Thieves stole PlusAI and Nvidia-logoed trailers. Inside: 20 tons of sand

Thieves in Newark, California, made off with two trailers belonging to autonomous-truck developer PlusAI. Both were emblazoned with the logos of PlusAI and Nvidia. The trailers were parked outside the company's warehouse when the thieves hitched them to their own cabs and drove away. Police found them within hours, but the cargo inside was worth far less than the thieves had likely hoped.

The story surfaced on Thursday morning, when a top PlusAI executive received an unexpected congratulatory message from an acquaintance who had spotted two of the company's trucks near their workplace. The trailers were not supposed to be there: as far as the company knew, they were docked outside its warehouse, half a mile away. According to a police statement, officers arrived on the scene and helped recover both trailers.

Why the trailers were full of sand

When the trailers were broken open, it became clear why whoever hooked their own cabs to them may have abandoned the whole thing: each one was carrying about 20,000 pounds (roughly 9 metric tons) of sand. PlusAI spokesperson Lauren Kwan said the company uses simulated loads in its trailers to assist with research and development testing. The trailers were recovered with "40,000 pounds of sand intact," she added.

The most valuable part of the rig never left. PlusAI's tech-enabled truck cabs, where the driver sits and controls the vehicle, were parked inside the warehouse and were not taken, Kwan said. The trailers themselves had been secured with hand locks, which the thieves broke.

AI hardware is the bigger prize

The theft comes amid a broader surge in cargo crime targeting high-value computer equipment, especially chips and other electronics destined for data centers. In August, WIRED reported two California incidents in which thieves deliberately struck the vehicles of security escorts that follow high-value tech loads; the trucks involved were then driven to another destination, and millions of dollars of data center equipment had still not been recovered.

Thieves have also targeted Tesla batteries and bitcoin mining machines this year. Authorities have made arrests in some cases, but many of the crimes remain unsolved. According to Verisk CargoNet, an analytics and risk assessment firm, metals and enterprise-grade computer and networking equipment have been among the most common targets of cargo theft in the US in recent months.

Investigation continues

The case is under investigation and no arrests have been made, said Amy Gee, a spokesperson for the Fremont Police Department. Nvidia did not immediately respond to a request for comment. By Thursday afternoon, the sand-filled trailers were back with PlusAI.