Two Nvidia-branded trailers belonging to autonomous trucking startup PlusAI were stolen from a Fremont, California warehouse late on September 23, 2026, with the perpetrators presumably expecting a payload of high-value AI hardware.

Instead, each trailer contained roughly 20,000 pounds of sand—totaling 40,000 pounds or about 20 tons—used as simulated cargo for research and development testing of the company's self-driving systems in partnership with Nvidia.

The trailers were recovered the following day near Newark, half a mile from the warehouse, with the sand intact after the thieves apparently dumped or abandoned the load upon discovering its true contents; the valuable truck cabs remained untouched inside the facility, and no arrests have been made as the investigation continues.

The incident highlights how prominent branding from a company now valued in the trillions can inadvertently mark vehicles as targets in an era of rising cargo thefts involving electronics and components.