Six pallets of computer hardware from video game company NVIDIA, allegedly valued at $11.4 million, have disappeared en route from California to Texas. Shipment was picked up in Oakland Aug. 29 and was to be delivered to Fort Worth. But the truck's movements have led to questions, with investigators reportedly seeing a series of long stops before the truck was lost track of in Southern California.

The Oakland Police Department is investigating the case as a grand theft after a complaint was filed Sept. 13, 2026. The case follows security concerns over the movement of high-value technology and separately the reporting of nearly $111 million in stolen data center cargo.

The Mercury News says the truck that picked up the food bore a logo of a food transportation company. After collecting the goods the driver drove south, stopping several times, some of the stops lasting hours. Investigators lost track of the vehicle at some point in San Bernardino county.

The circumstances are similar to another big cargo-theft probe involving about $12 million in goods. In that instance, suspects allegedly used the names of legitimate trucking companies to secure freight under false pretenses. But officials have not linked the two cases.

Oakland police say they are investigating grand theft

The Oakland Police Department confirmed the incident happened in East Oakland and the victim reported the crime in a statement to FreightWaves on September 13, 2026.

The department continued:

The Oakland Police Department (OPD) is investigating a grand theft in East Oakland. Victim reported the crime to OPD on 09/13/2026. The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to call the OPD General Crimes Unit at (510) 238-3728.”

The date of the complaint does not necessarily coincide with the date of the theft. Police have not independently confirmed the reported valuation of $11.4m or said what the merchandise was.

But many key details remain unknown. Authorities have not identified the owner of the cargo, the shipper, the motor carrier and the driver associated with the shipment. They haven't explained the long stops the truck made or if the disappearance involved posing as a legitimate transportation provider.

No arrests have been announced so far and investigators have not said whether any of the missing goods have been found.

FreightWaves requested comment from the company about the incident and followed up but the company had not responded by press time.

More cargo thefts involving NVIDIA reported in Northern California

The Oakland case is one of several incidents involving NVIDIA products in the region. Police departments in Fremont and Union City investigated two burglaries of more than $7.5 million worth of NVIDIA merchandise in 2025.

In both cases valuable computer equipment was the target but at different sites. But police found no connection between those burglaries and the latest disappearance.

In September, there was another incident when thieves stole two PlusAI trailers from a warehouse in Fremont, California. One of the trailers was labeled with NVIDIA and so questions arose as to what could be worth inside.

The trailers, however, did not have any NVIDIA equipment on them. Instead, they were hauling some 40,000 pounds of sand. Both vehicles were later recovered by police in neighboring Newark.

Authorities have not connected the theft of the trailer to the investigation in Oakland.

Security Challenges Increasing for High Value Technology Freight

The reported loss of $11.4 million in NVIDIA hardware underscores the financial risks inherent in shipping high-value tech goods.

The incident underscores the necessity of strict security at every stage of the transportation chain, with data center equipment and complex computer hardware now representing highly prized cargo.

Whatever happened with the Oakland shipment, there are still good practices around carrier verification, continuous shipment visibility and reliable communication between the parties involved that are key safeguards.

The investigation continues, and authorities have not yet determined what happened to the six pallets or who was responsible for their disappearance.