Shipping a Car from Copart or IAA in Texas: The Complete Guide

You won the bid. Now the clock is running — and every day your vehicle sits on a Copart or IAA lot, storage fees stack up. Here’s how auction transport actually works in Texas, and how to get your purchase moving without delays.

The storage-fee clock is real

Copart and IAA both charge daily storage after a short grace period. A vehicle that sits for a week can quietly add hundreds of dollars to your cost. The single best thing you can do is line up transport before or right when you win, not days later.

What a carrier needs to schedule your pickup

Auction lots won’t release a vehicle to just anyone. To generate a gate pass and get your car loaded, the carrier needs:

• Buyer ID / Buyer number — ties the release to your account
• Lot number / Stock number — identifies the exact vehicle
• VIN — Copart and IAA verify it at release
• Confirmation that gate fees are paid — the lot won’t release until they are

Give your carrier all four up front and there’s nothing to stall the pickup. Leave one out, and the driver can show up to a lot that won’t release the vehicle — wasting a trip and a day.

Many auction cars don’t run — plan for it

A large share of salvage and auction vehicles are non-running. That’s fine, but it changes the equipment: the vehicle has to be winched onto the trailer at designated tow points. Tell your carrier whether the vehicle:

• Runs and drives — loads normally
• Rolls, steers, and brakes — can be winched
• Won’t roll — needs a forklift or specialized loading

An inoperable surcharge of $75–$150 applies, but knowing the condition in advance means the right equipment shows up the first time.

Texas auction lanes we run

From our Granbury base, we run the major Texas auction facilities — including Copart and IAA locations across the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex — on the tight timelines auction buyers need. We’re active on Central Dispatch and Super Dispatch for auction load flow, and we handle the gate-pass details so you don’t have to.

Get your auction vehicle moving

Have your buyer ID, lot number, and VIN handy and request a quote — pick “Auction Vehicle Pickup” and we’ll capture the release details up front so your car is off the lot before the fees pile up.