Direct Auction Services

What Direct Auction Services does

Direct Auction Services, operating publicly as Direct Automotive Services (DAS), is a Hendersonville, Tennessee-based private LLC founded in 2009 that bills itself as the largest U.S. provider of outsourced vehicle drive-away, reconditioning, inspection, and labor services for the auto auction industry. The company serves four primary verticals: auto auctions, car dealerships, rental car fleets, and vehicle logistics companies, and reports relationships with 4,000+ dealerships plus anchor enterprise customers including Manheim, ADESA, Cox Automotive, CarMax, Enterprise, Avis, Hyundai Glovis, Hendrick Automotive Group, and ACV Auctions.

DAS operates a multi-brand portfolio organized into seven sub-brands: Direct Reconditioning (sublet detailing, paint/body, mechanical, and de-identification), Labor on Loan (on-site auction and dealership staffing, rebranded from Direct Staffing in January 2020), Roadrunner Services (the self-described only national provider of local drive-away transportation), Roadrunner Vehicle Inspectors (third-party Electronic Condition Reports with OBD-II integration by N.A.A.A.-certified inspectors), Vehicle Ready Service (regional drive-away), Waldo Drive Away (drive-away with bundled detailing), and De-ID Central (decal removal and de-identification). Supporting technology includes the proprietary RoadMap App (mobile VIN scanning, tracking, photo documentation), Recon Matrix (reconditioning workflow), and Recon Scorecard (performance scoring).

The business model is B2B enterprise services with transaction-fee revenue on drive-away, reconditioning, and inspection engagements and managed-services revenue on labor staffing; pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. The company operates on-site at customer facilities via embedded detail shops and on-site management teams, delivering 20,000+ vehicles moved and 10,000+ vehicles cleaned weekly across 58 drive-service/labor locations and 23 detail shops in the U.S. and Canada. Revenue is not disclosed; the company is privately held with no institutional investors or funding rounds identified in the input data.

Name

Direct Auction Services

Legal name

Direct Automotive Services, LLC

Website

https://das.work

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Direct Auction Services (dba Direct Automotive Services) is the largest U.S. outsourced provider of vehicle drive-away, reconditioning, inspection, and labor staffing services, serving auto auctions, dealerships, rental car fleets, and logistics companies across 70+ locations in North America.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Auto Auction Services

NAICS

General Freight Trucking, Local (48411)

SIC

Trucking & Courier Services (No Air) (4210)

akta.pro primary industry

Vehicle Transportation & Logistics for Remarketing (Pickup/Delivery, Marshaling) (TLABAKAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Wholesale Vehicle Auctions (Physical & Online) (TLABAKAA), Used Vehicle, Remarketing & Auction Logistics (TLADAJAJ), Vehicle Pickup/Delivery & Concierge (Key Handling, Inspections, Condition Reports) (HSAKAFAL)

Keywords

• Auto auction services
• Vehicle reconditioning
• Drive-away transportation
• Auto industry staffing
• Vehicle inspection services

Headquarters

HQ city

Hendersonville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices51 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Drive-Away Services: Vehicle transportation services moving vehicles from dealerships to auctions and back. Revenue generated through service fees per vehicle transported.
2. Vehicle Reconditioning: Sublet reconditioning services including detailing, paint/body, mechanical activities, and de-identification. Revenue from service fees for vehicle preparation.
3. Vehicle Inspection Services: Third-party vehicle inspections with Electronic Condition Reports performed at customer locations by certified inspectors.
4. Labor Staffing Solutions: On-site auto labor staffing providing personnel for clerical, sales, operational support, sale day drivers, photographers, and lot scanners.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Direct Auction Services (operating as Direct Automotive Services, DAS) is the largest U.S. provider of outsourced vehicle drive-away transportation, sublet reconditioning, third-party vehicle inspections, and on-site auto industry staffing. The company operates a multi-brand platform serving wholesale auto auctions, dealer groups, rental car fleets, and logistics companies, moving more than 20,000 vehicles and cleaning more than 10,000 vehicles each week across 70+ service locations in the U.S. and Canada.

Product overview

Direct Automotive Services operates as a multi-brand platform offering vehicle operations and staffing solutions for wholesale, retail, and logistics companies. The company is organized as a unified portfolio of six distinct brands: Direct Reconditioning (sublet vehicle reconditioning and detailing), Labor on Loan (auto industry staffing), Roadrunner Services (national local drive-away transportation), Roadrunner Vehicle Inspectors (third-party vehicle inspection with electronic condition reports), Vehicle Ready Service (regional/local drive-away), and Waldo Drive Away (drive-away with bundled detailing). These services work together to deliver end-to-end vehicle logistics—handling everything from vehicle inspection and reconditioning to transportation and staffing—primarily serving auto auctions, dealer groups, and rental car fleets across North America.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Direct Reconditioning: Nation's leading provider of sublet reconditioning services including vehicle detailing, paint/body, mechanical, and de-identification services
• Labor on Loan
• Roadrunner Services
• Roadrunner Vehicle Inspectors
• Vehicle Ready Service
• Waldo Drive Away
• De-ID Central

Products and services

• Direct Reconditioning Nation's leading provider of sublet reconditioning services for auto auctions and dealerships, performing vehicle detailing, paint/body work, mechanical activities, de-identification, and decal removal at client premises.
• Labor on Loan Professional and managerial placement service for the nation's auto industry, providing on-site staffing for roles such as clerical, sales, operational support, sale day drivers, photographers, and lot scanners.
• Roadrunner Services The only national provider of local transportation (drive-away) services for auto auctions, dealer groups, and rental car fleets, with coast-to-coast locations, drivers, dispatch, transportation app, and on-site management.
• Roadrunner Vehicle Inspectors Third-party vehicle inspection service providing expert level Electronic Condition Reports (ECR) performed at client locations by pre-screened N.A.A.A. certified inspectors, including paint, body, mechanical, and flood/frame damage assessments.
• Vehicle Ready Service Regional and local drive-away and pick-up service for auto auctions, rental car services, leasing offices, and new car dealerships, offering same-day and next-day service with vehicle tracking.
• Waldo Drive Away Professional drive-away service bundled with top-notch vehicle detailing, providing vehicle transportation together with full interior and exterior detailing, restoration, and repair services.
• De-ID Central Vehicle de-identification service fulfilling decal removal and vehicle de-identification needs at client locations.

