Daimler's Torc partners with logistics company to develop self-driving truck transport

       According to foreign media reports, Torc Robotics, a subsidiary of Daimler Truck, announced a collaboration with a leading logistics company in the United States to further develop the practical application of autonomous trucks. Daimler is a leading OEM in the development of Level 4 autonomous trucks with critical redundant safety systems. With its independent subsidiary Torc Robotics, Daimler Truck will promote the development of autonomous trucks in the United States. Daimler and Torc have rich autonomous driving technology and long-term truck OEM partnerships, and are safely and reliably testing autonomous truck fleets on public roads in the United States every day.

       To this end, Torc has established the Torc Autonomous Advisory Council (TAAC) with key freight industry players to incorporate in-depth industry information into its development process. With customer co-creation, Torc will enter the next stage of development, focusing more on specific customer needs and specific business models. Daimler Trucks and Torc firmly believe that autonomous trucks can be realized and the technology can be commercialized within ten years.

Image source: Daimler

       Martin Daum, Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler Trucks, said: "We are committed to developing autonomous truck transportation systems that not only improve safety but also keep attention at all times. Through this system, truck operation improves efficiency and can help the market cope with the growing freight volume, especially the severe shortage of drivers. By providing services, Daimler may benefit greatly. The market has great potential, so we will develop L4 autonomous driving trucks."

       Joe Kaeser, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Daimler Truck Holding AG, said: “I have been impressed by our experience at the Albuquerque Test Center. The Daimler Truck team is doing an outstanding job with autonomous trucking. Combined with our innovative strength in sustainable technologies, we can support our customers in shaping the mobility business of the future.”

Progress in hub-to-hub deployment in the United States
       Since acquiring a majority stake in Torc three years ago, Daimler Trucks has made significant progress in autonomous trucks. Extensive testing in typical driving scenarios such as lane changes and complex merges has proven that Torc's autonomous driving software can safely navigate on highways. Recently, Torc has expanded the scope of testing and demonstrated L4 autonomous driving trucks with enhanced capabilities in more complex scenarios. These trucks are equipped with state-of-the-art lidar, radar and camera technology, capable of advanced driving behaviors on surface streets, ramps and turns at controlled intersections.

       These capabilities are critical for planned deployments in the hub-to-hub use case. In this application, drivers deliver freight using conventional trucks for the first mile to transfer hubs along highways in major U.S. freight corridors. At these hubs, trailers are combined with purpose-built Level 4 self-driving trucks that drive autonomously from hub to hub, safely on the highway. Once the Level 4 trucks reach the destination hub, last-mile delivery continues via manual trucks. The United States is an ideal testing ground for first deploying this new technology, thanks to its long, open highway stretches, increasing freight demand, large fleets, and forward-thinking regulators.

       Dr. Peter Vaughan Schmidt, head of Daimler Trucks Autonomous Driving Technology Group, said: "Three years ago, we set a clear goal to commercialize Level 4 autonomous trucks. Technically, we have come a long way. In the future, Torc will work with leading logistics companies to specifically develop practical use cases for future autonomous logistics systems."

       “With its experience in commercializing autonomous vehicle solutions and Daimler Trucks’ strong customer relationships in the freight industry, Torc has assembled a strong team to develop Level 4 technology for long-haul applications,” said Michael Fleming, Torc founder and CEO.

Daimler Trucks develops autonomous Freightliner Cascadia
       Over the past few years, engineers at Daimler Trucks North America have successfully developed the first scalable autonomous truck platform with critical safety systems. Based on Freightliner's industry-leading flagship truck, the Class 8 autonomous Cascadia with redundancy enables the deployment of autonomous trucking. The truck was designed and developed with a second set of critical systems, such as steering and braking, to meet Daimler Trucks' stringent safety standards. The vehicle continuously monitors and evaluates the health of these systems. If there is a disruption or error, the newly developed redundant system will be able to safely control the truck. The Level 4 autonomous Freightliner Cascadia represents the solid foundation required for every intelligent autonomous driving system and is ideal for the integration of autonomous driving software, hardware and computing. Thanks to system redundancy, autonomous trucks can improve traffic safety and ultimately help Daimler Trucks get closer to its vision of accident-free driving.