- How much does it cost to ship your vehicle from auto auction
- Bottom-line How to get the best price while bidding and shipping auctioned vehicles?
- How Copart auto shipping works and how to get started with auto transport company
- How to choose the best Copart shipping company
- Check Rates and Ratings,
- Check Registrations, Experience and Expertise
- Chose the company which knows time constraints and manages everything smoothly
- Disaster Management As a shipping company’s trait
- Experience in auctioned auto shipping
- Vehicle Inspection Services
- Auctioned Auto Transportation TIPs
- Prepare yourself fully
- Clear your full payment
- You can save storage fees
- Make your pickup plan and keep up with it
- Provide accurate delivery details to your auto shipping company
- Know which trailer you should hire to ship auction car
- Check the legal status of the vehicle
- Conclusion
If you ask any car auction company to ship a car from a Copart in Miami to your garage in Los Angeles, they’ll charge you more than $2000. That can be heavy on your pocket.
You can save 50% of that amount just by managing your car shipping through a professional auto transporter.
Moreover, Copart isn’t an auto transport company and may not pay much attention to the careful transportation of your vehicle. In any case, going with professionals is the best option as they have the proper equipment and knowledge to transport salvage vehicles with tow truck safely from copart auction to your desired location.
Car auction companies give you roughly three days for shipping process once you’ve purchased after winning a bid. So, before locking your purchasing deal with them, you should explore everything about proactively managing your vehicle’s shipping process to ensure pickup within three days and how much it will charge.
Today we are going to explain everything in this article. So, hang on till the end to know and become completely prepared for your auctioned vehicle purchase and shipping process.
How much does it cost to ship your vehicle from auto auction
Understanding the pricing pattern, for Copart auto shipping or other car transport options, is essential as it might not be the same as what you need to pay for standard car shipping.
Auctioned vehicles need better care and efforts for safe transportation, and it can charge more. Further, the seasonal hikes in demand of shipping options can result in increased rates as well.
Although different factors add to the price of shipping an auction car, the most important is the distance from the pickup location to the space. Companies will charge you an average per-mile rate as the essential payment. This price, however, decreases as the total number of miles increase.
For example, for car transport trips ranging from 1 to 500 miles, the nominal charges of most of the transport companies are around $1 per mile. However, this rate decreases to approximately $0.75 per mile if the shipping ride is 501-1000 miles and even lower for higher distances.
While this information can give you an estimated expense for your trip, there is a catch about finding the low-priced deals to save you some money.
Bottom-line: How to get the best price while bidding and shipping auctioned vehicles?
As distance is the core part that makes up the total auto transport cost, it must be as little as possible. So, choosing a car and bidding from an auction company nearby your location is the best solution in this case.
No matter whether you’ve hired a shipping company or have locked the transportation contract with the auction company, bidding from the nearest location is always preferred to get the best deals on your purchase and transport.
There can also be scenarios when your desired car isn’t available at your nearest auction location. In that case, you need to get an appropriate estimate of the total payment you need to make. Again, you can use our auction auto shipping cost calculator (hyperlink) to get that information.
You can also feel free to get a free quote without paying any cashier's check and now the money you need.
How Copart auto shipping works and how to get started with auto transport company
When a car gets ‘’totaled’, it gets transported to the auto auctions company’s location. Totaled is when the vehicle’s worth is less than the amount required to repair it. The insurance company then usually provides the vehicle for relevant auctions. Anybody can check the lists of such cars from online listing information of auction companies.
If you (or any friend) are interested and plan to buy classic cars from auctions, you need to contact the transport company as soon as you’ve won the bid and estimated your shipping expenses. for participating in auctions, you need to register to obtain bidder's ID.
After winning the bid, the auction company gives the buyers only three days to pick up the vehicle from copart. You need to arrange your car shipping within this timeline, or you’ll have to pay storage fees for each added day after the sale.
So, considering this little time available in your hand, you need to manage to deal with your shipping company proactively. First, you must have completed your expense calculations and decide which company you should hire for your shipping options.
Now you need to contact and provide all the necessary details of the shipping to the company, making sure to pick up your vehicle from Copart and get it delivered at your shared location. After that, the auto transport company or the dealers shares their schedule to pick up your car from the Copart auto. Their drivers usually inspect the condition of your vehicle and share details with you before picking it up.
You can confirm vehicle inspection from the auto transport auctions; some of them include it in their services. If they don’t cover these inspection services with the shipping, you can even check if that’s available as a separate service you can buy.
After this, the shipping driver will load your vehicle on his trailer and start his ride to deliver your car at the drop-off location. If this all goes smooth, your car reaches your destination within a few days, and this happens when you know the precautions to choose the best shipping (hyperlink).
In the upcoming section of this article, I’ve shared some insights about these precautions related to auctioned vehicles. Let’s explore:
The most popular and largest auto auction companies in the US are. And they only need your driver’s license to get registered. Once you’ve written yourself, you can access the auctioned vehicles through their online website by using your website password and ID.
- Manheim.
- Copart.
- IAAI (Insurance Auto Auction).
- ADESA.
Manheim lists only used but not damaged vehicles of all kinds. Cars, motorcycles, pickup trucks, crossovers, RVs, travel trailers and boats, and heavy equipment.
Copart doesn’t only cover in the US but is also available for vehicle auction in UK, Canada and they cover used, wholesale, and salvaged vehicles.
IAA, slightly damaged, salvage and clear title vehicles, parts of cars, SUVs, motorcycles, across the US and same with ADESA auto auction insurance company. In addition, the company offers online booking of vehicle transportation.
