Looking for IAA in our auction directory? Click here and type IAA. The Auto Auction Directory covers 400-plus auction locations nationwide, IAA branches included.
You won at IAA. The clock starts now, and at a salvage yard, it runs fast.
The fastest, most cost effective way to handle IAA auction transport is to book direct with a vetted carrier through AHX 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. Booking through AHX 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 fast once you win.
- 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.
- AHX gets vehicles to their destination in an average of 4 days after listing, for a flat, transparent fee 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
You have three paths to move your IAA win, each with different trade-offs regarding cost, speed, and risk.
- Broker: A broker manages the job for you. This convenience comes at a cost: brokers typically keep an undisclosed 20–30% of the quote, which is hidden within the total price. Note that even if a broker handles the booking, you remain responsible for storage fees if the removal window (typically sale day plus four days) is missed.
- Load Board: You manage the dispatching process yourself. This avoids the broker's fee, but you assume the responsibility for carrier vetting to avoid risks like double brokering and "ghost carriers." You must ensure the carrier is prepared for IAA-specific requirements, such as the 11,000 lbs loader limit and the need for matching release documentation.
- Direct (via AHX): You post the load to a marketplace of vetted carriers. This provides transparency and speed—vehicles reach their destination in about 4 days on average—while eliminating the middleman’s hidden markup. Because carriers are pre-vetted, you reduce fraud exposure. When uploading on Auto Hauler Exchange, our system inputs the auction’s hours onto the listing to ensure the carrier understands IAA’s gate hours and removal window to avoid accruing storage fees.
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, be ready to move fast on booking a carrier with its own loading equipment as soon as you win, or the unit 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 AHX's 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 be ready to book your carrier the moment you win..
How much does it cost to transport a vehicle from IAA? The quote depends on distance, the unit’s condition, and lane demand. If you use a broker, remember that their markup is hidden inside the quote, not a separate line item, and you'll also pay storage fees if you miss the removal window. Dealers who book direct through AHX 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 on AHX. 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.
.png)
