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You won at IAA. The clock starts now, and on a salvage yard it runs fast.
The cheapest, fastest way to handle IAA auction transport is to go direct to a vetted carrier instead of handing it to a broker. IAA is a salvage and total-loss auction, so a lot of what you win doesn’t drive, and the broker who quotes you keeps an undisclosed 20-30% while you wait and guess on timing. Direct carrier access removes both problems.
Here’s how IAA transport works and how to get your wins off the yard before storage fees pile up. (New to the whole process? Start with the full guide to shipping a vehicle after winning at auction.)
Key Takeaways
- IAA (Insurance Auto Auctions) sells salvage, total-loss, and lightly damaged vehicles, so run-and-drive status decides what kind of truck you need.
- Free storage typically runs sale day plus four days, then fees climb daily, so the move has to be booked before you bid, not after.
- IAA yards load your unit with their own equipment, and the loaders cap at 11,000 lbs. Anything heavier means your carrier brings its own gear. Drivers also wear high-visibility vests on site.
- IAA doesn’t deliver. You arrange transport, and the broker route adds cost and delay you can’t see.
- A vetted carrier through AHX gets a truck on your lane in about 4 days, with no hidden broker markup.
What IAA is
IAA is one of the largest salvage vehicle auctions in North America, selling cars from insurance settlements, total losses, fleet retirements, and lender repossessions through a national branch network and an online platform. Dealers buy there for rebuilds, parts, export, and wholesale flips. Like any salvage source, a big share of the inventory is inoperable or lightly running, which is the single biggest factor in how you move it.
The clock at IAA
IAA typically gives you the sale day plus four days of free storage, a little more runway than Copart, and after the window closes, storage and late fees start and escalate. The exact figures depend on the branch and the sale, so confirm them in the Auto Auction Directory before you commit.
The yard has its own rules your carrier needs to clear. IAA staff load vehicles with the branch’s own equipment, and that equipment caps at 11,000 lbs, so a heavy commercial truck, RV, or bus won’t get lifted onto a trailer unless your carrier brings the gear to do it. Transport drivers wear high-visibility vests on site, release documents have to match the person picking up, and payment clears before anything leaves. Branch hours decide whether the pickup happens tomorrow morning or after the weekend. And because so many IAA units don’t drive, the run-and-drive flag on the listing tells you whether you need a standard hauler or a carrier with a winch.
How to move a vehicle from IAA
Three paths, and the default is the most expensive.
A broker takes the job off your plate and keeps an undisclosed 20-30% for it. About $213 of an $850 quote never reaches the truck, and you don’t see the carrier or the real rate. A load board saves the fee but makes you the dispatcher and opens you to double brokering and ghost carriers, which is no small risk on salvage loads. AHX’s report, The State of Transparency in Vehicle Transportation, found broker and load-board reliant shippers are 72% more likely to report fraud.
Direct is the clean route. On AHX you post the lane, more than 5,500 vetted carriers bid, and you pick from real prices. Every carrier is checked for FMCSA authority, insurance, and SAFER safety rating, and equipment details live on the carrier’s profile, so a non-runner gets matched to a truck that can actually load it. AHX charges shippers a flat, transparent platform fee, nothing buried in the rate. The result dealers see is speed: about 4 days on average, versus the two-plus weeks that broker routing can drag into.
The speed comes from the carrier’s side of the deal. On AHX the carrier sees and keeps the full posted rate, books in about a day on average, and gets paid within 48 hours of delivery instead of the 30-to-60-day terms brokers run. Trucks compete for lanes like that, which is exactly what you want with a salvage-yard storage meter about to start.
Before you bid at IAA
Tips for moving IAA wins
- Check the run-and-drive status early. Don’t wait until you’ve won. The flag on the listing tells you whether you need a winch or loader, and that changes both the truck and the price.
- Weigh the unit before you bid, not after. IAA’s loaders stop at 11,000 lbs. If you’re buying a commercial truck or an RV, line up a carrier with its own loading equipment or the win sits.
- Watch the removal window. Storage fees escalate quickly after sale day plus four. Check the branch’s current window in the Auto Auction Directory before you bid.
- Clear payment before you dispatch. IAA won’t release a vehicle until payment is fully processed, and the release paperwork has to match the carrier at the gate. A wasted trip is a wasted day of storage.
FAQ
Can I ship a car from IAA without a broker? Yes. A broker is one option, not a requirement. You can post the lane on a direct-to-carrier marketplace, have a vetted carrier handle the IAA pickup, and skip the undisclosed 20-30% a broker keeps. Confirm the branch hours and the unit’s run-and-drive status so the carrier arrives with the right equipment and the right paperwork.
How long do I have to pick up a vehicle from IAA? Typically the sale day plus four days of free storage, though it depends on the branch and sale, and fees escalate once the window closes. Salvage yards run tighter timelines than wholesale dealer auctions, so check the current window in the Auto Auction Directory and line up your carrier before you bid.
How much does it cost to transport a vehicle from IAA? The quote depends on distance, the unit’s condition, and lane demand, but the quote isn’t the full cost. Add the broker’s markup if you use one, plus storage if you miss the window. Dealers who go direct typically save 15-20% versus the broker rate by cutting the middleman’s hidden cut alone, and Cable Dahmer saved about 25% per car after making the switch.
Get it off the yard
Salvage storage is unforgiving, and a broker’s hidden cut makes a slow move worse. Confirm IAA’s current removal window and branch rules in the Auto Auction Directory, then post your lane direct to a vetted carrier. Want the all-in cost first? Run it through the Dealer Vehicle Transport Cost Calculator. Also buying at the other big salvage yard? Here’s how Copart transport works.
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