Thieves Stole
Nvidia-Branded Trailers.
They Got 20 Tons of Sand.
In late September 2026, thieves took two trailers from outside a PlusAI warehouse in Fremont, California. PlusAI develops autonomous driving systems for trucks and works with Nvidia, and both companies’ logos were on the trailers.
The thieves hooked the trailers to their own cabs and drove off, most likely expecting a load of AI chips. What they got was about 20 tons of sand. PlusAI uses sand as ballast to simulate a full load while it tests its autonomous trucks.
Why Luck Isn’t a Recovery Plan
The trailers turned up within hours, about half a mile away, with all the sand still inside. No tracker found them. Someone who knew a PlusAI executive happened to recognize them and called.
PlusAI’s tractor units, which carry its self-driving technology, were locked inside the warehouse. The trailers sat outside, and nothing was reporting where they were. That gap is common. Many fleets track their primary vehicles and leave trailers, equipment, or older units uncovered. Those untracked assets are exactly what this theft exposed.
This time the cargo was sand and the result was a funny headline. Most fleets won’t be that lucky. Your cargo probably isn’t sand, and a passerby probably won’t recognize your trailer.
How GPS Tracking Closes the Gap
After the story broke, PlusAI reached out to us. The theft made them look for a way to track their assets, and they wanted to hear from GPS and Track. Many fleets come to us right after a close call like this one. The better time to set up tracking is before it happens.
A GPS tracker on every vehicle and piece of equipment lets you see where each asset is in real time, not only the ones you expected to watch.
Geofences turn that location data into an alert. Our new polygon geofence lets you draw a boundary in any shape around your yard, warehouse, or job site. When an asset leaves that area, you’re notified right away, instead of hours later or by chance.
In PlusAI’s case, a geofence around the warehouse lot would have flagged both trailers the moment they left.
The Right Tracker Depends on Your Fleet
No two trackers are the same, and no two fleets are either. What we’d recommend for an autonomous-trucking test fleet may be very different from what fits yours. The right setup depends on what you run, where it parks, and how it’s powered.
Tell us about your fleet and we’ll recommend the right coverage.
Want to try it out?
See our platform and trackers in action by checking out our live demo below.