Dealer and auction transport

Moving a car out of an auction or between dealerships isn't like picking one up from a driveway. There's a release to obtain, a gate to get through, lot hours to respect, and a storage clock that starts running soon after the sale. When any of those slip, a car sits, fees build up, and the unit you bought to retail sits in someone else's yard.

• Independent and franchise dealers buying at wholesale auctions or sending units to sell at them.
• Dealer trades, where a unit has to get from one store to another for a waiting customer.
• Retail deliveries to a buyer's home after an out-of-state or online sale.
• Individual auction buyers who won a car at Copart or IAA and need it moved, often a vehicle that doesn't run.

1. 1

   Send us the vehicle and the release details

   VIN or lot/stock number, the auction location or dealer address, and the delivery address. For auction vehicles, include the release: Copart and IAA issue a gate pass after payment, and every auction has its own release step. The driver can't get the car through the gate without it.

2. 2

   We check the pickup conditions

   Lot hours, whether the vehicle runs, whether the yard will load it with a forklift or the carrier needs a winch, and any appointment the location requires. We sort this out before dispatch so the driver doesn't show up to a closed gate.

3. 3

   Pickup and condition report

   The driver inspects the unit and records its condition on the bill of lading. For auction cars, that report is important: it documents the car as it left the lot, separate from whatever the condition report at the sale said.

4. 4

   Delivery to your lot or your customer

   Delivered during your receiving hours, or to your buyer's address with a delivery window. Whoever receives the unit checks it against the pickup report and signs.

If you move vehicles regularly, tell us about your volume and lanes. We'll work out a way of booking and billing that doesn't make you re-enter the same details every time.

Auction storage charges usually start after a short free period that varies by auction and location, so the useful question isn't "how long is transit" but "how fast can a truck get through the gate." Send us the release as soon as payment clears and we'll get the pickup scheduled. The sooner we have it, the more trucks we can choose from.

• Auction pickups: we aim to get a carrier assigned quickly after the release. Actual pickup depends on which trucks are working near that auction.
• Dealer trades: if a customer is waiting, flag it. Priority dispatch is available; see expedited car shipping for what that does and doesn't buy.
• Transit: follows the same federal driving-hour limits as any shipment. Multi-stop dealer loads can take longer than a single car going direct.

• The release: gate pass, release number or PIN, whatever the auction issued. Send it the moment you have it.
• VIN, lot or stock number, and the exact pickup location. Big auctions have several lots.
• Running condition. If you don't know, say so and we'll plan for a winch.
• Keys. Auction keys stay with the vehicle; for dealer pickups, tell us who has them and where.
• Receiving hours and a contact at the delivery end, plus any delivery appointment rules.
• Insurance requirements. If your store needs a carrier's certificate of insurance on file with you as the certificate holder, tell us at booking.

Paperwork like the title travels separately. Auctions handle title transfer through their own process, and a carrier doesn't need the title to move a vehicle between two US points.

We arrange each move with a carrier partner that runs the lane, and we check its operating authority and insurance before it's dispatched. You get one contact for the whole job, whether that's one unit or a lot full. If you'd like to understand how arranging transport differs from running trucks, our guide to who arranges a shipment and who hauls it lays it out plainly.