Storage Fees: What Happens If You Don't Pick Up Your Copart Car on Time

Winning the bid starts a clock. Most buyers know they have to pay quickly. Fewer plan for pickup, and that's where storage fees start eating the profit.

01The clock

At Copart, payment is generally due within a few business days, and you get a short window to pick up after that. Miss it, and storage fees start, charged per day. One transport company that moves Copart cars every day puts it at about $50 a day at the yards it uses most. Check your yard's rules. They vary.

A transporter who's a week late can cost you $350 in storage on a car you bought for $3,000.

02Line up the tow before you bid

• Know the yard. Distance, hours, and how busy it is.
• Get a transport quote for that yard before you bid, not after you win. See getting a salvage vehicle home.
• Ask about timing. Can they pick up inside your window? Many transport loads are scheduled several days out.
• Have a backup. A second transporter or a local tow company.

03Getting it out

• The yard will need a gate pass or release, the buyer's paperwork, and sometimes the driver's ID.
• Cars that don't run need a truck with a winch, and some yards have limits on how they'll load.
• Check the car's condition at pickup if you can. Photos at the yard help if something's missing or new damage shows up.

04Holidays and bad weather

Yards slow down over holidays, and so do transporters. A car won the week before Thanksgiving may not get a pickup until December. Know the yard's holiday hours and plan for it.

05When the transporter doesn't show

• Call the transporter first. Get a firm date.
• If they bail, book someone else fast. Storage costs more than a higher tow quote.
• Keep records. Some transport marketplaces handle disputes.

06Build it into the math

Add a few days of storage into your max-bid math as a cushion. If you don't use it, that's profit. See what a $3,000 bid really costs.

Sources (1)

SAKAEM Logistics: Copart fees 2026

Photo by photoscene on Pixabay.

Related: Copart Buyer Fees Explained: What Gets Added to Your Bid