Auto Auctions Transport: How Much Does Copart Car Shipping Cost

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 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 safely with a tow truck from the Copart auction to your desired location.

Car auction companies give you roughly three days for the conveyance 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 will explain everything in this article. So, hang on until the end to learn and prepare for your auctioned vehicle purchase and logistics process.

How much does it cost to ship your vehicle from the 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 must pay for standard haulage.

Auctioned vehicles need better care and efforts for safe transportation, and they can charge more. Further, seasonal hikes in demand for shipping options can result in increased rates as well.

Although different factors add to the price of dispatching 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 increases.

For example, most car transport companies charge around $1 per mile for trips ranging from 1 to 500 miles. 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 do you get the best price while bidding and shipping?

Distance is the core of the total auto transport cost, so it must be as little as possible. In this case, the best solution is to choose a car and bid from an auction company near your location.

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 must 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 Moving Works and How to Get Started With the Movers

When a car gets ‘’totaled’, it gets transported to the auto auction 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 in buying classic cars from auctions, you need to contact the transport company as soon as you’ve won the bid and estimated your shipping expenses. To participate in auctions, you need to register to obtain the bidder's ID.

After winning the bid, the auction company gives the buyers only three days to pick up the vehicle from Copart. You must arrange your transport within this timeline, or you’ll have to pay storage fees for each added day after the sale.

So, considering the little time you have, you need to manage your dealings with your shipping company proactively. First, you must have completed your expense calculations and decided which company to hire for your options.

Now, you need to contact the company and provide all the necessary details to the company, making sure to pick up your vehicle from Copart and get it delivered to your shared location. After that, the auto transport company or the dealers share their schedule to pick up your car from 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 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 driver will load your vehicle on his trailer and start his ride to deliver it to the drop-off location. If this all goes smoothly, your car will reach its 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 be 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, including cars, motorcycles, pickup trucks, crossovers, RVs, travel trailers, boats, and heavy equipment.

Copart doesn’t only cover the US but is also available for vehicle auction in the UK and Canada. They cover used, wholesale, and salvaged vehicles.

IAA, slightly damaged, salvaged, and clear-title vehicles, parts of cars, SUVs, and motorcycles, are available across the US, and the same is true with the ADESA auto auction insurance company. In addition, the company offers online booking of vehicle transportation.

These auctions collectively cover all the big state names in the 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 Select the Haulers

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. By considering several factors, you can choose a broker or a shipping company that is most suitable for the delivery of your vehicle.

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 your trip's pickup and drop-off location and know the total distance of the journey, you can check the charges of different shipping companies. This will let you know about the most affordable price choices.

However, finding the cheapest one doesn’t ensure safe and reliable transportation of your vehicle. You also need to check and compare the company's reputation. You can check ratings and reviews about almost all other popular companies. You can also explore the overall experience of those companies.

Check Registrations, Experience, and Expertise

The company should have valid licenses, such as the MC number registered with FMCSA and the commercial driving licenses of the drivers working in the shipping company.

Although ratings are good signs of 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 that 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 operating windows, such as open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. So, the shipping company and its drivers should also know this for timely pickup and schedule their trips accordingly.

Disaster Management As a carriage firm

The shipping company should have backup carriers available at a nearby auction location if 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 Haulage

The company should have experience in Copart shipping. If they’ve done it before, they’re credible and can do it again safely and reliably. It’s best if they have a good working relationship with the auction companies near 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 regarding the car's actual condition at pickup time. The state of your purchased vehicle can differ 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 and send you actual pictures before picking it up. 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 haulers, you may still find some suggestions helpful if it’s your first time buying and shipping a car.

Below, we have listed a few practical tips that can help avoid potential problems.

Prepare yourself fully:

Dispatching your car requires you to complete all your preparation before purchasing an auctioned vehicle.

Clear your full payment:

Auction companies require you to pay the total amount before you pick up your vehicle. So, be mindful about arranging your budget for your purchase.

You can save storage fees:

If you do not pick up 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 to ensure smooth delivery.

To make your car’s delivery real, share the exact address of your delivery location.

If your car isn’t moveable, select a winch trailer 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 save you money.

Check the legal status of the vehicle:

It would be best if you made sure that the state where you’re delivering your vehicle is legally compatible with the car's title.

Conclusion

As an auction buyer, you should never settle for a lower price; instead, look for a company offering quality services at the lowest rates. We have explained everything that can help you decide this. If you don’t think it’s a hassle-free task, you can explore our transportation services for auction vehicle shipping and let the experts handle everything for you.