---
title: "depot: Definition and Meaning | NPSA"
description: "A depot is a facility where empty shipping containers are stored and returned."
url: https://npsa.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/depot
publisher: National Portable Storage Association (NPSA)
phone: "(816) 960-6552"
email: info@npsa.org
---

Industry and products

# depot

A depot is a facility where empty shipping containers are stored and returned. Depots may be run by a shipping line, a container lessor or an independent company. An inland depot works like a container yard away from the port, where containers can be dropped, picked up and moved again.

## Why it matters

Depots matter to operators who buy or lease containers. A lessor or seller may tell you to pick up a unit at a certain depot or to return it to one. Depot location changes trucking cost, since a closer depot means a shorter haul. A common mistake is to assume every depot will take any container at any time. Depots can set return dates, appointments and approved equipment lists, and a late or wrong return can bring charges. Always confirm the exact depot, the hours and the paperwork before you send a truck. Lessors such as Triton publish depot lists for their customers.

[Read: Buying containers wholesale: A buyer's guide for operators](https://npsa.preview.multisites.ai/guides/buying-containers-wholesale)

Definition source: [terminal49.com](https://terminal49.com/glossary/container-yard)

## Related terms

[### container yard A container yard is an area where shipping containers are stored, staged and moved between trucks, rail and ships. In shipping, a container yard sits at or near a port, rail terminal or inland depot and holds both loaded and empty containers.](https://npsa.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/container-yard)[### on-hire On-hire is the point when a lessee takes possession of a leased container. One Way Lease says the condition is documented on the equipment interchange receipt, and the on-hire record starts the clock. The term comes from container leasing and applies to similar equipment deals.](https://npsa.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/on-hire)[### off-hire Off-hire is the end of a container lease when the lessee returns the unit. One Way Lease describes it as the return process: the depot does a condition survey, the lease closes and the unit comes off the lessee's books. The term is common in container leasing.](https://npsa.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/off-hire)[### per diem Per diem is Latin for "per day." In container leasing, it is the daily rate a lessee pays for each day a leased container is on-hire after any included free days. Lessors use it to price short and flexible leases, and it adds up quickly on idle units.](https://npsa.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/per-diem)[### drop-off charge A drop-off charge is a one-time fee for returning a leased container to a depot. One Way Lease describes it as the fee at the destination depot for accepting the unit off-hire. It is lower where demand for re-use is high and higher where the lessor has too many empty units.](https://npsa.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/drop-off-charge)[### pick-up charge A pick-up charge is a fee for collecting a container. In container leasing, One Way Lease describes it as a one-time fee at the origin depot for releasing a container into the lessee's possession. In portable storage rentals, companies often charge a separate fee to pick up a unit from the customer.](https://npsa.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/pick-up-charge)

[All 220 terms](https://npsa.preview.multisites.ai/glossary)

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