California Thieves Stunned to Find Sand, Not Nvidia Chips, in Stolen Trailers

Thieves targeted two trailers at PlusAI's California warehouse, expecting to find valuable computer chips and electronics inside. However, they were in for a surprise when they hauled away the Nvidia-labeled trailers, only to discover that they contained 40,000 pounds of sand.

The trailers, which were part of PlusAI's testing program for autonomous trucking systems, were loaded with ballast sand to simulate the weight of heavy freight during test drives. The thieves forced open the trailer locks and detached the rigs before hauling them away using their own semis.

Workers at PlusAI discovered the theft on Thursday morning, September 24, and reported it to the police at around 9:30 a.m. It wasn't until later that day that the trailers were found parked near another company's office in nearby Newark.

The Nvidia logos may have made the trailers look like tempting targets, but they apparently missed the more valuable equipment sitting right inside the same Fremont facility. PlusAI eventually recovered all 40,000 pounds of sand, while the trailers themselves were recovered later that afternoon in Newark.