IAA Transport — Ship Your Vehicle from IAA Auctions

IAA: What Changed and What Stayed the Same

Insurance Auto Auctions rebranded to simply "IAA" in 2019 and was later acquired by RB Global (formerly Ritchie Bros.) in 2023. The name changed, the parent company changed, but the yard operations stayed largely the same: insurance companies consign total-loss vehicles, IAA lists them online, buyers bid, and the winner arranges their own transport. That last part is where most buyers — especially first-timers — run into friction.

The IAA Gate Pass Process: Different from Copart

This is the single biggest operational difference between IAA and Copart that affects your transport timeline. At Copart, the gate pass generates automatically once payment clears. At IAA, the buyer must actively request the gate pass through their online portal. It does not happen on its own. If you pay for your vehicle and then wait for a gate pass to magically appear in your account, you will be waiting while storage fees accumulate.

Here is the step-by-step: log into your IAA buyer account, navigate to your purchased lot, click the transportation or pickup options, and request gate pass authorization. IAA then processes the request — typically within one business day. Once the gate pass is active, we can send a carrier to the yard. The extra manual step means IAA pickups often run one day behind Copart pickups on average.

When you book transport through Y7 Logistics, we walk you through this process. If you have not requested your gate pass yet, we flag it immediately so you do not lose days without realizing it.

IAA vs Copart: What Actually Differs for Transport

Buyers searching "IAAI vs Copart" usually want the fee-and-inventory comparison, which lives in our Copart vs IAA vs Manheim guide. For transport specifically, the differences are operational, and they change how fast your vehicle leaves the yard:

The practical takeaway: IAA pickups run about one day behind Copart pickups on average, entirely because of the manual release request. A broker who handles both platforms builds that day into the dispatch plan instead of discovering it at the gate.

Buyer ID Requirements at IAA

IAA requires a registered buyer account. Individual buyers need a government-issued ID and must register on IAA's platform before bidding. Dealers need their dealer license on file. The buyer number tied to your account is what the yard checks when a carrier shows up — if the buyer number on the transport authorization does not match the account that purchased the vehicle, the yard will not release it.

We verify your buyer number against the lot details before dispatching any carrier. This avoids the scenario where a driver makes a 200-mile trip to an IAA yard only to be turned away at the gate because of a buyer ID mismatch.

IAA Storage Fees: Know Your Window

IAA gives buyers a short free storage period — typically two to three business days after payment clears. After that, daily storage kicks in at $15 to $50 per day depending on the yard. IAA's storage rates tend to be slightly lower than Copart's on average, but the shorter free window offsets that. Two free days instead of three means you have less margin for error.

The math is simple: if your vehicle sits at an IAA yard for ten days past the free period at $35 per day, you have added $350 to the cost of a car you bought at auction specifically to get a deal. We treat storage deadlines as hard dispatch priorities — your pickup gets scheduled around the free window, not around carrier convenience.

IAA Transport (In-House) vs. Independent Broker

IAA offers its own transport service called "IAA Transport" directly through the buyer portal. It is convenient — you click a button and they arrange a carrier. But convenience comes with trade-offs. IAA Transport pricing is set by IAA, not negotiated by you. There is no flexibility on timing, routing, or carrier selection. And if you are buying from multiple auctions (IAA plus Copart, for example), you are now managing two separate transport arrangements instead of one.

Working with an independent broker like Y7 Logistics means your transport is priced competitively against the open carrier market. We can combine loads — if you have one vehicle at IAA and another at Copart in the same state, a single carrier can grab both (deciding between platforms? See our Copart vs IAA vs Manheim comparison). We also provide a single point of contact for all your auction transport, regardless of which platform you buy from.

Most IAA Vehicles Are Non-Running: Plan Accordingly

The majority of vehicles at IAA are insurance total-loss claims. That means flood damage, collisions, theft recoveries, and mechanical failures. The percentage of non-running vehicles at IAA is significantly higher than at Copart, where a larger share of clean title, run-and-drive vehicles are listed.

For transport, this means winch loading is the norm, not the exception. Non-running vehicles also take longer to load at the yard — a driver may need 20 to 30 minutes per vehicle instead of the five minutes it takes to drive a running car onto the trailer. Yards with high non-running volume (and there are many) can create bottlenecks, especially on busy days. We account for this in our scheduling to make sure your carrier has enough time at the yard.

If your IAA vehicle has missing wheels, flat tires, or heavy undercarriage damage, let us know when you book. These details determine whether we need a standard car hauler with a winch or a flatbed with a forklift-accessible yard.

Top IAA Yard Locations by State

IAA operates yards across the US, with the highest concentrations in Texas, California, Florida, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Ohio, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, and New Jersey. These ten states account for the vast majority of IAA auction volume. Carrier availability from yards in these states is generally strong because they sit on well-traveled freight corridors.

For buyers purchasing from less common IAA locations — rural yards in states like Wyoming, Montana, or the Dakotas — expect an extra one to two days for carrier assignment. We price these routes transparently so you know exactly what to expect before confirming.

When You Need This

• Won a vehicle at IAA online auction
• Purchased insurance salvage vehicle
• Buying from IAA for rebuild or export
• Dealer purchasing from IAA
• Need fast pickup to avoid IAA storage fees

How It Works

What You Need

• IAA lot number
• Buyer number
• Payment completed
• Gate pass authorization
• Delivery address or port

Our Capabilities

Frequently Asked Questions