Nvidia Logo'd Trailers Stolen, Thieves Left with 18 Tons of Sand
Two trailers bearing Nvidia logos were stolen from PlusAI in California this week. The company develops autonomous driving systems for trucks and is an Nvidia partner. Initially, it seemed like another theft of valuable technology equipment, but when the thieves opened the cargo compartments, they found about 18 tons of sand.
The trailers belong to PlusAI and contain ballast used during testing of their autonomous driving systems. The company's tractor units, which contain the driving systems and technology, were inside the warehouse and were not stolen.
Investigations suggest that the thieves arrived with their own tractor units, broke the locks securing the trailers, hooked them up, and drove away. It is unclear if they thought they had stolen valuable Nvidia equipment or simply took advantage of the Nvidia logos on the trailers.
The theft comes at a time when advanced chips and graphics cards have become valuable commodities on the black market due to high demand for AI hardware, high prices, and U.S. export restrictions on China.