These auctions collectively cover all the big state names of USA and Canada such as north Carolina, south Carolina, west Virginia, north Dakota, south Dakota, Rhode island, new Mexico, new jersey, new Hampshire, Texas, Virginia and so on. If you're a buyer from any other state, you can check the official websites of these companies or contact any local dealership.
You must confirm the exact driver and sign your trip with the shipping company. For that, you need to communicate the name of the auction, your delivery address, and info as below:
- Buyers ID
- Lot of stock number
- VIN code
- Gate pass (If applicable)
How to choose the best Copart shipping company
Although the first option can be the auto auction company that has sold you a car, you should still spend a little time checking other options. You can choose a broker or a shipping company which stands most suitable for the delivery of your vehicle by looking into several factors.
I have listed and explained the most important checks you can make this decision:
Check Rates and Ratings,
There is no other vital factor to look for if a company is charging high and doesn’t have a good reputation in the market. So, going with this thumb rule, the first check to make is a price comparison. Then, once you’re clear about the pickup and drop-off location of your trip and know the total distance of the journey, you can check the charges of different shipping companies. This can let you know about the most low price choices.
However, finding the cheapest one isn’t going to ensure safe and reliable transportation of your vehicle. You also need to check and compare the reputation of the company. You can check ratings and reviews about almost all other companies which are popular. You can also explore the overall experience of those companies.
Check Registrations, Experience and Expertise
The company should have valid licenses such as MC number registered from FMCSA and commercial driving license of the drivers working in the shipping company.
Although ratings are good signs to know about the experience, expertise and success, be sure that the company you’re hiring has the necessary tools and skillset to ship auctioned vehicles. As you know that auctioned cars are usually not in their original shape, they need extra care when you’re transporting them. Often, companies with a good profile and skillset charge a little higher than others, but it’s worth it as they ensure delivery of your vehicle in the same condition they picked it.
These companies are usually experts at understanding the value of the vehicle they’re loading and unloading.
Chose the company which knows time constraints and manages everything smoothly
The company should know the time constraints of the auto insurance auction companies very well. As if your auction gets locked just before the weekend, you may need to make sure to pick it up within three days to avoid getting charged a storage fee. Again, the company should know the requirements of these auction companies very well.
Public auction companies such as IAA and Copart have limited operation windows, such as they’re open from 8 am to 4:30 pm. So, the shipping company and their drivers should also be aware of this for timely pickup and schedule their trips accordingly.
Disaster Management As a shipping company’s trait
The shipping company should have backup carriers available at a nearby auction location if somehow the driver gets stuck due to his vehicle’s trouble. They should know the situation and be able to handle the delivery from that exact spot.
Experience in auctioned auto shipping
The company should have experience in Copart shipping. If they’ve done it before, they’re credible to do that again safely and reliably. It’s best if they have a good working relationship with the auction companies nearby your location. That will make it easy for the drivers to ensure the timely pickup of your vehicle.
Vehicle Inspection Services
It's not good to rely only on the auction handlers when it comes to the car's actual condition at the time of pickup. The state of your purchased vehicle can be different from how we mentioned it in the seller's listing on the auction board. So, a good company's driver can check the car's condition before picking it up and send you actual pictures at that time. These companies may charge a little extra for a complete inspection to avoid any worst unforeseen.
Auctioned Auto Transportation TIPs:
Now that you know everything from calculating your shipping expenses to selecting the best shipping company, you may still find some suggestions helpful if it’s your first time buying and shipping a car.
We have listed below a few practical tips which can be helpful to avoid potential problems.
Prepare yourself fully:
Shipping your car requires you to complete all your preparation before purchasing an auctioned vehicle.
Clear your full payment:
Auction companies need you to pay the total amount before picking up your vehicle. So, be mindful about arranging your budget for your purchase.
You can save storage fees:
If you do not pick your car within the typical number of days an auction company provides, they’ll start charging for the storage after those days. So make sure to arrange pickup before those days end.
Make your pickup plan and keep up with it:
Keep in touch with your service provider and check and forward the necessary documents they need to ensure smooth delivery.
Provide accurate delivery details to your auto shipping company:
To make your car’s delivery real, make sure to share the exact address of your delivery location.
Know which trailer you should hire to ship auction car:
If your car isn’t moveable, you should select a trailer with a winch for trips less than 1000 miles. When the shipping distance is more than 1000 miles, you may need to skip a trailer with a winch and should prefer hiring a local forklift to offload your car at the drop-off location. That will be save you money.
Check the legal status of the vehicle:
You need to make sure that the state -where you’re delivering your vehicle- is legally compatible with the title of the car.
Conclusion
As an auction buyer, you should never settle for any less price; instead, look for a company offering quality services at the lowest rates. We have explained everything which can help you decide this. If you don’t think it’s a hassle-free task for you, you can explore our transportation services for auctioning vehicle shipping and let the experts handle everything for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Enclosed auto shipping saves your vehicle from rain and provides extended insurance. At the same time, it can cost 2 to 3 times higher and comes with a risk of trip schedule. This happens as experienced drivers are less in quantity and are required to be informed a week earlier. In the worst-case scenario, you may end up paying storage charges as well at the auction’s parking.
It would help if you considered all these factors and compare the worth of your car with the complete shipping and fixing charges.
Mostly accidental vehicles may have exposed interiors that can get damaged by rain or any natural environmental effect. However, the final decision is yours about whether you should go for an enclosed container or an open trailer.
Transportation time usually depends on the shipping company. Typically, dealer auction vehicle shipping completes in 2 to 5 days after order booking. In contrast, express shipping reduces this time to 12 to 48 hours max.
Further, the shipping driver covers 500 miles a day and can complete your trip within a few days depending upon the total distance you have to cover.