffee table; TVs mounted on the walls offer a look at the Torc truck on the road.

Torc Robotics employees pose in front of a booth at Manifest 2025.

Torc CEO, Peter Vaughn Schmidt, poses in front of Torc's black autonomous truck at a convention center.

Dr. Nico Heußner: Advancing Lidar Technology for Self-Driving Trucks

by Torc | Feb 13, 2025 | People Ops

Dr. Nico Huebner speaks at an automotive panel.

Advancing Lidar Technology for Self-Driving Trucks

Building safe, commercially viable autonomous vehicles starts with reliable hardware and a redundant system. Across all levels of self-driving car and truck, lidar is a critical piece of safety equipment. In tandem with cameras and radar units, lidar allows our autonomous trucking stack to develop a full and complete image of the environment around it.

Every day, we’re laser-focused on developing new approaches for our self-driving technology – including our lidar units. In his capacity as a component engineer for long range lidar, Dr. Nico Heußner is a leading force in advancing our lidar technology through strong expertise, paired with advanced project lead skills and the ability to educate both colleagues and students alike.

A Leader in Lidar at Torc Robotics

As a senior member of the hardware engineering team at Torc, Dr. Heußner leads Torc’s 4D lidar hardware components. Whether it’s selecting the best components available, defining sensor sets, solving bugs, or evaluating environmental impacts, his experience in optical design and system architecture allows him to understand every aspect of a sensor unit.

On a day to day basis, Dr. Heußner’s work includes organizing workshops amongst both product and engineering teams, embarking and leading technical deep dives, and ensuring communication across all stakeholder teams – including investors like Daimler Truck, a world class leader in the commercial auto space, and partners like Aeva, Torc’s long range lidar supplier. He’s also often in the field leading hands-on hardware and software troubleshooting, such as Torc’s recent autonomous product validation.

Dr. Heußner credits his success in lidar to a mix of early exposure, hands-on experience, and mentorship during his Ph.D. and subsequent career at Bosch. “It was a mixture of high interest and motivation, a lot of work, and being in the right environment to pursue these interests,” he explains.

At Torc, Dr. Heußner thrives on the opportunity to make a tangible impact. “While I had learned about lidar sensors for many years, it is now about putting them to use to enable our L4 trucks.”

His ultimate vision is to look back one day and see self-driving trucks in action, knowing he played a part in their development.

It’s no secret that there are challenges to produce a safe, commercially viable self-driving truck. From working with federal and state regulators to developing robust and redundant safety protocols, the development landscape has a few hills to climb. However, Dr. Heußner is confident that self-driving truck companies like Torc Robotics will be able to find solutions that fit into each unique road, city, and carrier environment.

He manages sensor requirements across the autonomous fleet, working with partners like AEVA and Daimler Truck to find hardware solutions that can be implemented within the constraints of schedule, budget, team workload, and more. His ability to consider multiple factors when making decisions adds to the Torc team’s capacity to remain flexible across a fast-paced environment.

He also highlights communication as a critical skill for engineers. Over years of teaching and collaborating with colleagues, Dr. Heußner has refined his ability to convey complex ideas effectively—a skill he continues to develop.

Shaping the Future of Self-Driving Trucks

As the automotive industry moves toward greater autonomy, lidar remains a cornerstone of innovation. Dr. Nico Heußner’s expertise and dedication to both the technology and the people behind it exemplify the kind of leadership needed to turn bold visions into reality. His work at Torc Robotics is about equipping autonomous truck technology with the latest sensors, paving the way for safer, more efficient transportation systems that will define the future of logistics and mobility.

Daimler Truck CEO Karin Rådström Joins Torc Board of Directors

by Kiley Thompson | Jan 28, 2025 | News

The Torc Board of Directors is welcoming a new member.

Daimler Truck CEO Karin Rådström has joined the Torc Board of Directors as of January 1, 2025. She joins John O’Leary, President and CEO of Daimler Truck North America; Stefan Kürschner, CFO at Daimler Truck North America; and Peter Vaughan Schmidt, Torc’s CEO. Rådström succeeded former CEO Martin Daum on October 1, 2024. Daum stepped down from the Torc Board upon his retirement, effective December 31, 2024.

