Shipping cars from auctions and dealer trades
Short answer
To ship a car out of an auction, pay for it first, then give the carrier the auction's release credential for that vehicle: a 4-digit gate PIN and lot number at Copart, a Pickup PIN tied to the stock number at IAA, or the gate pass at Manheim. Each auction sets its own free storage window, which at some Copart yards is 3 business days, so book transport the day you win. The title usually travels separately from the car.
A carrier can collect a car from an auction once three things are true: the car is paid for, the carrier holds that auction's release credential for that specific vehicle, and the pickup is booked inside the auction's yard hours. Miss any one of them and the truck leaves without the car, which usually costs the pickup window and adds storage days.
The rules below come from each auction's own pages as of October 2026. Storage windows differ by auction and often by location, so check the location page for the yard your car is in.
What does a carrier need to pick up a car from Copart, IAA, Manheim or OPENLANE?
| Auction | What the carrier needs | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Copart | A 4-digit gate PIN and the lot number | You choose the vehicles on the Payments Due page and select Send to Transporter. Copart emails the transporter the PIN and lot number. |
| IAA | A Pickup PIN for each vehicle, tied to its stock number | Shown on the To Be Paid and To Be Picked Up pages on IAAI.com and in the IAA Buyer App. You share it with the transporter. |
| Manheim | The gate pass for the vehicle | Issued by Manheim after the purchase. Each location lists a transporter assistance line on its location page. |
| OPENLANE | The unique gate code from the sale confirmation email | The selling dealer uses it to verify who is picking up, and should have the keys ready on pickup day. |
Copart's transporter steps are in its post on getting your vehicles after you win. The driver adds the lot with the gate PIN in the Copart Transportation App, books a pickup appointment, and marks arrival in the app at the yard. Copart staff move the car to the loading area.
IAA has required a Pickup PIN on every branch pickup arranged by a third-party transporter since 6 October 2025, according to its Pickup PIN help article. IAA describes the PIN as working like a password: anyone holding it can collect the car, and the PIN cannot be changed. Send it only to the carrier assigned to your load, and only once you have that carrier's name. IAA also blocks release, at the branch and in its Tow App, until your payment is confirmed.
Along with the credential, give the carrier the street address of the yard the car is in, and the yard hours.
How long do I have to get a car out of the auction before storage fees start?
It ranges from a few business days to a few weeks, and the auction sets it, not the carrier.
- Copart: the Miami North location page says storage is charged daily once a vehicle stays longer than three business days, and that weekends and holidays count unless they fall inside the free days. Each Copart location page has a Storage fees tab with that yard's schedule.
- IAA: its Auction Rules say vehicles must be picked up within the time allowed by the branch, with storage charged per day per vehicle after that, and pickup only during yard hours. A buyer who pays but does not collect within 30 calendar days of payment owes a cancellation fee.
- Manheim: Manheim Central Florida charges storage on vehicles on the property more than 14 days after purchase. Manheim New England allows 21 days for most units and 15 for heavy trucks.
Our quotes come with a pickup window of 1 to 3 days after your first available date. Against a 3 business day window at a Copart yard, that leaves no slack, so send the request the day you win and give the auction location as the pickup address. The quote form takes the pickup ZIP of the yard.
How is the car's condition recorded at the auction gate?
Twice: once on the auction's paperwork and once on the carrier's Bill of Lading.
Manheim New England puts the burden on the driver: the driver lists any damage or missing items on the gate pass, and the auction is not responsible for damage or missing items that were not reported. The Bill of Lading inspection happens at the same moment. The driver walks the car and marks existing damage on the Bill of Lading, and that signed document is the condition report the delivery is measured against.
At an auction you are usually not there, so the driver's inspection is the only one. Before pickup, save the auction's listing photos and condition report for each car. If the delivered car shows something that is in neither the auction photos nor the pickup Bill of Lading, you have a record to compare against. Tell us too whether each car comes with keys.
IAA's Auction Rules say risk of loss passes to the buyer once a vehicle is awarded, and that the buyer is responsible for directing the load onto the transport and securing it. That is one more reason to move the car out of the yard quickly.
Does the title ship with the car?
Usually not, and the carrier does not need it to collect the car. Copart will send the title with the vehicle only if you have uploaded a valid Limited Power of Attorney. Otherwise you collect it at the yard for a fee or have it shipped to you. IAA's rules let it cancel a sale up to the point the buyer receives the assigned title, so the title arrives on its own schedule, after the sale. On OPENLANE, the seller is paid once OPENLANE receives and verifies a completed marketable title.
For a retail buyer waiting on the car, tell them the title is coming separately. For your title clerk, the paperwork for the move is the signed Bill of Lading and the auction invoice.
How do I ship a salvage or non-running car from Copart or IAA?
Say so on the request, because it decides which truck can take the job. Many Copart and IAA vehicles are insurance recoveries that do not start, and neither auction lets a car be driven out. Copart's staff load the vehicle onto your truck. IAA charges a loading service fee and loads by forklift.
What matters at the delivery end is whether the car rolls, steers and brakes. If it does, we assign a carrier with a winch. If it will not roll at all, we arrange a flatbed or a tow. Inoperable vehicles carry an added fee, since they need special equipment and more time to load. On our form, set Does it run? to No, it doesn't run for each car that does not run. When your quote arrives by text and email, reply or call to tell us about missing wheels, a locked steering column or a seized brake.
Can several auction or dealer cars ship on one truck?
Yes, and you can send them as one request. On our quote form, choose Add another vehicle for each unit. Every car gets its own pickup and delivery ZIP, so a mix of cars from two yards to one store, or a dealer swap with cars going in opposite directions, fits on one request.
Each car still needs its own release. At IAA every vehicle has its own Pickup PIN tied to its stock number, and a transporter collecting several needs the correct PIN for each. At Copart each lot has its own number. Send them as a list matched to year, make, model and the last 6 of the VIN, so the driver is not working it out at the gate. Units on one request ride on one truck when their routes and timing line up, and are split across carriers when they do not.
For a standing weekly move between the same auction and your lot, tell us the lane and the usual volume. Dealers get one contact who already knows their lanes. For how dealer moves work beyond the auction gate, see car shipping for dealerships. To price a load, send the units and the routes.
Common questions
Can the carrier pick up before I pay the auction?
At IAA a transporter can schedule the pickup, but the vehicle will not be released until your payment is confirmed. Treat every auction the same way and pay before the truck is due at the gate, or the driver is turned away and the pickup window slips.
Can I drive a car I bought at Copart off the lot?
No. Copart does not allow vehicles to be driven off its facilities, including Copart Select vehicles, so every purchase leaves on a trailer or a truck.
Who is responsible for the car while it sits at the auction?
At IAA, risk of loss passes to the buyer once the vehicle is awarded, and a car left after the sale sits at the buyer's risk. Read the buyer terms for your auction, and move the car promptly.
Does IAA require a Pickup PIN if I collect the car myself?
Not if you schedule the pickup yourself in the IAA Buyer App. IAA also exempts short hauls and Auto Tows. Every branch pickup arranged by a third-party transporter needs the PIN.
What if the auction loses or damages the car before pickup?
Raise it with the auction before the car leaves. Once the driver has signed for it, the gate pass and the Bill of Lading are the record of its condition, and Manheim New England states it is not responsible for damage or missing items that were not reported.