Penske Truck Leasing will be the maintenance service provider for autonomous trucking company Torc Robotics’ test fleet as the company works to commercialize its long-haul technology.
“Penske Truck Leasing’s expertise and impressive track record in the global trucking industry will play a significant role in getting our trucks on the road and strengthening our goal of safe operations,” said Michael Fleming, Torc founder and CEO. “Our objective is to integrate our trucks into the existing freight industry, and we are confident that a current industry leader, like Penske, will provide crucial support in doing just that.”
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Torc recently formed the Torc Autonomous Advisory Council to help it achieve a scalable, profitable, commercialized Level 4 truck solution. Penske Truck Leasing is represented on the council along with other freight industry leaders. The council offers strategic guidance to Torc as it integrates with the freight network and tackles challenges beyond highway driving.
“We are very pleased to support Torc’s fleet uptime with our best-in-class truck maintenance program,” said Paul Rosa, SVP of procurement and fleet planning for Penske Truck Leasing. “This arrangement serves as a great complement to our work on the Torc Autonomous Advisory Council.”
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Torc’s technology is outfitted on Freightliner Cascadia test tractors. Freightliner parent Daimler Truck has a majority stake in the robotics company. Torc has testing facilities in New Mexico and Virginia. The new council recently held its first meeting at its testing center in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where the company has been hosting fleets and other industry leaders to show them its potential and how it could fold into their various operations.