“I am excited to join the Torc Board of Directors,” said Rådström. “Since the driverless closed course product release last year, the company has been making progress in commercialization planning and hub logistics. I look forward to the work ahead of us.”

“Karin Rådström brings a new perspective to the Torc Board and will be instrumental in helping guide us toward our commercial launch in 2027. I am honored and very pleased she’s willing to serve as a Torc Board member,” said Peter Vaughan Schmidt upon Rådström’s appointment.

Karin Rådström joined Daimler Truck’s Board of Management in 2021, responsible for Mercedes-Benz Trucks and the regions Europe and Latin America. Before joining Daimler Truck, she has held several Management positions at Scania, including Senior Vice President, Head of Buses & Coaches. Since October 2024, she is Chairwoman of the Board of Management of Daimler Truck Holding AG and Daimler Truck AG.

Torc’s First Responder Program Recent Highlights

by Torc | June 26, 2025 | Education | 0 Comments

Torc’s First Responder Team recently conducted comprehensive training sessions for more than 150 first responders representing 33 distinct agencies along the Texas I-35 corridor. This initiative is a critical part of Torc’s commitment to preparing the first responder...

Torc Announces New Engineering Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan, to Further Fuel Autonomous Vehicle Innovation

by Torc | June 24, 2025 | News, Featured | 0 Comments

Strategic Location Taps into Regional Automotive and Tech Talent, Builds on Recent Dallas Forth-Worth Expansion Blacksburg, VA – June 24, 2025 – Torc, a pioneer in commercializing self-driving class 8 trucks, today announced the establishment of a new engineering...

Torc Joins the Stanford Center for AI Safety to Conduct Joint Research on AI Safety for Level 4 Autonomous Trucking

by Torc | June 17, 2025 | Press Releases, Featured, News | 0 Comments

The collaboration aims to advance autonomous trucking safety through cutting-edge AI research Blacksburg, VA – June 17, 2025 – Torc, a pioneer in commercializing self-driving class 8 trucks, today announced its membership with the Stanford Center for AI Safety, which...

Torc Takes CES 2025

by Kiley Thompson | Jan 9, 2025 | News

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

The new year, and Torc's 20th Anniversary, kicked off in Las Vegas

Torc started 2025 – its 20th anniversary year – in a big way, by making a splash at CES in Las Vegas, January 7-10, 2025. As guests of partner Aeva, one of Torc’s newest autonomous trucks took center stage in the booth, sparking conversations and questions from CES attendees and visitors.

Many booth visitors approached with questions from a freight company owner/operator perspective, and spoke with Torc’s own truck drivers, asking about the truck and its technology, as well as product market entry, parameters, and software availability. With the Torc truck on hand to act as the Aeva show-and-tell example, our Torc team happily explained the use of the Aeva sensors in visualizations. A healthy portion of questions came from international attendees looking for solutions to their own supply chain issues, proving autonomous trucking’s market continues to widen.

Additionally, the Aeva booth hosted a panel, Deploying Autonomous Trucks at Scale, moderated by Richard Bishop, of Bishop Consulting. Torc CEO Peter Vaughn Schmidt joined in the conversation, along with Joanna Buttler, the head of the global autonomous technology group at Daimler Truck, and Soroush Salehian, co-founder and CEO of Aeva. Watch the panel below.

“Partnerships are the backbone of our work and our company, and so being at CES with Aeva shows the commitment we have to creating an autonomous ecosystem with technology, freight logistics, and more,” said Walter Grigg, Customer & Partnerships Management Director.

“Starting 2025 here sets our pace for the year,” said Andrew Culhane, who celebrated his 17th Torc anniversary while at CES. “We ended 2024 on an upswing and we’re continuing to get out there, showing what 20 years of Torc innovation is doing to drive the future of freight.”

An industry only event, CES hosts presentations of new products and technologies. The first “Consumer Electronics Show” was held in Chicago in 1967, where new technology such as pocket radios and TVs with integrated circuits were displayed. This year, AI, automotive and smart home technology held center stage.

