Auction and dealer car shipping is the wholesale side of auto transport: moving cars bought at Copart, IAA (also written IAAI), Manheim, Adesa or ACV to a lot or a buyer, and moving inventory between dealerships. It is repeat business with fixed pickup hours, release paperwork and storage clocks, so the carrier matters as much as the price. Every price on Transportli is door-to-door, and you get a dedicated account manager, net payment terms, 24/7 support, pickup and delivery photos, live tracking and carriers verified through Highway. This page has real prices, what it costs per car when you ship several, and 19 real auction and dealer jobs with photos.
Who this is for
- Dealers who buy at wholesale auctions and need cars on the lot fast.
- Dealer-to-dealer transfers: inventory swaps, trades and moving a car to the buyer who ordered it.
- Wholesalers, flippers and rebuilders who buy at Copart or IAA and ship damaged cars to a shop.
- Retail buyers who won a car at an online auction and need it delivered to their door.
- Fleet and body-shop accounts that move several cars a month on the same lanes.
Copart, IAA, Manheim, Adesa and ACV are separate companies and are not affiliated with Transportli. We use their names only to describe where a pickup happens.
What dealers get with Transportli
| What you get | What it means for a dealer |
|---|---|
| Dedicated account manager | One person who knows your lanes and your lots, instead of a new agent every time. |
| Net payment terms | Pay on terms that suit a dealership’s cash flow. Ask your account manager for the terms on your account. |
| 24/7 support | Auctions release cars at set hours and trucks run at night. You can reach us when it matters. |
| Photos at pickup and delivery | The driver’s inspection photos on both ends, so any damage is on record before the car leaves the yard. |
| Live tracking | See where the truck is, so the lot is ready and the buyer is told the right day. |
| Highway-verified carriers | Carriers verified through Highway, in addition to our own checks for active operating authority, insurance and safety rating. |
How shipping from an auction works
The steps are similar at Copart, IAA, Manheim, Adesa and ACV, but each yard sets its own rules, so confirm them with the auction before the driver arrives.
- Win and pay. Most auctions release a car only after it is paid for.
- Get the release. The carrier typically needs a gate pass or release code, the lot or stock number, your buyer number and the pickup location. Keep the auction receipt, which records the purchase.
- Book the truck before the storage clock runs out. Auctions hold a car free for a few days and then charge storage. Copart’s help center says Copart holds a car at no charge for up to three days, including the day you bought it, but third parties cite longer, so check your own lot.
- Pickup at the yard. The driver checks in at the gate during the yard’s hours, and the yard usually loads or releases the car. The driver photographs it and signs the bill of lading.
- Delivery to your lot, shop or buyer. The driver delivers door to door, photographs the car again and you sign the bill of lading after inspecting it.
Tell us the car does not run
Many Copart and IAA cars are salvage, and cannot be driven onto a truck. Say so when you quote, so the carrier brings a winch. See our inoperable vehicle guide for what it costs.
Copart, IAA, Manheim and Adesa: what is different
| Auction | Typically sells | Shipping notes |
|---|---|---|
| Copart | Salvage, damaged and some clean-title cars, with online bidding and buyers of all kinds. | Offers its own delivery option, which Copart’s help center describes. You can also hire your own carrier with the gate pass. Many cars do not run. |
| IAA (IAAI) | Insurance and salvage cars, from total losses to repairable cars. | Buyers book their own carrier with a release. Damaged cars often need a winch. |
| Manheim | Dealer wholesale cars, including off-lease and trade-ins, for licensed dealers. | Cars are usually running and ship open. Pickups follow the auction’s gate and release process. |
| Adesa and ACV | Dealer wholesale auctions, in the lane and online. | Similar to Manheim. Some of our recent Adesa pickups were marked inoperable on the bill. |
Auction terms change, and these rows describe the usual pattern, not a guarantee. Ask the auction for current rules on release, hours and storage fees.
Copart delivery vs. hiring your own carrier
Copart’s help center says buyers can add a shipping estimate to the payment screen and pay for delivery together with the car, with delivery expected within a few business days for nearby cars and up to three weeks for farther ones. The alternative is to book your own carrier, which lets you compare price, pickup window, insurance and the chance to track the truck. Quote both for the same car, and compare the total price and the date, not only the headline. If you want to compare, enter the two ZIP codes below, or ask us for a quote with your lot and gate-pass details.
