Torc Robotics, an independent subsidiary of Daimler Truck specializing in self-driving vehicle technology, announced a strategic collaboration with C.R. England to test Level 4 autonomous trucks. Vehicles with Level 4 autonomy are capable of driving fully autonomously in certain settings without the assistance or intervention of a human driver.

Torc and C.R. England will implement a pilot program using C.R. England’s temperature-controlled loads and Torc’s fleet of Level 4 autonomous test trucks for long-haul applications. The collaboration will serve as an expansion for Torc to support carriers in the refrigerated freight market.

The joint pilot will provide select customers with temperature-controlled capacity using the test trucks. Information from the pilot will help guide the development and ongoing commercialization of autonomous trucks for long-haul applications, according to a news release. Initial planning will begin in mid-2023, with on-road tests soon after.

“We believe this innovation will eventually provide the ability to expand our network safely, with high levels of service to our customers, all while enhancing the quality of existing driver jobs,” said Chad England, C.R. England CEO. “Specifically, by adding autonomous lanes to our network, we can expand our customer offerings and create more structured jobs for drivers at both ends of autonomous runs. Torc’s deep integration with Daimler Truck AG makes our two organizations a perfect fit for piloting this new technology.”

The pilot program with C.R. England is Torc’s second announced carrier pilot. This news comes on the heels of Torc’s recent acquisition of Algolux for its award-winning intellectual property and expertise in computer vision and machine learning.