Partner Interview
Published September 19, 2025
Copart vs IAA: How Insurers Choose Salvage Auction Providers
inpractise.com/articles/copart-vs-iaa-how-insurers-choose-salvage-auction-providers
Executive Bio
Former Senior Vice President at GEICO
Summary
Subscribe to access hundreds of interviews and primary research
Or contact sales for full access
Interview Transcript
Disclaimer: This interview is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions. In Practise is an independent publisher and all opinions expressed by guests are solely their own opinions and do not reflect the opinion of In Practise.
This is a snippet of the transcript.to get full access.
What constituted that change? What kind of KPIs were you looking at when evaluating between the two providers?
The critical thing in that part of the business is speed. Speed matters. The speed of picking up the car, the speed of getting it... You can't imagine how the repair industry can be kind of messed up. I'm in it right now. I don't want to say I'm contributing to it being messed up, but I'll let you answer that on your own. For an insurance company, speed matters. Here's why. If you don't get the car into the auctioneers pickup queue quickly, it starts running crazy expenses. Rental fees could be $50 a day, storage could be $65, $70 a day. And the longer it goes, the harder it is to get the car out of a hostile shop.
This is a snippet of the transcript.to get full access.
Regarding speed and its importance, did you ever notice if Copart or IAA had an advantage in terms of faster cycle times from pickup to listing, sale, and ultimately when GEICO received the proceeds?
The industry ultimately noticed because several companies switched, recognizing that Copart's catastrophe handling was superior. There was a flood event in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, involving 40,000 total losses that needed to be picked up. Copart managed it much better than IAA, and everyone in the ecosystem noticed. Major insurance companies, including mine, had to bail out IAA because they didn't have enough land. When a catastrophe occurs, if a company doesn't perform well, you start questioning their overall capabilities. It's all about speed. In a catastrophe, you need tow trucks and land. For instance, during Hurricane Harvey in Houston in 2017, there were about 150,000 total losses. Where do you put 150,000 cars? You need a lot of tow trucks. Copart had more trucks than IAA, but they don't have 20,000 tow trucks. IAA couldn't manage, even with time to plan. Carriers had to scramble. Running a tow network, I know everything about towing. You need to know how many tows you need and your ETA. If you can't meet your ETA, you need more trucks.
Free Sample of 50+ Interviews
Sign up to test our content quality with a free sample of 50+ interviews.
Or contact sales for full access
Related Content

Copart: Purple Wave Integration and the Primacy of Buyer Density
Former Territory Sales Manager at Purple Wave Auction

Copart vs IAA: Data-Driven Insurers, International Buyers & the Shift to Digital Auctions
Former Director of Global Buyer Business Development at IAA

Copart: International Growth, Dealer-Led Exports, and the ‘Pure Sale’ Advantage
Former Sales Manager at Lion Trans

Copart, IAA and the International Salvage Market: A Buyer’s Perspective
Former International Vehicle Buyer (Copart)
© 2024 In Practise. All rights reserved. This material is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as investment advice.