What does a trade association do for a small company?
A trade association pools the knowledge and voice of many companies in one industry. A small firm can rarely do that alone. Typical benefits include networking, education, advocacy and member discounts.
The National Business Association lists networking, educational resources, advocacy, funding help and discounts as the main benefits of joining a small business association. Women In Manufacturing describes shared learning, peer networks and discounted programming as a cost-effective way to build skills without building every program in-house.
Those are general benefits. What matters is whether your association serves your industry. For portable storage, that means containers, trailers and mobile offices.
What is NPSA?
The National Portable Storage Association (NPSA) is the trade association for companies that rent, sell or lease portable storage containers, trailers, mobile offices and mobile self-storage units, and for the suppliers who serve them. NPSA does not rent or sell storage itself. Its members do.
NPSA states its mission as “To advance the portable storage industry through networking, education, marketing, and advocacy.” It also says it is “dedicated to helping smaller companies grow.” NPSA has “over 700 member companies and counting.”
What do NPSA members get?
NPSA publishes a list of member benefits. Here they are, grouped by what they help you do:
| You want to… | NPSA benefit |
|---|---|
| Meet peers and suppliers | Networking opportunities with suppliers, vendors and fellow members |
| Attend events for less | Discounted registration to NPSA events, which include trade shows, educational sessions, panel discussions and best practices |
| Stay informed | Quarterly industry newsletters |
| Get found | Listing in the printed directory and on the website, with the chance to receive leads |
| Ask questions | Access to the community forum |
| Learn the basics | Member-only website section with industry white papers and research |
| Learn from others | Mentorship program that connects newer members with industry professionals |
| Train staff | Library of training videos, including safety and human resources topics |
| Cut costs | Insurance products available only to NPSA members |
| Have a voice | Advocacy |
Which of these will you use? Circle three. If you cannot find three, the membership may not pay off for you yet.
You can see the full list on the member benefits page. Members can also explore the training video library and the community forum. The glossary explains the mentorship program.
What are the NPSA membership categories and dues?
NPSA has two kinds of members: Regular and Associate. Dues depend on the category. The numbers below are current NPSA dues.
Regular members are companies “primarily engaged in the renting, leasing or selling of Storage Products” to end users. Storage products are defined as storage containers, semi-trailers, mobile self-storage containers, containerized structures or mobile offices. Regular categories follow the number of staffed locations.
| Regular category | Dues |
|---|---|
| 1: National Company (10 or more staffed locations) | $5,000 |
| 2: Regular | $600 |
Associate members provide product, financial, legal or other services or support to the portable storage industry, and are not eligible to be Regular members. Associate categories follow gross annual revenue.
| Associate category | Dues |
|---|---|
| 1A: Companies with annual revenues of $30M or more | $5,000 |
| 2A: Companies with annual revenues of $1M to 29M | $1,100 |
| 3A: Companies with annual revenues less than $1M | $700 |
Wholesale marine container suppliers use a separate scale:
| Wholesale marine container category | Dues |
|---|---|
| 4A: Companies with annual revenues more than $3M | $5,000 |
| 5A: Companies with annual revenues less than $3M | $1,100 |
Confirm billing terms and how the membership year is counted with NPSA before you apply. Read more on the Join Us page. The glossary explains Regular member and Associate member.
How do I decide if it is worth it?
Work out what you would use, then compare it to the dues. A short test helps.
- Pick your category from the tables above.
- List the benefits you would use in the next 12 months.
- Estimate what each one is worth to you: a training hour saved, a lead, a supplier introduction, a discount.
- Compare the total to the dues. This is your own estimate, so be honest about it.
- Plan how you will take part. Value comes from use. An unread newsletter helps no one.
The return is yours to earn. A benefit you never use costs the same as one you use every week.
What else can a small company do before joining?
You can look before you commit. Visit the events page and see what the next meeting offers. The 2027 Conference & Trade Show runs April 4-6, 2027 at Paris Las Vegas. Browse the supplier directory to see who exhibits. Look at how members get involved on committees.
Talk to your insurance agent and a tax professional about how dues and member insurance products fit your business.
Next step
Ready to compare tiers? Read the details and start your application on the Join Us page.