Daimler Truck aims to put driverless trucks on U.S. roads by end of 2026
Daimler Truck’s CEO Karin Rådström said the company will have Torc-operated trucks running on public roads without a safety driver before the end of 2026. She added that the first paid freight runs are slated for 2027, with broader deployment planned for 2028.
In November 2024 Torc completed driver-out validation on a closed Texas course at speeds up to 65 mph.
“We’re building the entire autonomous trucking system, from the truck platform and vehicle architecture to the hardware integration and also the autonomous driving software,” Karin Rådström, CEO of Daimler Truck said.
“For the first time, a Torc truck will be able to drive itself on public roads — not on a test track — and without a safety driver in the cab,” Karin Rådström, CEO of Daimler Truck said.
Torc previously demonstrated driver‑out operation on a closed Texas track in November 2024 at up to 65 mph. Freightliner and Western Star together held 37.8% of the North American Class 8 market through June, according to Daimler’s investor presentation.
What we know
Torc aims to run trucks on public roads with no safety driver in the cab before the end of the year, with first commercial freight operations in 2027 and plans to scale beginning in 2028.
Torc has previously demonstrated driver-out capability: In November 2024, it completed driver-out validation on a multi-lane closed course in Texas at speeds up to 65 mph, according to Torc.
Its Freightliner and Western Star brands held 37.8% of the North American Class 8 market through June, according to Daimler Truck’s second-quarter investor presentation, which bases the figure on internal analysis.
DTNA announced plans on Aug. 6 for a new U.S. manufacturing plant, with construction set to begin in late 2026 and production in 2029.
The company has sold more than 1 million Cascadias in the U.S. since the model’s 2007 introduction, Rådström said.