Auction Car Shipping
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Written by Richard Avery, President of Smart Auto Move · USDOT 2887232 · MC 969368
Won a car at Copart, IAA, Manheim, ADESA or a government sale? Auction car shipping is the one part of the purchase with a clock attached. Free storage at most auction yards runs a few days, and the meter starts whether or not you have a truck lined up. Smart Auto Move collects from auction facilities nationwide and delivers to your home, your dealership, your body shop or wherever the car is going, running or not.
What is auction car shipping?
Auction car shipping is vehicle transport that collects a car you bought from an auction yard and delivers it where you want it. It works like any other shipment with one difference: the driver has to get through the gate. That means the auction needs your buyer number, lot or stock number and a release on file, and the truck has to arrive inside the yard's transporter hours. Get those three right and the rest is an ordinary move.
Why an auction pickup is not an ordinary pickup
At a house, the driver pulls up and loads the car. At an auction yard, the driver checks in at a gate, gets matched against a release record, waits for a yard hand to bring the car out, and does it all inside posted transporter hours that are often shorter than the office hours.
That is why the paperwork matters more than the route here. A driver turned away at the gate has burned a slot, you get charged for the wasted trip, and your free storage keeps counting down. Nearly every auction problem we see traces back to one of three things: the invoice was not paid, the release was not on file, or the car was described as running when it was not.
We collect the release details before dispatch, match the load to a carrier with the right equipment, and send the driver in with what the gate is going to ask for.
Auto auctions we pick up from
National networks, regional houses, dealer-only floors, insurance yards, government sales and independent online marketplaces. If it has a gate and a release process, we have worked with one like it.
Copart
Heavy on salvage, repairable and non-running cars, so condition detail carries more weight here than anywhere else. Get it right and the correct truck arrives first time.
IAA
We book against the branch, stock number and release details. Cars that do not run may need a winch or yard-assisted loading, which we sort out before the driver is assigned.
Manheim
Wholesale purchases going to a dealership, a reconditioning center, a business address or straight to a buyer's home, wherever a full size truck can get in.
ADESA
Open or enclosed transport from ADESA locations for individual buyers, franchise and independent dealers, and commercial fleet purchasers.
Government and fleet sales
Municipal, state, federal surplus and fleet disposals. These often have their own authorization paperwork, so send everything the sale gave you.
Dealer and independent auctions
Local dealer auctions, online marketplaces, estate sales, bank repossession sales and independent remarketing yards across the country.
Worth stating plainly: Smart Auto Move is an independent car shipping company. We are not owned by, operated by or affiliated with any of the auction companies named on this page. We work with their release processes as a transporter, the same as any other buyer's carrier.
How does auction car shipping work?
Get your price
Give us the auction branch or pickup ZIP, where the car is going, the year, make and model, and whether it runs. Tell us the storage deadline while you are at it. Two minutes, no obligation.
Send the release details
Buyer or member number, lot or stock number, VIN, and the gate pass or digital release the branch uses. Confirm the invoice is paid and the car is cleared to leave. This is the step that decides whether the pickup goes smoothly.
We assign the right carrier
Matched on route, vehicle, condition and equipment, with pickup set inside the yard's transporter hours. A deposit holds the booking, and you get the driver's details once assigned.
Load, travel, deliver
The driver signs the Bill of Lading at the yard and photographs the car as collected. It stays on that same truck to the destination, where you walk it against that report before signing.
How much does it cost to ship a car from an auction?
The same as shipping any other car over the same route, plus whatever the condition and the deadline add. There is no auction surcharge. What moves the number is below, and the calculator gives you the live figure in about two minutes.
| What moves the price | Why | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Route | What is waiting for the driver at the drop matters as much as the distance. A busy two-way market prices better than a quiet one. | The single biggest factor |
| Running or not | A non-running car needs a truck with a winch, and loading takes longer. | Usually $200 or more above the same car running |
| Vehicle size | Lifted trucks, vans and three-row SUVs take more deck space and weight. | Above a standard sedan |
| Open or enclosed | A hard-sided trailer holds two to six cars where an open one holds ten. | Enclosed is about 80 percent more |
| Storage deadline | A tight deadline means expedited scheduling, which narrows the pickup window from six days to three. | Above standard service |
| Season | May through August is the busiest stretch of the year across the whole network. | February through April is the bargain |
The cheapest quote is often the expensive one here
On an ordinary move, a quote that turns out to be unbookable costs you time. On an auction car it costs you storage, every day, while the company that quoted it fails to find a driver. If four companies land in the same range and the fifth is well under it, ask that company straight out whether it is a confirmed rate before your free storage starts burning. A realistic number that books today beats an optimistic one that books next week.