How much does auction and dealer car shipping cost?
The price of an auction pickup is set the same way as any trip: distance, vehicle, trailer and route. Across 570 real lanes, an open-trailer sedan that runs cost a median of $282 under 250 miles, $712 for 500 to 1,000 miles and $1,372 for 2,000 miles or more. A car that does not run adds about 25%, which is typical for salvage. See our car shipping cost guide for the full table.
What does it cost per car when you ship several?
Dealers rarely ship one car. We priced the same sedan for 1, 3, 5 and 10 cars on 12 busy lanes between big auction and dealer markets. Per car, the price fell a median of 14% at 3 cars, 17% at 5 and 31% at 10, though it ranged from 19% to 56% on 10 cars depending on the lane.
| Route | Miles | 1 car | Per car at 3 | Per car at 5 | Per car at 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago → Indianapolis | 185 | $300 | $255 | $192 | $143 |
| Orlando → Miami | 235 | $200 | $168 | $193 | $161 |
| Dallas → Houston | 239 | $250 | $227 | $224 | $200 |
| Charlotte → Atlanta | 245 | $470 | $294 | $224 | $208 |
| Philadelphia → Boston | 306 | $326 | $294 | $295 | $240 |
| Houston → New Orleans | 347 | $401 | $349 | $319 | $265 |
| Phoenix → Los Angeles | 374 | $275 | $247 | $240 | $200 |
| Los Angeles → Phoenix | 376 | $457 | $387 | $320 | $262 |
| Atlanta → Orlando | 440 | $400 | $385 | $413 | $308 |
| Detroit → New York | 615 | $490 | $441 | $470 | $360 |
| Dallas → Atlanta | 782 | $585 | $485 | $411 | $281 |
| Chicago → Dallas | 969 | $901 | $673 | $623 | $479 |
These are our platform estimates for open-trailer sedans that run. Mixed loads, enclosed trailers and cars that do not run price differently, and your account manager can quote a recurring lane. A full truckload is not a guarantee of the lowest price on every lane.
Auction and dealer car shipping calculator
Enter the auction or dealer ZIP code and the delivery ZIP code. Every estimate is door-to-door, for one vehicle.
Dealer-to-dealer car shipping
Dealer transfers are the most routine kind of job: a car sold to or swapped with another dealership, moved from one lot to another. They are commercial addresses where a full-size trailer can usually reach, so door-to-door is easy. A few things help.
- Send the stock number and a lot contact at both ends, so the driver is not waiting at a locked gate.
- Give a pickup window that fits the lot’s hours, and a delivery window for the buyer.
- Ask for the bill of lading and photos on both ends and keep them with the deal. They are the record if a car arrives with damage.
- Group cars that share a lane. Several cars from the same lot to the same area usually price per car below a single car, as the table above shows.
- Confirm payment terms up front. We offer net payment terms through your account manager.
Real auction and dealer jobs on our platform
These 19 jobs come from the signed bills of lading and the drivers’ pickup and delivery photos. They are the auction and dealer pickups from our state guides and our inoperable vehicle guide. Customer names, street addresses, VINs and plates are left out. Miles are our own approximations, and dates are the signature dates on the bills of lading.
