Torc Robotics is aiming to tackle two challenges facing the U.S. trucking industry — an aging workforce and growing demand for freight capacity — by advancing its autonomous Class 8 truck technology.

Walter Grigg, director of industry partnerships at Torc, highlighted during the webinar that while immediate capacity concerns are minimal due to current economic cycles, the longer-term outlook is troubling because fewer young drivers are entering the industry in the U.S.

Grigg said that, over the next decade or two, the trucking industry will face a growing gap between the demand to move freight and the availability of drivers.

“The challenge comes 10, 15, 20 years from now,” he said, adding that the average age of truck drivers is increasing by a decade every decade. “When we know our economy is growing [and] needs to grow, and volumetric demand for capacity continues to grow… will we have the demography necessary to provide that capacity?”

Autonomy to help in longhaul operations, create new jobs

Torc believes autonomous technology can solve the challenges ahead. The company focuses on developing Level 4, fully autonomous driving technology for Class 8 trucks.

Its current vision revolves around the hub-to-hub model, which would allow autonomous trucks to handle high-mileage interstate operations while still using human drivers for more complex first- and last-mile deliveries, helping to maximize the productivity and utilization of available drivers.

In addition to new technology, the rollout of autonomous trucks will require new roles in the workforce. Grigg highlighted the need for positions such as mission managers, autonomous vehicle technicians, hub operators, and roadside assistance specialists.

“Hub operators will need to inspect these vehicles, get them prepared, hook them up, [and] get them ready to roll,” he said, adding that there will be a need for a support and maintenance network to ensure these trucks are always in top operating condition.

Grigg also said that mission managers — who would oversee the autonomous truck, monitor its health, and provide guidance on the route and timing — would most likely need to have a commercial driver’s licence (CDL) to qualify for the jobs. “If you’re providing a Class 8 truck guidance, not remote control, but you’re supporting it through an event or situation that it needs assistance…you need to have a CDL.”

Torc is currently testing its autonomous trucks in several southwestern U.S. states, including Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and Oklahoma.

All those states have been “very inviting” in the context of allowing Torc to test with “highly qualified” drivers in the trucks for oversight and control, Grigg said, stressing the importance of regulatory cooperation at the state level. While federal regulations do not yet explicitly prohibit autonomous technology, he said that the states hold the most control over the rollout and adoption of such equipment.

Safe testing and accountability remain key

Testing is only one piece of the puzzle. Safety also means building systems that can handle unpredictable real-world conditions, and proving that the assertions about autonomous truck capabilities are backed by rigorous data and scenario-based testing. To ensure this, Torc employs what Grigg described as a “model-based systems engineering” approach, which borrows from data and proven safety practices.

The company collaborates with Daimler Truck North America, a majority owner of Torc, which is developing a redundant chassis system to ensure the vehicles can safely operate. Torc is also working closely with federal and state regulatory bodies to ensure the technology meets existing safety standards.

“We still have to make sure that the vehicles are designed safely. That’s where we interact with NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration). We spend a lot of time with that group, making sure that we’re developing a safe vehicle system itself,” Grigg said. “We owe it to the next generation to allow for innovation, but also hold those innovators accountable to ensure we’re doing it safely.”