For a general picture of what car shipping costs across the country, see the car shipping cost guide.
Can you ship a non-running auction vehicle?
Yes, and a good share of auction cars are exactly that. It goes on a truck with a winch, and there is no flat fee for it. Expect $200 or more above what the same car would cost running, with the exact figure depending on how it rolls, steers and brakes.
A car that does not start but still rolls, steers and brakes is straightforward to winch aboard. Locked wheels, missing tires, heavy collision damage, broken steering or a blocked undercarriage all need heavier equipment or a recovery arrangement, which is a different conversation and a different price.
One piece of advice worth more than the rest: do not take the auction listing's word for it. A listing that says the car runs and drives is describing what a yard hand saw at intake, sometimes weeks earlier. Check for yourself where you can, and when you cannot, tell us that too. We would rather send the winch truck and not need it than send the wrong one.
What we need to know about the car
- Does the engine start?
- Can it move under its own power?
- Does it roll freely?
- Do the front wheels steer?
- Do the brakes work?
- Are all four wheels and tires on it?
- Are keys available?
- Is there major body or suspension damage?
- Will the auction load it with a forklift if needed?
- Can it be unloaded safely where it is going?
That last one catches people out. A car that had a forklift at the yard still needs somewhere to come off at the other end.
Open or enclosed auction car transport?
Open transport
What most auction cars ride on, and the right answer for nearly all of them. It is the same kind of trailer that delivers new cars to dealerships, with the widest availability and the best price. More on open transport.
Enclosed transport
Plan on about 80 percent more than open. Worth it for a collector or exotic win, a fresh restoration, or a car too low to clear a ramp. For a repairable salvage car heading to a body shop, it rarely is. More on enclosed transport.
Expedited transport
A three day pickup window instead of six. This is the one auction buyers reach for, because storage fees usually cost more than the expedited difference. More on expedited transport.
Weighing the first two? The open and enclosed comparison puts them side by side.
What information does the auction need?
Requirements vary by company and by branch. Having all six of these ready before dispatch is what keeps a driver from being turned around at the gate.
1. Auction location
Full branch name and address, plus any separate transporter entrance or check-in instructions.
2. Buyer information
Buyer number, member number or the purchaser name the sale is recorded under.
3. Vehicle identification
Lot number, stock number, VIN and the full year, make and model.
4. Release authorization
Gate pass, release form, pickup authorization or the digital release the branch issues.
5. Vehicle condition
Whether it starts, rolls, steers and brakes, and whether keys came with it.
6. Storage deadline
The last free day and the daily rate after it, so we can weigh expedited against the fees.
How to keep an auction pickup on schedule
- Pay the auction invoice before you book transport.
- Confirm the car is cleared for release, not just paid.
- Send every number: buyer, lot, stock and VIN.
- Check the branch's transporter hours, not its office hours.
- Describe the condition as it is, not as the listing says.
- Tell us the day free storage ends.
- Stay reachable during the pickup window.
- Make sure the destination can take a full size truck.
What causes extra charges
- Storage fees from the auction, which are theirs and not ours
- A dry-run fee when a driver arrives and cannot collect
- A car reported as running that turns out not to be
- Locked or damaged wheels needing special loading
- Oversized tires, lift kits and other modifications
- Forklift or recovery equipment needed at the destination
- Last-minute expedited requests
- Changing the destination after dispatch
Every one of these is avoidable with information you already have at booking. That is the whole reason this page is as detailed as it is.
Your car never sits anywhere. It goes from the auction yard straight onto the carrier and stays covered under Carrier Cargo Insurance for the entire trip. No terminal, no transfer between trucks, no gap in coverage between the gate and your driveway.
What our customers say
Every review we publish sits on a public Google profile you can open and read for yourself. We do not write testimonials. Smart Auto Move is also BBB Accredited with an A+ rating.
Crystal Evans was very helpful.
Auction car shipping questions
How much does auction car shipping cost?
How long does auction car shipping take?
Can you pick up directly from Copart or IAA?
Do I need to be at the auction when the car is picked up?
Can you ship an auction vehicle that does not run?
Can you ship a salvage-title car?
Is my car insured during auction transport?
Can I leave personal items in the car?
Does auction car shipping include storage fees?
What happens if the driver is denied at the gate?
How far ahead should I book, and how does payment work?
Can I cancel or change my pickup date?
How do I know a car shipping company is legitimate?
Can the car be delivered to my house?
Can my auction car be delivered to a repair shop?
Will you call or text me after I ask for a quote?
More questions are answered on the full auto transport FAQ.
Before you ship your auction vehicle
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