Auction Vehicle Collection & Delivery

Auction collections often have release references, collection windows and storage deadlines. Share those details together with the condition report so the movement can be planned without avoidable delay. Call us for urgent work or send the details through the quote form when the job is planned. You will speak to AtWheel about the actual vehicle and location rather than being asked to fit the problem into a one-size-fits-all booking.

We regularly receive enquiries for motor-auction purchases, salvage and damaged vehicles, dealer-only collection sites, timed release slots, non-runner and no-key vehicles and delivery to home, garage or storage. You do not need to diagnose the fault or use recovery-industry terms. A simple description of what happened, what the vehicle does now and where it is standing gives us a much better starting point than an uncertain diagnosis.

Before we allocate a recovery or transport vehicle, we need to understand keys, start status, rolling and steering condition, locked wheels, suspension or crash damage, missing parts and the accuracy of the auction condition report. These details tell us whether ordinary winch loading is realistic and whether extra loading aids or a different approach may be needed. A vehicle that starts but has a locked wheel can be more difficult to load than a non-runner that rolls and steers freely.

Size and clearance matter too. We consider platform capacity, winch and loading aids, clearance, recovery points and compliance with the collection site’s vehicle and driver requirements. A registration lookup helps, but it cannot show a lowered suspension setup, heavy cargo, collapsed wheel, loose bodywork or a car parked tightly against a wall. Where anything is unusual, a wide photograph of the vehicle and its surroundings is extremely useful.

Your quote can take account of travel to the auction, loaded mileage, timed slots, storage deadlines, waiting, site rules, non-runner or damaged-vehicle handling and destination access. Mileage is important, but it is not the whole job. The recovery vehicle must travel to the collection point, load safely, complete the loaded journey and hand the vehicle over. Waiting, difficult access or specialist loading can therefore matter even on a short route.

We will explain the price or pricing basis before the job is accepted. Where online route pricing is available, it remains an estimate until the vehicle, access and timing have been checked. If the situation is materially different when we arrive, we will explain what has changed before carrying out additional work.

Have buyer or release reference, lot number, registration or VIN, collection deadline, site address, opening hours, condition report, photographs and delivery contact ready where possible. Describe what you can see and hear instead of guessing at the failed part. “The car clicks once and the dashboard goes dark” is more useful than “the alternator has gone” when no test has been carried out.

Remove valuables, medicines and anything you will need immediately. Secure loose parts and tell us about any belongings or cargo that will remain in the vehicle. If someone else is releasing or receiving it, share their name and telephone number so the driver is not left waiting for authority.

• Registration, make and model
• Exact collection point or safe map pin
• Whether it starts, rolls, steers and has keys
• Visible damage, low clearance or access restrictions
• Full destination and receiving contact

Before setting off, we confirm the registration, collection point, destination, vehicle condition and access. We check them again when we reach the vehicle, because faults and circumstances sometimes turn out to be different from the first description. A locked wheel, missing key, extra damage, heavier vehicle or closed destination can change the safest way to complete the job, the equipment needed and the price. When something important has changed, we pause and agree the next step rather than carrying on under the wrong assumptions.

At the destination, the vehicle should be left in the agreed position and handed to the correct person or business. Keys, release references and any paperwork are returned as instructed, and the customer is told when the movement is complete. Where access, waiting time or a change of destination affected the job, that is explained clearly rather than left for somebody else to discover later.

Useful access notes can make a repeat collection easier, but they still need checking each time. Gates, staff, opening hours, parked vehicles, road restrictions and the condition of the vehicle can all change. Current information from the customer or site contact is always more useful than assuming the next job will be exactly like the last one.