BLACKSBURG, Va – March 10, 2026 – Torc, a pioneer in commercializing self-driving class 8 vans, as we speak introduced its participation in a newly awarded GO Virginia Area 2 planning grant led by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI)’s Dock to Door Coalition (D2D). The one-year grant will assist planning efforts to align college and group faculty curriculum with evolving workforce wants throughout the autonomous automobile manufacturing ecosystem.
The initiative is designed to put the groundwork for the long run D2D Pathways Program, which might streamline coaching packages throughout Virginia to arrange college students and mid-career professionals for in-demand roles — together with inspection and safety-critical positions supporting autonomous industrial motor automobiles. The autonomous manufacturing sector is the second largest in Virginia’s Area 2, thus, alternatives to specialize and upskill are crucial to staying on tempo with {industry} progress.
As an {industry} associate, Torc is contributing material experience to assist determine core competencies, coaching suggestions, and credentialing alternatives required for inspectors and technicians working with autonomous vans. This consists of aligning curriculum ideas with nationally acknowledged inspection and security frameworks (equivalent to CVSA) and defining profession lattices that join entry-level credentials to mid- and advanced-level roles.
“The autonomous trucking {industry} is quickly advancing, and we acknowledge a robust want for skilled specialists within the subject,” mentioned Anita Kim, director, state authorities and regulatory affairs at Torc Robotics. “By working alongside VTTI and the Dock to Door Coalition, we’re serving to be certain that schooling and coaching pathways mirror the abilities wanted to assist secure autonomous trucking operations — and that these pathways result in sustainable jobs right here in Virginia.”
The planning grant brings collectively {industry}, tutorial, nonprofit and public-sector stakeholders by way of the Dock to Door Coalition, a community of greater than 90 companions spanning the provision chain. The trouble will deal with mapping present packages, figuring out gaps, and recommending pathways that assist each autonomous and electrical automobile manufacturing and operations.
“This work is about translating {industry} demand into actionable coaching pathways,” mentioned Kaitlyn Bedwell, challenge lead and a workforce chief inside the provide chain, transportation, automation and useful resource sustainability workforce at VTTI. “As new insurance policies and license necessities emerge, working alongside Torc, which is on the frontline of {industry} improvements, will assist our college students and future engineers keep forward of the curve.”
The GO Virginia Area 2 planning grant started on November 15, 2025, and can run for one 12 months. Findings from the trouble are anticipated to tell a future implementation part targeted on deploying scalable, industry-aligned workforce coaching packages throughout Virginia.
About Torc
Torc, headquartered in Blacksburg, Virginia, is an impartial subsidiary of Daimler Truck AG, a world chief and pioneer in trucking. Based in 2005 on the beginning of the self-driving automobile {industry}, Torc has over 20 years of expertise in pioneering safety-critical, self-driving functions. Torc affords a whole self-driving automobile software program and integration answer and is presently specializing in commercializing autonomous vans for long-haul functions within the U.S. Along with its Blacksburg headquarters and engineering workplaces in Ann Arbor, MI, and Montreal, Torc has a fleet operations facility in Dallas-Fort Price, to assist the corporate’s productization and commercialization efforts. Torc’s objective is driving the way forward for freight with autonomous know-how. Because the world’s main autonomous trucking answer, we empower distinctive workers, ship a targeted, hub-to-hub autonomous truck product, and supply our clients with the most secure, most dependable, and cost-efficient answer to the market.
In regards to the Dock-to-Door Coalition
The Dock to Door (D2D) Coalition, led by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, is a 90+ member partnership uniting {industry}, authorities, larger schooling, and non-profits to construct a completely related, resilient, and sustainable freight transportation system. The coalition accelerates next-generation provide chain innovation by way of 4 core program areas that enhance security, visibility, effectivity, and workforce readiness because it pertains to advancing multimodal automation, from long-haul trucking to last-mile supply—whereas increasing advantages to rural and suburban areas by way of strengthening of regional expertise pipelines.
