Torc to use data from Uber Freight to develop autonomous trucking network

Daimler Truck North America (DTNA)’s autonomous trucking subsidiary, Torc Robotics, will use data from digital freight matching (DFM) platform Uber Freight to accelerate its technology development, the companies said today.

Through their agreement, Blacksburg, Virginia-based Torc will leverage insights from Uber Freight’s network to enhance the development and deployment roadmap for autonomous trucks, the partners said. Specifically, Torc will analyze data from Chicago-based Uber Freight’s logistics network, which represents $18 billion in freight under management (FUM) and over 100,000 digitally-enabled carriers. 

According to the companies, that data holds insights about how goods move successfully nationwide, such as analyzing shippers’ networks and volume patterns to identify the most suitable commercial applications for autonomous trucking deployment. Additional lessons could cover which lanes are optimal for deployment, how to prioritize the rollout of lanes and various operational design domains, balancing supply and demand across supply chains with autonomous trucks, and where to build transfer hubs to minimize local haul costs.

That information could help autonomous trucking to transcend the initial barriers of commercial adoption and address industry pain points such as labor force gaps, driver productivity, and driver safety, they said. To support that type of collaboration, the company has already created a group called the Torc Autonomous Advisory Council (TAAC), which includes Uber Freight as well as Schneider, C.R. England, Penske, Ryder, and Torc’s majority stakeholder, DTNA.

“As we have always said, collaboration in the autonomous trucking industry is paramount to the technology’s deployment at scale. Our partnership with Uber Freight is a prime example of how working together with industry players will ensure the technology is integrated seamlessly, safely, and efficiently,” Peter Vaughan Schmidt, Torc’s CEO, said in a release. “This partnership is a natural expansion of our initial working relationship through TAAC, and leveraging Uber Freight’s data and insights will help our mission to commercialize autonomous trucks at scale by 2027.”