Moving a car for a dealership or out of an auction lot around Kansas City

What a dealer or auction move is, and is not

Not every tow is an emergency. A used-car manager who bought a trade-in across town, a dealer sending a car to a body shop, an independent lot picking up an auction purchase, or a private buyer who won a non-running car online all need the same thing: one vehicle moved from one address to another, on a schedule, without surprises.

That is what our light-duty towing handles as dealer and auction moves: scheduled single-vehicle transport on a rollback flatbed, around the Kansas City metro on both sides of the state line and into northwest Missouri and northeast Kansas. The car rides on the deck, so all-wheel-drive models, electric vehicles and cars that do not run travel with nothing turning.

It is worth being clear about the boundary. We move one vehicle at a time on a flatbed. We do not run multi-car carriers or enclosed transport, and we do not do long-distance, out-of-region hauls. If you need ten cars moved at once or a car shipped across the country, a car-carrier company is the right call.

Scheduling around the lot's hours

Dealer and auction moves are usually booked ahead rather than called in on the spot, and the pickup location's rules decide most of the schedule. Before you book, find out the answers to these questions from the seller or the lot.

• Pickup hours. When the lot or dealership releases vehicles, and whether that differs by day. Many lots do not release outside set hours, regardless of when the truck can come.
• Any pickup deadline. Whether the seller expects the car removed by a certain date, and whether storage or other fees apply after it.
• Appointment or walk-up. Whether the transporter needs an appointment, a pickup number or a check-in at a specific gate.
• Delivery hours. When the receiving dealership, shop or home can accept the car, and whether an after-hours drop is allowed.
• Flexibility. Whether the move is time-critical, such as a car promised to a customer, or can go in the next available window.

Non-running purchases

Auction and wholesale cars are often sold as-is, and some do not start, roll or steer. That is fine for a flatbed, but it changes what equipment the driver needs, so the condition has to be known before the truck arrives rather than discovered on the lot.

A car that runs and drives can simply be driven onto the deck. A car with a dead battery may be stuck in park, especially if it has an electronic shifter or parking brake that needs power. A car with a seized brake, flat tires, a locked steering column or missing wheels has to be winched onto the deck on skates or dollies. Tell us what the listing or the seller says about the condition, and if you have seen the car, what you saw.

If the car is all-wheel drive or electric, say so. Both ride on the deck with all wheels off the road; the reasons are in why AWD cars go on a flatbed and how to tow an electric vehicle. An EV with a crash-damaged battery is a different job, and it needs its own plan.

Release and gate paperwork

Every lot has its own release process, and it varies between auctions, dealerships, impound and storage lots, insurance salvage yards and private sellers. The seller is the authority on what their gate needs, so ask them directly before the pickup. In general, a driver arriving to collect a car should expect to be asked for some of the following.

• A release or gate pass. A document from the seller or the lot authorizing that specific vehicle to leave, often with the buyer's name and a stock or lot number.
• Transporter authorization. Some lots release a car only to a transporter the buyer has named in advance, so tell the lot which company is coming.
• The vehicle identification number. The VIN on the paperwork has to match the car. The driver will check it before loading.
• Proof that payment cleared. Many lots will not release a car until it is paid in full, whatever the paperwork says.
• Buyer contact details. A name and phone number the lot, or the driver, can call if something does not match.

Condition photos and keys at pickup

A used or auction car rarely arrives in perfect condition, and a dispute about a scratch is settled by what was recorded at pickup. Before the car is loaded, photos should be taken of every side, each wheel, the front and rear bumpers, the roof, the windshield, and the interior, plus the odometer if the car has power. Note any damage the listing already disclosed, so it is not mistaken for something new.

Ask for a copy of the photos or take your own. The same goes for delivery: the receiving party should look the car over when it comes off the deck, before signing for it.

Keys are the other thing that goes missing in these moves. Confirm with the seller whether the keys are in the car, held at the office, in a lockbox, or not available at all, and how many keys or fobs came with the car. A car without a key may not unlock its steering or shift out of park, which makes it a non-roller for loading purposes. Tell us before the pickup so the right equipment comes.

Delivery details that avoid a second trip

The drop-off end of a dealer move fails in predictable ways: a locked gate, nobody to sign, or the car left where it blocks a service bay. Give dispatch these details when you book.

• Exact delivery address. Including which building, lot or entrance if the dealership or shop has several.
• Receiving contact. A name and phone number for the person who will accept the car.
• Where to put it. A specific row, bay, space or area, and what to do with the keys.
• Access. Gate codes, after-hours drop instructions, and any height or space limits at the delivery point.
• Paperwork on arrival. Whether the receiving party needs to sign anything or be handed any documents from the seller.

Account billing for repeat moves

A dealership, independent lot or body shop that moves cars regularly should not have to start from zero with every call. Our fleet and commercial towing accounts are built for repeat work: set the billing contact up once, and after that each move is booked by phone with the pickup, the vehicle and the destination.

Invoices carry the vehicle, the pickup and delivery locations, and the time, so they match your stock records without back-and-forth with your office. The steps to set that up, and what to have ready, are in setting up a fleet towing account.

Pricing for a move is quoted when you book, and it depends on the distance, the car's condition and whether it rolls, the pickup and delivery access, and the timing. We do not publish a rate card, because a running car between two open lots and a non-roller from a tight auction row are different jobs. Ask for the quote before the truck is scheduled.

Related reading

Car Broke Down in a Parking Garage? How It Gets Towed Out — A disabled car inside a low-clearance parking garage is usually brought out by a wheel-lift truck that can fit under the ceiling, then loaded onto a flatbed outside where there is room.

How to Tow an Electric Vehicle Without Damaging It — Most electric vehicles should be towed on a flatbed with all four wheels off the ground, because turning the driven wheels turns the motor.

Why AWD Cars Need a Flatbed Tow, Not a Wheel Lift — AWD cars go on a flatbed because their front and rear axles are linked through a center differential, a coupling or a transfer case.