Auction removal windows are short, commonly seven to eight days. Some are counted in business days rather than calendar days, and storage fees start when the window closes. To get a truck through the gate, the yard needs your paid invoice, the lot number, any release form your auction issues, and often written authorization naming the carrier. The yard may not provide loading help, and no auction house warrants that the machine will start.
Auction Removal Deadlines: How Long You Have to Collect
Every auction company sets its own terms, and the terms on your invoice govern your lot. The three companies below publish their buyer terms in full. Those terms provide a useful sample of how removal deadlines work.
| Auction company | Removal window | After the deadline | What the terms require at pickup |
| IronPlanet | 8 business days after the Item Release is available | Storage fees of $25 per day from day 9, capped at $1,500; equipment may be deemed abandoned after 60 days | The Item Release Form with its Item Release Code |
| Purple Wave | The removal deadline stated in the auction details or on the invoice | Storage fees, plus abandonment terms that turn on the item’s price: lots under $2,000 can be deemed abandoned after 90 days, while higher-value lots carry a resale fee instead | A copy of the buyer’s paid invoice |
| Alex Lyon & Son | 7 days from the sale date | Storage fees, or removal at the buyer’s expense | These terms name no separate release form. Loading runs Monday to Saturday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, and some Sundays 8:00 to 11:00 AM |
*The terms were published by each company and retrieved August 2026.
The table shows two key differences. Business days aren’t calendar days, so eight business days over a holiday week is less than two weeks of real time. The removal window also doesn’t always start on the sale date. IronPlanet counts from the day the item is released to you, while Alex Lyon & Son counts from the sale date. Check which date starts the removal window on your invoice before planning the pickup.
One relevant clause appears in IronPlanet’s terms: RB Group isn’t liable for any acts or omissions arising from transportation arrangements. Auction houses sell the machine, while the buyer arranges transport. Heavy Equipment Shipper handles that part of the transaction.
Paperwork the Auction Yard Requires Before Release
A yard won’t release your machine without the required paperwork, so the driver may have to make another trip. Include the following details with your quote request so the carrier has them at pickup.
- The paid invoice, because most yards won’t release anything against an unpaid one
- The lot number, plus the item release form or release code if your auction issues one
- Written release authorization naming the carrier, where the yard requires it
- A description of the machine, including year, make, model, and whether it runs
- Your buyer details exactly as they appear on the invoice
- The yard’s address, gate contact name, and phone number
- Yard hours, and whether pickup is by appointment only
- Your removal deadline and the date storage fees begin
Send the deadline the day you get it, not the day before it expires. A wider window gives you more carriers to choose from on that lane and can help keep the cost down.
Send Us the Lot and Release Details
Who Loads Your Machine at the Auction Yard
Don’t assume the auction yard will load your machine. Purple Wave’s terms state that the buyer is responsible for all loading costs and must provide equipment and labor reasonably suited for receipt of the items. Other yards do provide loading, sometimes only during set hours. Confirm which one applies before we dispatch a truck.
The loading plan must also account for the machine’s condition. Auction equipment sells as is, where is, and IronPlanet’s terms state that neither the seller nor RB Group warrants the equipment will function or operate when delivered. Plan for a machine that doesn’t start.
Before pickup day, confirm as much as you can about:
- Whether the machine runs and whether anyone at the yard has started it
- Whether it rolls, steers, and brakes, which determines whether a winch will work
- Battery condition, since a dead battery is the most common reason a lot won’t move
- Whether the keys are at the yard, in the office, or nowhere at all
- Tire and track condition, including flats that keep a machine from moving
- Whether the yard has a loader or excavator available, and what it costs
If nobody can answer most of these questions, tell us. We’d rather send a carrier equipped for a non-running machine than discover the problem at pickup. Photos from the inspection or the lot listing help us assess its condition.
How We Coordinate an Auction Pickup
Heavy Equipment Shipper coordinates:
- Carrier sourcing and vetting, with operating authority and cargo insurance confirmed before we assign a carrier
- Trailer matching, including a winch or ramps when the lot doesn’t run
- Pickup scheduling within your release window and the yard’s hours
- Dispatch coordination with the gate contact, so nobody gets turned away
- In-transit shipment updates, so you aren’t chasing anyone for an answer
- Delivery coordination to a site that can receive the machine
Tell us about the ground and gate at the delivery site, since an auction yard may have more room than a driveway. If you bought more than one lot, ask whether we can plan multiple lots from the same sale together. We usually can.
Common Questions About Shipping Auction Equipment
How soon should I book transport after winning an auction lot?
Book transport the same day you get the invoice, if you can. Equipment auction removal windows commonly run about a week, sometimes counted in business days. Permits for an oversize machine can take several of those days on their own. Booking early also widens the pool of carriers running that lane, which usually helps the price.
Can you pick up equipment from any auction yard?
Yes. Heavy Equipment Shipper coordinates pickups from auction yards, dealerships, rental yards, storage lots, and private sellers nationwide. Send the lot number, release paperwork, yard contact, pickup hours, and storage deadline. We’ll schedule the pickup within the rules set by that yard.
What if the machine doesn’t start when the driver arrives?
It happens more often at auctions than anywhere else, so we ask about condition up front. If we know the machine may not run, the carrier arrives with a winch. If the machine unexpectedly fails to start on pickup day, the driver may not be able to load it. That can force a rescheduled pickup while the removal deadline continues to run.
Who pays auction storage fees if the pickup runs late?
Under every set of auction terms we’ve read, the buyer pays the storage fees, not the auction house or carrier. We ask for the deadline at quote time so we can build the schedule around it.
What to Send Us to Book an Auction Pickup
Send us the lot number, release paperwork, yard hours, and removal deadline. We confirm these details before pickup so the carrier has what the yard requires. If your machine is oversize, review how permits change the timeline on an equipment move.
