Transportation Research Center Inc. (TRC Inc.) is North America’s most advanced, independent mobility testing service provider, fulfilling the complex engineering, research, evaluation and testing needs of the world’s leading transportation companies. With 45-plus years of engineering expertise and industry knowledge, TRC Inc. serves the needs of industries, governments, trade associations and educational institutions worldwide. 

TRC Inc.’s headquarters and Ohio facility (TRC Ohio) is located on 4,500 acres of land in East Liberty, OH, 40 miles northwest of Columbus. TRC Ohio operates 24/7 with a variety of facilities including road courses, wooded trails, 7.5-mile High-speed Oval Test Track, and a 50-acre Vehicle Dynamics Area. On this expansive facility, TRC Ohio conducts programs designed to test for safety, energy efficiency, fuel economy, emissions, durability, performance, noise, crash simulation and crash-worthiness.  Programs evaluate performance of passenger cars, trucks, buses, motorcycles, airplanes, off-road, tracked, alternative-fueled vehicles and its components.

TRC Inc. opened the SMARTCenter in 2019, focusing on connected and autonomous vehicle technology and capabilities. The centerpiece for much of this testing is TRC’s 540-acre Smart Mobility Advanced Research Test Center (SMARTCenter), which has been specifically designed to test advanced driving systems that employ autonomous and connected vehicles, smart highways, sensors and other innovations to make driving safer. The SMARTCenter’s high-speed straightaways and cityscape simulations provide systems developers a variety of intersection types, roundabouts and other navigational situations.

In 2021, TRC Inc. expanded the reach of world-class engineering and technical expertise with the introduction of TRC California, a 225-acre automotive technology testing and research complex near the heart of the west coast’s technology hub. Under a long-term agreement to operate and expand facilities at the former California AutoTech Development Center in Merced County, TRC Inc. is building out its new TRC California testing site to offer a comprehensive, one-stop shop for automotive technology and mobility innovators to affirm the performance, safety, quality and competitiveness of new technologies that are changing the face of transportation worldwide. 

In 2024, TRC expanded cold weather capabilities to include the 470-acre AET complex, now known as TRC Minnesota, where we offer an exceptional array of ice- and snow-covered surfaces and sub-zero cold chambers to test vehicle performance under the most severe conditions. From December through March our more than 20 courses are kept groomed to allow for 24/7 testing capability. Our team of experts with more than 30 years of experience are available to support all of your cold weather testing needs!

Our Culture & Core Values

At TRC, people are at the center of everything we do. We strive to create a safe, nurturing, and collaborative environment for our employees; to be a trusted partner for our clients and stakeholders; and to make the world a safer place for all.

We Prioritize People

We Are Better Together

We Lead with Solutions

We Drive the Future

Employee Resource Groups

At TRC we believe employee resource groups are a great way to create a welcoming and collaborative environment for all of us. These voluntary, employee led groups create a great network for employees and bring us together across the organization. 

TRC WOMEN (Women Offering Mentorship Expertise & Networking) is a community building event series aimed at promoting professional, technical, educational, and personal connections among TRC WOMEN members. This group is open to all employees who are comfortable in a space focused on the experiences of women. 

SHIFT (Supporting Highest Inclusion For TRC) fosters a supportive and affirming atmosphere for LGBTQ+ employees and allies at TRC through community-building, education, and advocacy.

TRC VETS was created to provide a supportive environment for veterans by offering a community to share experiences, bring awareness to veteran's issues, and provide resources and opportunities to succeed. 

TRC CARES (Compassion, Awareness, Recognition, Education, Support) is committed to providing mental health awareness and resources to the employees of TRC, empowering employees to reflect on their own mental health as well as those around them, and having conversations about mental health – breaking the stigma in the process.

HARTS (Health, Awareness, Resources, Thrive, Support) was created to educate, support, and empower employees to improve and maintain their overall health and well-being through healthy lifestyle choices no matter their level of fitness and to create a culture of wellness throughout the TRC organization.

Our Beginnings

TRC was established in the mid-1960s as a forward-thinking response to America’s then-staggering highway fatalities and has grown over the past half-century to become North America’s most comprehensive independent mobility testing and research organization. Offering world-class staff expertise and unmatched testing facilities throughout the United States, TRC has helped the industry’s leading manufacturers and mobility innovators to reduce traffic fatalities by nearly 75 percent compared to 50 years ago, thanks in no small part to lifesaving advancements in vehicle design, infrastructure, and traffic management evaluated by TRC research. And now, in this fast-paced era of autonomous mobility, smart highways, alternative fuels, and artificial intelligence solutions, the expert teams at TRC are building on that heritage to help industry leaders respond to what is next in transportation safety and technology.  

