Industry and products
mobile self-storage
Mobile self-storage is a service where an empty storage unit is delivered to your location. You load it at your own pace, and the company picks it up and moves it to a new place for unloading or to storage. NPSA describes it as removing the hassles of traditional static self-storage facilities.
Why it matters
A family moving homes can load a unit over several days instead of renting a truck for one day. A business can store stock without driving to a facility. NPSA says standard mobile storage container height is 8 feet, and its members offer lengths from 7 feet to 20 feet. A common mistake is to think these units are the same as ISO shipping containers. Some are purpose-built boxes with different materials. Customers should ask about size, weather protection, lock type and where the unit will be kept between visits. Rules for placing the unit at home vary by city and HOA.
Definition source: npsa.org
Related terms
mobile storage unit
A mobile storage unit is a storage box built to be moved, delivered and picked up by truck. NPSA describes mobile self-storage containers as units delivered to a customer's location, loaded there and moved on. NPSA says members offer mobile self-storage containers in lengths from 7 feet to 20 feet.
portable storage
Portable storage is storage in a container, trailer or similar unit that can be moved to the customer's site or elsewhere. NPSA describes portable storage containers as ISO shipping containers retired from international shipping and offered for rent and purchase on the domestic market. NPSA also includes trailers and mobile offices in the industry.
self-storage facility
A self-storage facility is a business that rents secure space where customers store and retrieve their own goods. U.S. industry codes describe it as renting space such as rooms, compartments, lockers, containers or outdoor space. The customer holds the key or code and visits the site to use the space.
moving container
A moving container is a portable storage container used to move a household. PODS describes portable storage containers as large, secure, usually weather-resistant boxes that can be moved from place to place. The customer loads the container, and the company carries it to a storage center or a new home.
on-site storage
On-site storage means keeping a portable storage container on the customer's own property, such as a driveway or a job site. The provider delivers the container, the customer loads and locks it, and the container stays there until the customer wants it moved or picked up.
storage center
A storage center is a secure site where a portable storage company keeps customer containers off the customer's property. After a customer fills a container, the provider picks it up and stores it at the center until the customer wants it back or wants it moved.
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