What a portable storage container is, and when it beats a unit
Storage that comes to you
The short version: A portable storage container is a lockable steel box delivered to your property, loaded at ground level where it sits, then kept there, stored at a facility or moved, with your things still inside. One Stop Moving & Storage rents two sizes in San Diego County: a Standard 8×8×5 ft for $99 a month and a Large 8×8×7 ft for $175. Both are weather-resistant, not climate controlled.
- Delivered to your driveway, loaded where it sits
- Ground-level floor, steel doors, your own padlock
- Kept at home, stored at our facility, or moved
- Month to month, with 25 free boxes
Since 2008
Moving San Diego
CAL-190616
California mover license
USDOT 1956864
Interstate, MC 694565
BBB A+
Better Business Bureau
98%
Of our customers come back (company records)
7 days
7 AM–7 PM, phone open 24 hours
Definition
The short answer
A portable storage container is storage that comes to you: a company drops a box on your driveway, you load it, and the company later keeps it at home, takes it to its facility or delivers it to a new address without you unpacking anything.
With a self-storage unit, the direction is reversed, and you bring your things to the box. Chula Vista’s municipal code puts the legal version plainly: a portable storage container is one transported to a designated location for temporary storage.
One Stop Moving & Storage, a licensed San Diego mover since 2008, rents these containers in two sizes, a Standard and a Large. Both rent month to month and deliver anywhere in San Diego County, on a date set with your written quote.
A Standard fits a studio and a Large fits a 1 bedroom apartment; bigger homes usually need more than one container. See which size fits.
Rent is $99 a month for a Standard or $175 for a Large, and delivery and pickup are quoted in writing. See container prices, line by line.
How it works
How does portable storage work?
Four steps, and you only do the packing. Every step after delivery is quoted in writing before you book.
1
Delivered
We set the container on your driveway or other level private ground. The truck needs about 30 ft of clearance.
2
Loaded
You load it at ground level, over days or weeks, and lock it with your own padlock. Our crew can load it instead, quoted in writing.
3
Kept, stored or moved
It stays on your property with 24/7 access, goes sealed to our facility, or moves to a new address in the county. We lift it by forklift onto a tow bed.
4
Unloaded and collected
You unload it where it lands, then call to schedule pickup. Out of state, we ship it to the 48 continental states.
Compared
Container, unit or truck
Three ways to store or move a household, and what each asks of you.
| Factor | Portable container | Storage unit | Moving truck |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where you load | At home, at ground level | At home into a vehicle, then again at the unit | At home, up a ramp |
| Who drives | The container company | You | You |
| Time to load | As long as the rental runs | Trip by trip | Until the truck is due back |
| Where things are kept | At home or at the company’s facility | At the storage facility | Nowhere; it goes back |
| Best for | Moves with a gap, remodels | Frequent visits | Same-day moves |
How it is built
Weather-resistant, ground-level, steel
A One Stop container is all steel and weather-resistant, made to sit out on an open driveway, rain or shine. It is not climate controlled.
Nothing inside heats or cools the air, so the temperature in the box follows the weather around it. Anything that heat or humidity would harm belongs in our climate-controlled vaults instead, kept at 68 to 72°F; ask about them when you reserve.
The floor sits at ground level, so there is no ramp to push a dolly up and no tailgate to lift a dresser onto. The steel doors take your own padlock. Your contents are covered by your own homeowner’s or renter’s insurance, so check your policy before you load.
Built for the driveway
Uses
What people use them for
Four common jobs for a container in San Diego County.
Moving house
Pack the old home over a few weeks, then keep the container until the new one is ready.
Moving containers in San DiegoRemodels
Empty the rooms before the contractor starts and keep the furniture on the driveway, within reach, for a renovation of any size.
Renovation storageMilitary moves
Service members doing a personally procured move can use a container, within the rules on storage time and receipts.
Military PCS storageBusinesses and jobsites
Stock, fixtures and tools go behind steel doors on your own site, month to month.
Storage containers for businessesQuestions
Portable containers, answered.
Plain answers about portable storage containers, from a San Diego company that rents them.
All moving questionsWhat is a portable storage container?
It is a lockable storage box delivered to your home, so you load it where it sits instead of driving to a storage unit. Afterwards it stays on your property, goes to the company’s facility or moves to a new address with everything still inside. A One Stop container is steel and loads at ground level.
Are portable storage containers weatherproof?
Ours are built for weather: all steel and weather-resistant, so a container can stay outside on your driveway through rain. Weatherproof is not the same as climate controlled, though. Nothing inside regulates heat or humidity, so ask about our climate-controlled vaults for anything sensitive to either.
What can’t I store in a portable container?
We do not publish a prohibited-items list, so call (858) 633-8600 before you store anything flammable, perishable or alive, and the office will answer before delivery. Anything that heat or humidity would damage is better in our climate-controlled vaults, because the container is not climate controlled.
How does portable storage work?
The container is delivered to your property, you load it at ground level, and then it stays with you, goes sealed to our facility, or moves to a new address, each quoted in writing. When you are done, you unload it and call to schedule pickup. You never drive it.
Are portable storage containers climate-controlled?
Ours are not. A One Stop container is steel and weather-resistant, but nothing inside heats or cools the air. For photos, instruments, electronics or anything else that heat or damp would harm, use our climate-controlled vaults, kept at 68 to 72°F.
Sources
- Chula Vista Municipal Code 19.58.445: legal definition of a portable storage container, a container transported to a designated location for temporary storage, checked 2026-10-01
- Military OneSource, Personally Procured Moves fact sheet: renting portable moving and storage containers is one way to do a PPM, checked 2026-10-01
Free quote
See what a container costs.
Three answers, your ZIP, a size and the months, and the calculator shows what a container would cost you each month, with delivery quoted in writing for your address. Call (858) 633-8600; the phone line is open 24 hours.