Torc’s Autonomous Trucking Platform: Powering the Future of Freight
The future of trucking is autonomous – and Flex is helping enable it by building the brains behind the big rigs.
At NVIDIA’s GTC 2025, Torc Robotics unveiled its latest advancement in autonomous trucking: a scalable physical AI compute system developed in collaboration with Flex and NVIDIA. The platform is designed to enable self-driving trucks to perceive and navigate their environment in real-time, utilizing sensors like lidar, radar, and cameras.
Flex plays a pivotal role in this collaboration by providing the Jupiter compute platform and advanced manufacturing capabilities. The Jupiter platform integrates NVIDIA’s DRIVE AGX with the DRIVE Orin system-on-a-chip and DriveOS operating system, delivering the high compute performance and low latency required for Torc’s autonomous trucking software. Each Jupiter unit has 2 SoCs, for a total of 8 SoCs in the four-unit version Torc is deploying.
This partnership ensures that Torc’s autonomous trucks meet stringent requirements for size, performance, cost, and reliability, aligning with fleet customers' total cost of ownership targets. The platform's adaptability allows it to accommodate varying operational conditions, including new routes, hardware configurations, and road environments.
Torc plans to commercially launch this autonomous trucking platform in 2027, marking a significant step toward scalable production and deployment of self-driving long-haul trucks.
Flex Wins Automotive PACE Award
In a testament to its pioneering efforts in autonomous vehicle technology, Flex was recognized with a two-time 2025 Automotive News PACE Award – honored for its industry-leading Jupiter Compute Platform and Backup DC/DC Converter design platforms. The PACE Awards recognize automotive suppliers for superior innovation, technological advancement, and business performance. The innovation awards demonstrate Flex’s leadership in compute and power electronics product design for next-gen mobility.
The Broader Impact of Autonomous Trucking
The introduction of autonomous trucks promises to bring transformative changes to the freight industry:
Cost Reduction: Autonomous trucks are projected to reduce shipping costs by 25-30%, primarily by eliminating driver wages, which constitute a significant portion of operational expenses.
Increased Efficiency: These vehicles can operate nearly 24/7 without the need for rest breaks, potentially cutting shipping times by 25-35% and enhancing supply chain efficiency.
Enhanced Safety: By removing human error factors such as fatigue and distraction, autonomous trucks are expected to significantly reduce accident rates, leading to lower insurance costs and improved road safety.
Environmental Benefits: Continuous operation and optimized driving patterns contribute to better fuel efficiency, reducing emissions and supporting sustainability goals.
The impact of autonomous trucking on employment, particularly for long-haul drivers, is a topic of significant discussion and analysis. A study commissioned by the U.S. Department of Transportation suggests that with slow to medium adoption of autonomous trucking technology, the industry could avoid mass layoffs. High turnover rates in long-haul trucking—often exceeding 90% annually—indicated that reductions in employment could be managed through natural attrition rather than forced layoffs.
In a model where adoption of autonomous trucking moves faster, USDOT study predicts a potential loss of up to 11,000 long-haul trucking jobs over five years, representing about 1.7% of the workforce. It's important to note that while automation may reduce certain driving jobs, it could also create new roles in vehicle maintenance, remote operations, and logistics management. The transition's net effect on employment will depend on various factors, including policy decisions, retraining programs, and the pace of technological adoption.
So, what’s the TechArena take? Torc's collaboration with Flex and NVIDIA represents a significant advancement in autonomous trucking technology. By integrating high-performance computing with scalable manufacturing, this partnership is poised to deliver safer, more efficient, and cost-effective freight solutions. As the industry moves toward a future of autonomous logistics, such innovations will be critical in addressing the growing demands of global supply chains.
The future of trucking is autonomous – and Flex is helping enable it by building the brains behind the big rigs.
At NVIDIA’s GTC 2025, Torc Robotics unveiled its latest advancement in autonomous trucking: a scalable physical AI compute system developed in collaboration with Flex and NVIDIA. The platform is designed to enable self-driving trucks to perceive and navigate their environment in real-time, utilizing sensors like lidar, radar, and cameras.
Flex plays a pivotal role in this collaboration by providing the Jupiter compute platform and advanced manufacturing capabilities. The Jupiter platform integrates NVIDIA’s DRIVE AGX with the DRIVE Orin system-on-a-chip and DriveOS operating system, delivering the high compute performance and low latency required for Torc’s autonomous trucking software. Each Jupiter unit has 2 SoCs, for a total of 8 SoCs in the four-unit version Torc is deploying.
This partnership ensures that Torc’s autonomous trucks meet stringent requirements for size, performance, cost, and reliability, aligning with fleet customers' total cost of ownership targets. The platform's adaptability allows it to accommodate varying operational conditions, including new routes, hardware configurations, and road environments.
Torc plans to commercially launch this autonomous trucking platform in 2027, marking a significant step toward scalable production and deployment of self-driving long-haul trucks.
Flex Wins Automotive PACE Award
In a testament to its pioneering efforts in autonomous vehicle technology, Flex was recognized with a two-time 2025 Automotive News PACE Award – honored for its industry-leading Jupiter Compute Platform and Backup DC/DC Converter design platforms. The PACE Awards recognize automotive suppliers for superior innovation, technological advancement, and business performance. The innovation awards demonstrate Flex’s leadership in compute and power electronics product design for next-gen mobility.
The Broader Impact of Autonomous Trucking
The introduction of autonomous trucks promises to bring transformative changes to the freight industry:
Cost Reduction: Autonomous trucks are projected to reduce shipping costs by 25-30%, primarily by eliminating driver wages, which constitute a significant portion of operational expenses.
Increased Efficiency: These vehicles can operate nearly 24/7 without the need for rest breaks, potentially cutting shipping times by 25-35% and enhancing supply chain efficiency.
Enhanced Safety: By removing human error factors such as fatigue and distraction, autonomous trucks are expected to significantly reduce accident rates, leading to lower insurance costs and improved road safety.
Environmental Benefits: Continuous operation and optimized driving patterns contribute to better fuel efficiency, reducing emissions and supporting sustainability goals.
The impact of autonomous trucking on employment, particularly for long-haul drivers, is a topic of significant discussion and analysis. A study commissioned by the U.S. Department of Transportation suggests that with slow to medium adoption of autonomous trucking technology, the industry could avoid mass layoffs. High turnover rates in long-haul trucking—often exceeding 90% annually—indicated that reductions in employment could be managed through natural attrition rather than forced layoffs.
In a model where adoption of autonomous trucking moves faster, USDOT study predicts a potential loss of up to 11,000 long-haul trucking jobs over five years, representing about 1.7% of the workforce. It's important to note that while automation may reduce certain driving jobs, it could also create new roles in vehicle maintenance, remote operations, and logistics management. The transition's net effect on employment will depend on various factors, including policy decisions, retraining programs, and the pace of technological adoption.
So, what’s the TechArena take? Torc's collaboration with Flex and NVIDIA represents a significant advancement in autonomous trucking technology. By integrating high-performance computing with scalable manufacturing, this partnership is poised to deliver safer, more efficient, and cost-effective freight solutions. As the industry moves toward a future of autonomous logistics, such innovations will be critical in addressing the growing demands of global supply chains.
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