From an auction
| Vehicle | Route | Miles (approx.) | Picked up | Delivered | Time | Picked up at |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 Jeep Wagoneer | Carleton, MI → Spirit Lake, IA | ~700 | Jul 11, 2026 | Jul 13, 2026 | 2 days | Manheim Detroit |
| 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L | Carleton, MI → Denver, CO | ~1,350 | May 9, 2026 | May 11, 2026 | 2 days | Manheim Detroit |
| 2024 Honda Odyssey (crash damage) | Woodhaven, MI → Brockton, MA | ~750 | Jul 13, 2026 | Jul 14, 2026 | 1 day | Copart |
| 2024 Honda Odyssey Touring (crash damage) | Belleville, MI → Brockton, MA | ~750 | Jun 16, 2026 | Jun 17, 2026 | 1 day | IAA |
| 2015 Audi A6 (front damage) | Philadelphia, PA → Washington, DC | ~140 | Oct 16, 2026 | Oct 16, 2026 | Same day | Auto auction |
| 2015 Dodge Charger (wrecked) | Oklahoma City, OK → Lyman, SC | ~1,020 | Oct 8, 2026 | Oct 12, 2026 | 4 days | Copart |
| 1984 Porsche 944 | Chandler, AZ → Newark, NJ | ~2,480 | Oct 8, 2026 | Oct 15, 2026 | 7 days | Adesa |
| 2015 Honda CR-V | Hutchins, TX → Newark, NJ | ~1,600 | Oct 9, 2026 | Oct 12, 2026 | 3 days | Adesa |
| 2013 Ford F-250 Super Duty | Hutchins, TX → Omaha, NE | ~700 | Oct 16, 2026 | Oct 17, 2026 | 1 day | Auction yard (same address as the Adesa CR-V) |
| 2016 Audi Q3 | College Park, GA → Newark, NJ | ~880 | Oct 2, 2026 | Oct 3, 2026 | 1 day | Adesa |
| 2023 Honda Pilot (collision damage) | Franklin, OH → Belleville, NJ | ~630 | Oct 15, 2026 | Oct 16, 2026 | 1 day | Adesa |
Dealer jobs
| Vehicle | Route | Miles (approx.) | Picked up | Delivered | Time | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 GMC Yukon Denali | Franklin, MA → Newtown Square, PA | ~300 | Aug 20, 2026 | Aug 21, 2026 | 1 day | Dealership to dealership |
| 2023 Volkswagen Golf GTI | Santa Fe, NM → McLean, VA | ~1,900 | Apr 22, 2026 | Apr 24, 2026 | 2 days | Dealership lot |
| 2020 Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon | Towson, MD → New York, NY | ~200 | Sep 10, 2026 | Sep 11, 2026 | 1 day | Dealership |
| 2025 Mazda MX-5 Miata RF | Idaho Falls, ID → Loveland, CO | ~700 | Nov 13, 2025 | Nov 14, 2025 | 1 day | Dealership |
| 2023 Toyota RAV4 Prime | York, ME → Torrington, CT | ~220 | Aug 13, 2026 | Aug 14, 2026 | 1 day | Delivered to a dealership |
| 2023 Volvo XC90 | Rockville, MD → York, PA | ~85 | Dec 23, 2025 | Dec 24, 2025 | 1 day | Delivered to a dealership |
| 2017 Chevrolet Cruze | Clarksville, MD → Herkimer, NY | ~340 | Sep 11, 2026 | Sep 12, 2026 | 1 day | Delivered to a dealer lot |
| 2023 Ford Transit box truck | Farmington Hills, MI → Rowley, MA | ~750 | Jul 18, 2026 | Jul 21, 2026 | 3 days | Delivered to a dealer lot |
Of these 19 jobs, 15 were delivered within 2 days, 17 within 3 days and the slowest, a Porsche 944 from Adesa Phoenix to New Jersey (about 2,480 miles), took 7. Six of the 11 auction jobs were marked inoperable on the bill, and several were crash-damaged. These are examples of what we saw, not a promise for your trip.
What the photos show
These are the drivers’ own inspection photos, taken at pickup and at delivery, which is what you get on every job. License plates, signs, lot numbers and bystanders are blurred or out of frame.
How to choose an auction and dealer transport company
- Check the company. Every interstate carrier or broker needs a USDOT number and operating authority. Look them up on the FMCSA company snapshot.
- Ask who the carrier is. Find out whether you are dealing with a broker or a carrier, and who is responsible if a car is damaged.
- Ask about auction experience and whether the truck has a winch, since many auction cars do not run.
- Ask for photos and tracking on every car, and for the bill of lading at both ends.
- Ask about terms. Compare payment terms, support hours and whether you get one account manager.
- Be wary of a price far below the others. It may not find a driver, and a car left in an auction yard keeps accruing storage.
Transportli is a freight marketplace, not a carrier. We match each job with carriers on our platform that have been checked for active operating authority, insurance and safety rating, and verified through Highway.
