Daimler Truck North America has begun delivering its latest autonomous-ready Freightliner Cascadia trucks to Torc Robotics, marking a step toward commercializing SAE Level 4 driverless technology.
The new trucks—based on the fifth-generation Cascadia unveiled last year— are equipped with redundant safety features like braking and steering and are intended for series production. Daimler says in a news release that the platform, developed specifically for autonomous integration, meets over 1,500 engineering requirements and a second set of electronically controlled systems like an integrated power network.
The platform is built for SAE Level 4 autonomy, where the system takes full control of driving on freight routes between hubs without human intervention. Daimler and its subsidiary Torc plan to begin commercial operations in the U.S. by 2027, with Torc entering the productization stage to prepare for the release. It has recently signed a lease for a new autonomous hub in the Dallas-Fort Worth area to support testing, customer pilots, and future deployment.
The new vehicles will be tested in autonomous mode along a newly added route between Laredo and Dallas, Texas, in addition to existing lanes in New Mexico, Texas, and Arizona. The Laredo-Dallas corridor, primarily following I-35, is one of the busiest freight lanes in the U.S., connecting major cities like San Antonio and Austin.
“Delivering the latest iteration of our autonomous-ready vehicle platform, including production-intent autonomy hardware to Torc, marks a significant milestone for Daimler Truck towards series maturity and scaling.” said Joanna Buttler, head of Daimler’s Autonomous Technology Group, in the release.
Peter Vaughan Schmidt, CEO of Torc, added that the integration of the Torc virtual driver with Daimler’s scalable truck platform represents “an industry-first, scalable, physical-AI autonomous trucking solution.”
He said, “Our strong collaboration with Daimler Truck represents six years of success in advancing the future of freight… This will unlock tremendous value for our customers by addressing key industry pain points and presents a clear opportunity to generate revenue and drive meaningful transformation across the industry.”
The latest version of the Cascadia not only supports autonomy but also includes aerodynamic upgrades, expanded safety features with the Detroit Assurance Suite, and a new intelligent braking control system, and more. Daimler says the truck now delivers more than 35% better fuel economy compared to its first-generation model introduced in 2007.