Click through the pictures below to get an idea of Torc and Aeva at CES 2025.

A screen at a convention center displaying a Panel Discussion called, "Deploying Autonomous Trucks at Scale". Daimler Truck's Joanna Butler, Torc's Peter Vaughn Schmidt, Aeva's Soroush Salesian, and Richard Bishop are all speaking on the panel.

Self-driving vehicle company CEO, Peter Vaughn Schmitt, speaks on a panel at CES

Two AEVA employees in suits seated in front of a black background that reads, "AEVA".

Torc's black autonomous semi-truck parked on the CES convention center floor; an employee shares information with a convention goer in front of the truck

A diorama of farming equipment at a convention.

The Autonomous Freight panel at CES: four men speak on a stage beneath a screen advertising the name of the panel.

Torc CEO, Peter Vaughan Schmidt, and John Bozzella, Alliance CEO, speak on a panel at CES

Sunset, sunset aerial Ft Worth AllianceTexas

Torc Signs Lease Agreement for New Autonomous Truck Hub in Dallas-Fort Worth Area for Testing and Commercial Operations

by Torc | Jan 7, 2025 | News

New space in AllianceTexas will support the growth and development of Torc’s autonomous driving product

BLACKSBURG, Va – Jan. 7, 2024 – Torc, an independent subsidiary of Daimler Truck AG and a pioneer in commercializing self-driving vehicle technology, today announced the company has signed a leasing agreement for a facility located in Hillwood’s AllianceTexas development that will serve as Torc’s autonomous truck hub in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The new location will be a hub for Torc’s autonomous testing efforts, customer freight pilots, and future commercialization slated for 2027.

The site will feature a customer experience center, offices, and dedicated control centers for fleet management and operations. Well into productization, Torc’s expansion in the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area positions the company for the next phase of autonomous driving and provides a strategic advantage due to its proximity to a major freight route between Dallas and Laredo, Texas, on Interstate 35. 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 last year, opening up a prime opportunity for Torc’s growth.

“Establishing our presence in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, a key region for the future of autonomous trucking, is a critical milestone for Torc,” commented Peter Vaughan Schmidt, CEO. “This new hub will enable us to better serve our current and future customers, enhance our operational capabilities, and drive forward the adoption of autonomous technology in the logistics industry. As we work toward commercialization, the new hub will give us access to talent, resources and routes that we didn’t previously have, and we’re excited about the growth opportunities ahead.”

“Opening our Dallas Fort Worth hub is a testament to the incredible progress Torc has made. This new hub not only expands our operational footprint but also reinforces our commitment to advancing autonomous technology,” said Andrew Culhane, Chief Commercial Officer for Torc. “This comes on the heels of the successful product acceptance test validation of our autonomous trucks without a driver in a multi-lane, closed-course, highway-speed environment, further showcasing our dedication to the highest safety and product maturity standards. As we continue through the productization phase of our development cycle, we are excited about the future and the opportunities this new hub opens up.”

“We are excited to welcome Torc to AllianceTexas. This collaboration highlights Hillwood’s commitment to fostering mobility innovation and building a more resilient supply chain ecosystem with industry-leading technology, reliable infrastructure, and forward-thinking customers,” said Ian Kinne, Director of Logistics Innovation at Hillwood. “The strategic location of this hub along the critical freight corridor of Interstate 35 is a testament to some of the unique advantages of AllianceTexas. Torc’s presence here will further drive innovation, enhance connectivity, and provide significant value to our customers as we work toward a more efficient and connected future in logistics.”

The hub will be located at 13119 Old Denton Rd., Fort Worth, TX 76177, and Torc plans to start occupying the new space early this year. The new site includes an 18-acre facility and 22,000 square feet of office space. The facility will be built out over the first half of 2025, ensuring it complies with the standards required for autonomous vehicle operations.

Announced in late 2024, Torc is also expanding its workforce in the Ann Arbor, Mich., area, where it plans to hire more than 100 positions in the coming months.

