Project cars, auction buys, and salvage. What "inoperable" means to a carrier, and the one question that decides your price.
The question that decides everything
Does it roll, steer, and brake? If yes, a winch-equipped carrier can pull it onto the trailer and you are looking at roughly $150–$250 above the running rate. If no — seized wheels, no steering, no brakes — you need a forklift or a rollback, which is different equipment at a different price.
Be honest at the quote stage
Describing a non-running car as running is the most expensive shortcut in this business. The driver arrives without a winch, cannot load, and you pay for a dry run and wait for a rescheduled load. Ten seconds of honesty on the quote form prevents all of it.
Auction and salvage pickups
Send the auction name, lot number, gate release, and any storage deadline. Yards have their own hours and release procedures, and free storage clocks run out fast. I coordinate directly with the yard so you never have to be on site.
