On Thursday morning, an executive at the self-driving truck company PlusAI received an unusual congratulatory text from an acquaintance. The message noted that two PlusAI trucks were spotted near the acquaintance’s workplace in Newark, California, despite PlusAI’s knowledge that the trailers were securely parked only half a mile away at their warehouse. Soon after, police were called to the scene to investigate the situation.
The police learned that the two trailers, adorned with PlusAI and Nvidia logos, had been unlawfully connected to a vehicle and driven away. As it turned out, the thieves likely aimed to steal valuable silicon, but abandoned the trailers upon discovering their actual cargo—approx. 20,000 pounds of sand each. According to a spokesperson from PlusAI, the trailers contained simulated loads intended for research and development purposes. The police reported that a total of 40,000 pounds of sand was recovered.
Interestingly, the high-tech truck cabs, designed for autonomous driving, remained safe inside the warehouse and were not stolen, even though the trailers had been secured with hand locks that were forcibly broken. The case remains under investigation by the Fremont Police Department, with no arrests reported thus far.
This incident highlights a broader trend of theft targeting high-value tech equipment, especially electronics destined for data centers. In recent months, other high-profile thefts in California revealed methods where criminals intentionally rammed vehicles carrying tech loads to redirect them. Reports from analytics and risk assessment firm Verisk CargoNet indicate an uptick in cargo thefts across the U.S., specifically of metals and technology equipment.
Fortunately, this particular story had a favorable outcome, as the stolen sand trailers were safely returned to PlusAI by Thursday afternoon.