Photo provided by Hillwood/AllianceTexas

About Torc

Torc, 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 nearly 20 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. In addition to its Blacksburg headquarters and engineering offices in Austin, Texas, and Montreal, Canada, Torc has a fleet operations facility in the Dallas-Fort Worth area in Texas, to support the company’s productization and commercialization efforts, as well as a presence in Ann Arbor, MI, to take advantage of the autonomous and automotive talent base in that region. 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.

About AllianceTexas

Developed by Hillwood, AllianceTexas is an unparalleled regional success story that has transformed the North Texas economy and connected the area to global industry. Consisting of 27,000 acres, the development is anchored by the world’s first dedicated industrial airport, Perot Field Fort Worth Alliance Airport (AFW), and hosts one of the nation’s premier intermodal hubs. Today, AllianceTexas is home to 575 companies that have created more than 66,000 direct jobs and have approximately 58 million square feet of developed commercial real estate assets. The development’s cumulative impact since 1989 is an estimated $120 billion for the North Texas region. For additional information, please visit www.alliancetexas.com.

The AllianceTexas Mobility Innovation Zone (MIZ) spans the 27,000-acre industrial-focused, public-private ecosystem that brings policymakers and industry innovators together to propel surface and air mobility forward. By leveraging its one-of-a-kind infrastructure, the MIZ offers unparalleled resources to comprehensively scale and commercialize the latest logistics and mobility technologies. For more information on the AllianceTexas MIZ and how your organization can be part of this industry-shaping environment, visit www.alliancetexasmiz.com.

Torc Robotics Honored with Food Logistics and Supply & Demand Chain Executive’s 2024 Top Software & Tech Award in the Robotics Category

by Kiley Thompson | Dec 19, 2024 | News

Recognized for Pioneering Robotics Solutions

Food Logistics and Supply & Demand Chain Executive have named Torc Robotics as a winner of the “Robotics” category in the 2024 Top Software & Tech awards. Organized by Food Logistics and Supply & Demand Chain Executive, The Top Software & Tech awards acknowledge software and technology solutions aimed at enhancing supply chain automation, efficiency and visibility. Torc’s Virtual Driver technology, recognized for its innovative approach, is reshaping the freight and logistics sector by addressing some of the industry’s most pressing challenges, from labor shortages to road safety.

The award submission for Torc’s Virtual Driver technology showcased its groundbreaking capabilities and highlighted its unique contributions to the freight and logistics sector. As part of the entry, Torc emphasized how its Virtual Driver technology goes beyond traditional artificial intelligence technologies by addressing specific industry pain points, such as driver shortages and operational inefficiencies. By demonstrating the technology’s ability to automate long-haul routes through a sophisticated integration of sensors, real-time data processing and AI-driven decision-making, Torc’s submission underscored the Virtual Driver’s potential to redefine the future of freight.

Taking the Road Less Traveled in Robotics

In a competitive field where nearly half of the submissions focused on supply chain visibility solutions (43%), Torc Robotics distinguished itself with its Virtual Driver technology. Unlike the majority of entries, which were primarily enhancements of existing technologies (55%), Torc’s Virtual Driver stood out as an advanced, new-to-market solution designed to reshape long-haul logistics.

“Winning the 2024 Top Software & Tech Award in the robotics category is a testament to our team’s dedication to advancing freight automation,” said Peter Vaughan Schmidt, CEO of Torc Robotics. “With milestones like validating our Virtual Driver in driverless testing at highway speeds, we’re proving how this technology can deliver reliable, cost-effective and scalable solutions with strong product-market fit for our customers.”

“Automation, sustainability, smart technology, supply chain optimization and risk management were the major themes of this year’s new software and technology solutions. These new products and enhancements are upping the ante in modernizing how product moves through the chain, and I appreciate everything this year’s winners do to ensure the safety, security and sustainability of our supply chains,” says Marina Mayer, Editor-in-Chief of Food Logistics and Supply & Demand Chain Executive.

Please visit https://foodl.me/kmr2r068 to view the full list of winners.