Beating the storage clock
Storage charges start when you buy, not when you get round to arranging collection. Every extra day on the yard is a cost you did not factor in when you placed your bid.
A loaded truck has to fill its deck with cars going the same way. A driven collection does not, so once release is confirmed we can send a driver to that compound for your one vehicle.
We only dispatch once release is confirmed. A driver at the barrier without a release code or buyer reference is a wasted trip, the car stays put and storage keeps running.
Send us the release details first and we will get a driver to the gate.
Quote your lot online
Enter the registration, the compound and both postcodes for an instant quote, or call 0141 459 1302. Add the release code as soon as you have it, and we will dispatch once the site confirms release.
Release first, then the driver
The process is simple and deliberate. You buy the vehicle and clear payment, the site issues a release code or buyer reference, and we confirm it with the compound along with that day's gate procedure. Then we send a driver.
Skipping that check leaves a driver at a barrier arguing about a list he is not on. Auction compounds run to their own rules and will not wave anyone through because you are in a hurry.
If the lot cannot legally be driven, we need to know before a driver is booked. Salvage and non runners need a transporter, and we will tell you so rather than waste a collection slot at a gate that will not release the car onto the road.
To see how a driven collection works from start to finish, read what a driven trade plate vehicle movement is. An auction collection is the same job, starting at the compound gate.
Collecting from BCA, Manheim and Wilsons
Most of our auction work comes from BCA, Manheim and Wilsons. We are happy to quote for independent auctions too, once the release is confirmed.
At BCA the gate will turn a driver away if the paperwork is wrong, so we confirm everything with the site before dispatch. If you buy at BCA Glasgow, see trade plate vehicle movements in Glasgow.
At Manheim we check the buyer reference and gate procedure with the specific compound rather than assuming it works like another Manheim site.
At Wilsons the process is the same. Once release is confirmed, our driver collects your roadworthy car or van and records its condition before it leaves the yard.
Each compound tells our office how its gate will run on the day, and we plan the collection around it.
What we record at the auction gate
Auction stock is bought on a description, and the photographs we take before leaving the compound show exactly what you are getting.
We photograph every panel and record the mileage and notes against the registration. That is your proof of collection and the baseline for any later dispute. Proof of delivery is the signed handover at your site or your buyer's door, and both arrive together when the job is complete.
The full paperwork process is set out in vehicle collection and delivery with POC and POD. Motor trade road risk insurance covers the vehicle throughout.
If the car is going to another dealer rather than your own yard, mention it on the quote. A site transfer or retail handover takes more time at the delivery end than dropping it at your own site.
How to book an auction collection
Use the instant quote and give us the registration, the compound, both postcodes, the date you need it and your contact details. Add the release code or buyer reference as soon as you have it, along with named contacts at both ends.
You do not need an account to get a price. The Instant Quote shows it on screen, and fuel or charging is included.
Buying at BCA Glasgow or Central Car Auctions? Start with the quote form all the same, and see our Glasgow page for local detail. If you are still weighing up whether a driver is right for you, read when trade plate delivery is the right move before your release window opens.
Get an instant quote, call 0141 459 1302 or email [email protected]. Our office is in Glasgow.
Cars and vans from the same compound
Each lot gets its own driver, so a car and a van are separate bookings even if they were parked in the same row.
Height and weight still matter after release, because a van that will not fit the planned route means a wasted trip. Tell us it is a van on the quote. We move light commercials but not HGVs.
A valid MOT or it stays on site
Release does not mean the vehicle is legal to drive. If the MOT has expired, the auction can still release it onto a truck, but it cannot leave on trade plates.
We check the MOT ourselves instead of relying on the catalogue, and salvage always goes by transporter.
After release, not after the hammer
Winning the lot does not give anyone authority to collect it. Payment clears, the account is settled, the site issues the code or buyer reference and we confirm it with the compound. Then we send a driver.
Waiting for release eats into your margin, and waiting for a truck after release eats into it further. Once the site says the car can leave, we can send a driver for that one vehicle.
A driver or a transporter after the sale
A loaded truck needs a full deck going the same way, and one released car will not fill it. Storage keeps running while it waits.
If the lot cannot legally be driven, a transporter is the only option and we will tell you so. For vehicles that can be driven, see vehicle movements, and read trade plate vehicle delivery to decide whether plates suit your job.
Once released, a legal car or van moves as one of our trade plate vehicle movements, with no truck involved.
How soon after release it can leave
Once the compound confirms release and the vehicle is legal to drive, we can send a driver for it. Same day collection is available as a quote, not a promise made on the day of the sale.
Gate hours, the named collector, the keys and the MOT all need to line up, or the car stays where it is. Read how long trade plate delivery takes for more on timings.
Insurance on an auction collection
Motor trade road risk insurance covers the drive from the compound gate to the handover, wherever the lot was bought.
The photographs taken at the compound are what settle any later disagreement, and they work alongside the insurance. For the full detail, read is trade plate delivery insured.