Quantifiable outcome

• 20,000+ vehicles moved weekly
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers18 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

25 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Charleston Auto AuctioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 November 2019Newest Direct Reconditioning partnership in South Carolina. Santonio Ravenell leads the Detail Shop for the partnership.
• Greater Kalamazoo Auto AuctioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 September 2019Providing drive-away services through Roadrunner drivers for vehicle transportation to/from auction and through lanes on sale day, plus Direct Reconditioning team for vehicle detailing.
• Motley's Auto AuctioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 August 2019Roadrunner Services launch at Richmond, VA location. Partnership with Motley's Auto Auction for local vehicle pickup and deliveries.
• Mountain State Auto AuctioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 July 2019First location of Direct Automotive Services, celebrating 10th anniversary. Located in Nutter Fort, West Virginia with David Nutter hosting annual golf tournament.
• Manheim New MexicocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 November 2018Continued partnership with Manheim New Mexico providing uncompromised commitment to excellence in reconditioning services. General Manager Maxine Vega cited the partnership as adding great value to Manheim New Mexico operations.
• Manheim AuctionscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor auto auction partner. Roadrunner Services provides local drive-away services; Direct Reconditioning provides detail shop operations.
• ADESAcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor auto auction partner. Direct Reconditioning teams operate detail shops at multiple ADESA locations including Orlando, Dallas, Salt Lake City, and Sarasota.
• Hyundai GlovismajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVehicle logistics partner for transportation and logistics services.
• CarMaxcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor auto retailer customer. Roadrunner provides transportation services with positive feedback on speed and professionalism.
• EnterprisecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRental car fleet customer for vehicle transportation and drive-away services.
• Cox AutomotivemajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVehicle logistics and auction technology partner.
• XLerateminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuto auction partner for vehicle transportation and services.
• Jack CooperminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVehicle logistics partner.
• LoupminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVehicle logistics and transportation partner.
• Larry MillerminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAutomotive dealer group partner.
• Hendrick Automotive GroupmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLarge automotive dealer group partner.
• Cars Arrive NetworkminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVehicle arrival and transportation coordination network.
• AvisminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRental car fleet customer.
• ACV AuctionmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOnline auto auction partner.
• Auto Auction HoldingsmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuto auction holding company partner.
• Ready LogisticsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLogistics partner that recognized Roadrunner Services Detroit with Above and Beyond award.
• Union PacificminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRail transportation partner.
• NIADAminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNational Independent Automobile Dealers Association partner.
• TNIADAminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTexas Independent Automobile Dealers Association partner.
• AMSIminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAutomotive services partner.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• ACV Auctions: ACV is a digital wholesale auction platform and an active DAS partner. Comparable as a direct peer operating in the same auto auction ecosystem, requiring transportation, inspection, and reconditioning services that DAS supplies.
• Loup Logistics: Loup is a vehicle transportation and logistics provider serving auctions, OEMs, and dealers. Comparable as a direct peer in vehicle drive-away and logistics services for the wholesale auto market.
• Auto Driveaway: Auto Driveaway is a long-standing drive-away service company. Comparable as a direct peer offering vehicle drive-away transportation services to dealerships, auctions, and commercial fleets.
• Jack Cooper Transport: Jack Cooper is a major vehicle logistics carrier serving auction and OEM customers. Comparable as a direct peer providing vehicle transportation and logistics to the same auto auction and remarketing customers.
• CarsArrive Network: CarsArrive is a vehicle transportation coordination network for auctions and dealers. Comparable as a direct peer in coordinating vehicle pickup, delivery, and arrival services for the auction ecosystem.
• Reliable Carriers: Reliable Carriers is one of the largest enclosed auto transport carriers in North America. Comparable as a direct peer delivering vehicle transportation services to auction houses, dealers, and collectors.
• Americas Auto Auction: America's Auto Auction is a DAS customer and operates auction lanes where drive-away and reconditioning services are required. Comparable as a direct peer/customer operating auction facilities that consume the same outsourced services DAS provides.

Broad incumbents

• KAR Auction Services / IAA: KAR operates ADESA auctions and IAA salvage auctions — both core DAS partners. Comparable as a broad incumbent auction operator that could vertically integrate the same outsourced services DAS provides.
• Cox Automotive (Manheim): Cox Automotive is the parent of Manheim, the largest U.S. auto auction operator and DAS's largest customer. Comparable as a broad incumbent that controls the auction ecosystem into which DAS plugs its drive-away, reconditioning, and inspection services.
• Manheim (Cox Automotive): Manheim is the largest U.S. physical auto auction operator and a foundational DAS partner. Comparable as a broad incumbent in the wholesale auto auction market that DAS services with transportation, reconditioning, and inspection.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/DirectAuction01
• Facebookfacebook.com/directautomotiveservices
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/direct-automotive-services

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Direct Auction Services