Daimler Truck Advances Autonomous Driving with Cooperation

Daimler Truck is one of the leading truck manufacturers in the development of autonomous trucks (SAE Level 4) with safety-relevant redundant driving systems. With its independent subsidiary Torc Robotics, Daimler Truck is advancing the development of autonomous truck transport in the USA. The companies share the longest-standing partnership in the industry between a developer of autonomous driving systems and a truck manufacturer.

(Stuttgart/Portland/Albuquerque) For years, the partners have been operating a fleet of autonomous trucks safely and reliably in daily test operations on public roads in the USA. Torc is now taking the next step and is collaborating with leading US logistics companies to bring autonomous trucks into practical application. To this end, Torc has established the “Torc Autonomous Advisory Council” (TAAC) with key players from the logistics industry to integrate comprehensive industry expertise into its development process. Members of the council include Schneider, Covenant Logistics, Penske Truck Leasing, Ryder System, Inc., C.H. Robinson, and Baton, as well as Daimler Truck North America as the vehicle manufacturer. The companies advise Torc on the integration of autonomous systems into their processes and business models. This also includes operational topics that go beyond just driving on the highway. With this approach of “Customer Co-Creation,” Torc is focusing even more on specific customer requirements and concrete business models, thus entering the next phase of development. Daimler Truck and Torc continue to pursue the goal of developing autonomous trucks for long-distance transport and bringing them into series production within this decade.

Martin Daum, CEO of Daimler Truck: “We are working intensively on autonomous truck transport, as everyone can benefit from it. Self-driving trucks according to Level 4 will help increase road safety, as autonomous systems do not get tired or distracted. Additionally, efficiency in logistics will be enhanced, as trucks do not need breaks and are therefore on the road more. Furthermore, autonomous driving will help manage the steadily growing freight volume, especially during times of significant driver shortages. For Daimler Truck, we see the potential to increase our service revenue. There are also significant market and growth opportunities. For all these reasons, we are developing the autonomous truck of the future.”

Joe Kaeser, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Daimler Truck Holding AG: “I am truly impressed by what we experienced at the test center in Albuquerque. The Daimler Truck team has done a fascinating job in autonomous truck transport. The ride in the Level 4 truck gives a real sense of what is possible. Combined with our innovative strength in sustainable technologies, we can support our customers in developing their business models for the mobility of the future.”

Progress on the Path to “Hub-to-Hub” Application

Since Daimler Truck acquired a majority stake in Torc three years ago, the companies have made significant progress in autonomous driving. Typical driving scenarios such as lane changes and other challenging traffic situations on highways have been intensively tested over the past years. Torc has thus provided evidence that its autonomous driving software can navigate safely on the highway. Torc has since expanded its road testing and is demonstrating self-driving L4 trucks with enhanced capabilities in more complex scenarios. The trucks are equipped with state-of-the-art LiDAR, radar, and camera technology. This enables driving behavior adapted to the respective situations on feeder roads and ramps, as well as when turning at intersections.

These advanced capabilities are essential for the planned “Hub-to-Hub” deployment. In this first application case, driver-operated trucks are to deliver goods on the “first mile” to so-called transfer hubs. These are located near highways that lie in important US freight corridors. L4-autonomous trucks will then take over the trailer along with the cargo, transporting it safely and independently over long distances from one hub to another. Once the autonomous trucks reach the destination hub, the “last mile” will again be covered by driver-operated trucks. The USA offers an ideal first application field for the deployment of this new technology with its long highways, increasing demand for freight transport, large truck fleets, and forward-looking regulatory authorities.

Developing Real Application Cases

Dr. Peter Vaughan Schmidt, Head of the Autonomous Technology Group at Daimler Truck: “Three years ago, we set ourselves the clear goal of bringing autonomous trucks successfully to the market. Technologically, we have come a long way since then. Torc is now collaborating with leading logistics companies to develop the real application case of an autonomous logistics system of the future. Our partners and we have the necessary pioneering spirit for this, and we are on the right track together to help autonomous truck transport achieve a breakthrough.”

Michael Fleming, Founder and CEO of Torc: “Together with Daimler Truck, we form a strong team in developing Level 4 technology for long-distance applications. This is based on Torc’s experience in marketing autonomous solutions and Daimler Truck’s close customer relationships. The collaboration with our partners from the logistics industry creates numerous opportunities to develop concepts and infrastructure. Additionally, we are jointly advancing the further development of autonomous long-distance trucks, the operational fleet operation in the hub-to-hub application, and the topic of fleet service.”

Development of the “autonomous-ready” Freightliner Cascadia

In recent years, experts from Daimler Truck North America have successfully developed the first scalable, safe, and reliable platform for autonomous trucks: The “autonomous-ready Cascadia” with redundant functions is based on the industry-leading flagship model of the Daimler Truck brand Freightliner and is the foundational building block for self-driving trucks. Critical systems such as steering and brakes are available as backups in dual form and are continuously monitored by the vehicle to ensure maximum safety. In case of malfunctions or errors, the newly developed redundant systems can safely control the truck. The “autonomous-ready” Freightliner Cascadia is thus fully suitable for the integration of autonomous software, hardware, and computing systems. Through the redundancy of the systems, the autonomously driving truck can significantly contribute to increasing road safety. Daimler Truck sees this as another important step towards accident-free driving.

Photo: © Daimler Truck