You won the bid, and now the lot is yours — along with a storage clock that starts almost immediately. Miss the window and daily fees eat your deal; bring the wrong paperwork and the gate turns your driver away. Knowing how to ship a car from Copart keeps both from happening. We move Copart wins every week, so here is the exact playbook.
The short answer: To ship a car from Copart, pay and clear the lot, pull the gate pass from your member dashboard, and book a yard-approved carrier the same day you win. You have about three business days before storage fees start. Disclose whether the car runs, rolls, or needs a forklift so the right truck shows up.
Shipping a Copart win comes down to five moves: pay fast, pull the gate pass, book a yard-approved carrier, disclose the condition, then receive and inspect. Get the order right and you skip the fees and the headaches.
This is the practical how-to for one yard. For the bigger picture across Copart, IAA, and Manheim, lean on our auction car shipping service page, which ties the whole plan together.
The storage clock starts almost as soon as you win. Copart gives about three business days, including sale day, to pay and remove the car. After that, daily fees begin and climb.
Weekends count against that window, so a Friday win without a Monday pickup can burn two days. We tell buyers to pay the moment the sale closes. The faster payment clears, the sooner the release is ready.
The honest downside: on a cheap salvage lot, storage fees can pass the car's value in under two weeks. Speed is not optional here — it is the whole game.
Copart generates a gate pass through your member dashboard once payment clears. That pass authorizes one specific carrier to enter and load the car. Without it, the driver cannot leave the yard.
The pass must match the carrier we assign. We confirm those details before dispatch, because a mismatch means a denied pickup and a wasted trip. This single document causes most failed Copart pickups.
Not every carrier can work a Copart yard. The yards only release to drivers set up in their system who follow the check-in rules and loading hours. Big-metro yards also get congested.
We use drivers who already run Copart yards, so check-in is smooth. Booking the same day you win means the car moves before fees start. Our guide on how much it costs to ship from auction shows how same-day booking also avoids stacked storage charges.
Most Copart cars are salvage and do not run, so loading method matters. A car that rolls but will not drive needs a winch. A car that cannot roll — missing wheels, seized brakes, frame damage — needs a forklift and a flatbed carrier.
Each method adds a fee, and the right truck depends on the details. Tell us whether the car starts, rolls, steers, and brakes. Our guide on shipping a non-running or salvage car covers winch versus forklift in depth.
Vague disclosure is the trap. "Inoperable" is not enough — a driver who expects a roller and finds a no-roll car cannot load it, and you start over.
Your Copart car ships to your door, running or not. At delivery, walk it against the pickup photos and note its condition on the bill of lading before you sign.
Salvage cars already carry damage, so documentation protects you. We tell buyers to photograph the car at both ends, with timestamps. That way any new transit damage is clear and separate from the auction damage.
Price follows distance first. A running Copart car ships at a normal rate; a typical move lands around [INSERT RATE], shifting with route, car, and season. The non-running fee is the auction-specific add-on.
A winch load adds a modest fee; a forklift-and-flatbed load costs more per mile. Storage fees stack on if you miss the window. Run the car shipping calculator for a live number, and verify any carrier with our FMCSA lookup.
Copart and IAA share most of the same rules, with small differences. Copart uses the dashboard gate pass and runs congested metro yards. IAA is stricter that the release must match the carrier exactly.
If you also buy from IAA, read our guide on shipping a car from IAA. Knowing how to ship a car from Copart is the foundation, and the same speed-and-paperwork discipline carries across every auction yard. Start your route on the calculator.
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Copart typically gives about three business days, including the sale day, to pay and remove the car. After that, daily storage fees begin and climb. Weekends usually count against you, so a Friday win can eat the window fast. We tell buyers to book transport the same day they win.
Copart generates the gate pass through your member dashboard once payment clears. That pass authorizes a specific carrier to enter and load. The driver shows it at check-in. We confirm the pass details before dispatch, because a missing or wrong pass means the driver gets turned away.
No. Copart yards only release to carriers who are set up in their system and follow the check-in rules. Many yards also limit loading hours and get congested in big metros. We use drivers who already work Copart yards, which avoids a wasted trip and a denied pickup.
Copart yard staff usually load the car with a forklift, especially for non-runners. That is faster and safer in a crowded yard. The driver positions and secures it on the trailer. We tell buyers this is why a clear condition note matters — the yard needs to know how the car moves.
Most Copart cars are salvage and do not run, so this is routine. A car that rolls needs a winch; one that cannot roll needs a forklift and a flatbed carrier. Each adds a fee. We match the right truck to the exact condition, so disclose whether it rolls, steers, and brakes.
You arrange transport separately unless you use Copart's own logistics. Booking an independent carrier is usually cheaper and gives you someone to call. The auction bill and the transport bill are separate. We tell buyers to compare Copart's in-house quote against an outside carrier before choosing.
It depends on the state and the car. Some Copart lots are open to the public; others are licensed-dealer or broker only. The transport side does not change, but your buying access might. We tell buyers to confirm their purchase is cleared and released before we send a driver.
Cleared payment, the gate pass tied to the carrier, and the buyer or lot number. The car cannot leave without them. Mismatched paperwork is the top reason a pickup fails. We verify the release matches the assigned driver before the truck heads to the yard.
Move the car before the free window closes. If a car sits too long, some yards push it to an overflow lot or start a relist process, which adds steps and cost. We have seen buyers stuck retrieving a car from storage limbo. Same-day booking is the simple way to dodge it.
Yes, and it is the value choice for most Copart wins. A rough salvage car is already weather-worn, so paying for enclosed rarely makes sense. We reserve enclosed for a finished build or a high-value classic. For a project or parts car, open transport is the right call.
Tell us where you're shipping — we'll handle the rest. No obligation, no hidden fees.