Torc contributes industry expertise to VTTI-led Dock to Door Pathways Program focused on AV inspection and credentialed career pathways
BLACKSBURG, Va.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Torc, a pioneer in commercializing self-driving class 8 trucks, today announced its participation in a newly awarded GO Virginia Region 2 planning grant led by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI)’s Dock to Door Coalition (D2D). The one-year grant will support planning efforts to align university and community college curriculum with evolving workforce needs across the autonomous vehicle manufacturing ecosystem.
The initiative is designed to lay the groundwork for the future D2D Pathways Program, which would streamline training programs across Virginia to prepare students and mid-career professionals for in-demand roles — including inspection and safety-critical positions supporting autonomous commercial motor vehicles. The autonomous manufacturing sector is the second largest in Virginia’s Region 2, thus, opportunities to specialize and upskill are critical to staying on pace with industry growth.
As an industry partner, Torc is contributing subject matter expertise to help identify core competencies, training recommendations, and credentialing opportunities required for inspectors and technicians working with autonomous trucks. This includes aligning curriculum concepts with nationally recognized inspection and safety frameworks (such as CVSA) and defining career lattices that connect entry-level credentials to mid- and advanced-level roles.
“The autonomous trucking industry is rapidly advancing, and we recognize a strong need for trained experts in the field,” said Anita Kim, director, state government and regulatory affairs at Torc Robotics. “By working alongside VTTI and the Dock to Door Coalition, we’re helping ensure that education and training pathways reflect the skills needed to support safe autonomous trucking operations — and that those pathways lead to sustainable jobs here in Virginia.”
The planning grant brings together industry, academic, nonprofit and public-sector stakeholders through the Dock to Door Coalition, a network of more than 90 partners spanning the supply chain. The effort will focus on mapping existing programs, identifying gaps, and recommending pathways that support both autonomous and electric vehicle manufacturing and operations.
“This work is about translating industry demand into actionable training pathways,” said Kaitlyn Bedwell, project lead and team leader within the supply chain, transportation, automation and resource sustainability team at VTTI. “As new policies and license requirements emerge, working alongside Torc, which is on the frontline of industry innovations, will help our students and future engineers stay ahead of the curve.”
The GO Virginia Region 2 planning grant began on November 15, 2025, and will run for one year. Findings from the effort are expected to inform a future implementation phase focused on deploying scalable, industry-aligned workforce training programs across Virginia.
About Torc
Torc, headquartered in Blacksburg, Virginia, is an independent subsidiary of Daimler Truck AG, a global leader and pioneer in trucking. Founded in 2005 at the birth of the self-driving vehicle industry, Torc has over 20 years of experience in pioneering safety-critical, self-driving applications. Torc offers a complete self-driving vehicle software and integration solution and is currently focusing on commercializing autonomous trucks for long-haul applications in the U.S. In addition to its Blacksburg headquarters and engineering offices in Ann Arbor, MI, and Montreal, Torc has a fleet operations facility in Dallas-Fort Worth, to support the company’s productization and commercialization efforts. Torc’s purpose is driving the future of freight with autonomous technology. As the world’s leading autonomous trucking solution, we empower exceptional employees, deliver a focused, hub-to-hub autonomous truck product, and provide our customers with the safest, most reliable, and cost-efficient solution to the market.
About 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, government, higher education, and non-profits to build a fully connected, resilient, and sustainable freight transportation system. The coalition accelerates next generation supply chain innovation through four core program areas that improve safety, visibility, efficiency, and workforce readiness as it relates to advancing multimodal automation, from longhaul trucking to lastmile delivery—while expanding benefits to rural and suburban regions through strengthening of regional talent pipelines.