It all began in 1965, when Ohio Governor James A. Rhodes announced plans for what he called the world’s “greatest and largest” highway research and development center to be built. His vision was bold: to bridge “the gap between the theory of the laboratory and the practice of the highway”. One year later, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act, reflecting the national sense of urgency in addressing highway deaths and injuries. That bill led to the creation of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which to this day leads the federal government’s efforts for safer vehicles. By 1976, just two years after TRC’s grand opening, NHTSA underscored the value of TRC when it established the nation’s only Vehicle Research and Test Center (VRTC) at TRC. 

Building on its initial testing and research infrastructure, including a 7.5-mile high-speed oval test track, TRC steadily expanded and improved its Ohio facilities to meet the fast-changing needs of its industry clients. Staffing expanded as well through the years, and today, almost 500 highly trained engineers, research scientists, technicians, test drivers and other technical specialists apply their expertise to measuring safety, energy efficiency, fuel economy, emissions, durability, performance, noise, crash simulation, and crashworthiness. Working with many of the world’s foremost vehicle manufacturers, component makers, and systems innovators, the experts at TRC address transportation and mobility challenges in a variety of environments, from interstate highways and busy city streets to rural byways. 

TRC’s history of steady growth took a giant leap forward with the opening of the SMARTCenter in 2019. This $45 million, 540-acre automated and connected test facility is one of the most advanced in the world. It features high-speed intersections, configurable traffic systems, and environments for testing everything from autonomous passenger vehicles to trucks, buses, and delivery drones. The facility is unique and was designed to provide a wide variety of real-world driving environments, including all the supporting infrastructure to create challenging test scenarios. With more than 2 million square feet of new pavement, the SMARTCenter includes many different types of roads, intersections, traffic signals, signs, and markings. The SMARTCenter traffic signals have extensive customization capability with custom signal phasing timing, changing lane assignments, simulation of failed signals, and integration with test equipment to coordinate traffic signal responses. Signs, roadway markings, and other roadside furniture can easily be placed to replicate construction zones and test perception and planning systems. In addition to the road environments, the facility also includes a comprehensive power and fiber network which supports many Roadside Units (RSUs), video cameras, wireless access points, road and weather sensors, traffic detectors, and other test equipment.  

Two years after opening the SMARTCenter, TRC expanded geographically with the creation of TRC California, a 225-acre testing and research complex near Silicon Valley and the heart of the West Coast technology hub. TRC California’s offerings, which continue to evolve, presently feature 39 acres of vehicle dynamic areas, a 2.2-mile oval track, and a testing complex of multilane roadways and intersections. Since then, TRC California has grown into a highly successful operation, serving numerous mobility innovators and making a significant positive impact to the local economy. 

In 2024, TRC enhanced its cold weather research capabilities by expanding to the far-northern reaches of Baudette, Minnesota, and the 470-acre Automotive Enviro Testing (AET) complex, now known as TRC Minnesota. Here, in one of the most frigid regions, TRC offers an unparalleled array of ice- and snow-covered surfaces and sub-zero cold chambers, operating 24/7 from December through March for testing vehicle performance and durability under the most severe conditions.  

The staff, philosophy, and procedures of TRC Inc. continue to be dedicated to the conduct of research and testing for transportation related industries in a proprietary and confidential atmosphere.

Mission & Vision

Mission

To help our clients solve problems and address critical challenges to safely, effectively, and efficiently move goods and people throughout the world by applying the most advanced, leading-edge expertise, by a team of passionate and dedicated professionals not found anywhere else.

Vision

To be an indispensable partner and the most trusted leader enabling solutions that shape our transportation future and make the world a safer place.

Quality & Environmental Statement

Quality

TRC Inc. is committed to providing well planned services, while focusing on the customer’s needs for accuracy and timeliness in testing projects and our key stakeholder’s needs for management and growth. We will meet the requirements of our Quality Management System, our Customers, Employees and key Stakeholders while striving to continually improve the Quality Management System.

• ISO 9001 Registered
• ISO 17025 Accredited

Environmental

We will strive to protect the environment and assure safe and healthful working conditions.

• ISO 14001 Registered

Equal Employment Opportunity

It is the policy of TRC Inc. to provide equal opportunity in all areas of employment practices, without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, sexual orientation (LGBTQIA+), veteran status, or any other reason prohibited by law. 

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