Auction and dealer car shipping: frequently asked questions
How do I ship a car from Copart?
Pay for the car, get the gate pass and lot number from Copart, and book a carrier for pickup before storage fees start. Tell the carrier if the car does not run. We can quote with your lot and gate-pass details, and the driver sends photos at pickup and delivery.
Does Copart deliver cars?
Copart’s help center describes a delivery option you can add to your payment, with delivery in a few business days for nearby cars and up to three weeks for farther ones. You can also hire your own carrier. Compare the total price and the date, and check Copart for current terms.
How do I ship a car from IAA or IAAI?
The process is similar: pay, get the release and lot details and book a carrier for pickup within the yard’s free-storage window. IAA sells many damaged cars that do not run, so ask for a truck with a winch.
How do I ship a car from Manheim?
Manheim sells to licensed dealers. After you buy, you need the release or gate pass and the lot details for the pickup. Most Manheim cars run, so they ship open, and we deliver door to door to your lot.
How much does it cost to ship a car from an auction?
It depends on distance, vehicle and whether it runs. Across 570 real lanes a running sedan cost a median of $282 under 250 miles and $712 for 500 to 1,000 miles. A car that does not run adds about 25%.
Do you give a discount for shipping several cars?
Per-car prices fell in our tests. On 12 lanes the price per car was a median of 14% lower at 3 cars, 17% lower at 5 and 31% lower at 10, though it varied by lane. Your account manager can price a recurring lane.
What do I need for the driver to pick up at an auction?
Typically a gate pass or release code, the lot or stock number, your buyer number, the pickup address and hours, and a contact. Each auction has its own rules, so confirm them with the yard.
How long does auction car shipping take?
Pickup depends on the lane and the auction’s hours. On our 19 recent jobs, 15 were delivered within 2 days and the slowest took 7. Cross-country trips are typically about a week. These are examples, not guarantees.
Do you offer a dealer account or net payment terms?
Yes. Dealers get a dedicated account manager, net payment terms, 24/7 support, pickup and delivery photos, live tracking and Highway-verified carriers. Ask your account manager for the terms on your account.
Can you ship dealer to dealer?
Yes. Dealer transfers are routine. Send the stock numbers, a contact at each lot and your pickup and delivery windows, and group cars that share a lane for a lower price per car.
Can you ship cars that do not run, like salvage cars?
Yes. Tell us the car does not run so the carrier brings a winch. On our tests an inoperable sedan added a median of about $190. See our inoperable vehicle guide.
Should an auction car go open or enclosed?
Open is the standard for most auction and dealer cars and costs less. Consider enclosed for a high-value or collectible car. Enclosed adds about 75% on our platform, so see our open vs. enclosed guide.
Are you affiliated with Copart, IAA, Manheim or Adesa?
No. They are separate companies. We ship cars from their yards the same way we ship from any address.
Can I track a car and get photos?
Yes. You get live tracking, and the driver’s inspection photos at pickup and at delivery, which are the record of the car’s condition on each end.
How are carriers vetted?
Carriers on our platform are checked for active operating authority, insurance and safety rating, and are verified through Highway. You should still look up any carrier you use on the FMCSA site.
Did you know?From real quotes and jobs, October 2026
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-17% median saving per car at 5 cars
Ship several cars, pay less per car
On 12 lanes the price per car fell a median of 14% at 3 cars, 17% at 5 and 31% at 10.
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15 of 19 auction and dealer jobs delivered within 2 days
Fast turnarounds
The slowest of the jobs on this page, a Porsche 944 from Adesa Phoenix to New Jersey, took 7 days.
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24/7 support and live tracking
Built for dealers
A dedicated account manager, net payment terms, photos at pickup and delivery and Highway-verified carriers.
Get an auction or dealer shipping quote
Tell us the pickup yard or lot, the delivery address and how many cars. Free, no account needed, and you can ask for a dedicated account manager.
Get a quote →Related content
Cite this page
Cite as: Transportli, “Auction and Dealer Car Shipping: Copart, IAA, Manheim and Adesa”, https://transportli.com/auto-transport/auction-car-shipping/, updated October 20, 2026.
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