Big Blue Boxes Blog

Bigger IS Better
When considering a portable storage solution, bigger is almost always better. In our experience, there never seems to be enough space to store your furniture, yard tools and other household items. That’s why portable storage containers to rent or buy at Big Blue Boxes are readily available at 20’ x 8’ x 8.5’ in size. That’s 20 feet long by 8.5ft high and 8ft wide. 

So how does that translate into rooms in your home? Lets put it this way, a 16 foot container (maximum size available from either PODS or 1800PackRat or other competing companies) will fit around 3-4 rooms of household items, furniture etc in them. Compare this to a 20 foot portable storage container from Big Blue Boxes, which can hold 4-5 rooms comfortably.

Do You Rent or Sell Smaller Boxes?
Yes, we do rent and sell smaller portable storage containers; a 10’ long box is available, but for 20% extra cost you can rent a 20’ long storage container from us and receive and extra 680 cubic square feet of storage space – A great deal!

What Else Can Big Blue Boxes Offer Me?

• Storage containers 10’, 20’ or 40’ long
• Trailers from 26’ to 53’ long
• No extra hidden costs
• Prompt, friendly service
• Help with loading
• Additional (moving/packing) supplies as needed
• Residential or commercial services
• On site or off site storage
• Proud member of: American Moving and Storage Association (AMSA), the National Portable Storage Association (NPSA), the Minnesota Transport Services Association (MTSA), and the Better Business Bureau (BBB).

For all your portable storage temporary or permanent needs, complete our quick contact form today and we’ll be in touch right away. If you’d prefer, you can reach us at (888) 782-2363.

So you’ve made a decision that you simply do not have room for your “stuff”. Furniture, extra vehicles, garden tools, old household goods all take up room in your home. Everybody faces a time when you have too much stuff, you either need to store it somewhere or get rid of it. Many times the items you own are more valuable to you than they might be to someone else. Maybe you have another need for self storage, temporary office space, art studio, hunting shack, or something else. In most of these circumstance, the 1st question on your lips is, should I rent or buy?

There’s a few key questions you can ask yourself to help you determine the best approach for your needs as follows:

1. How long will you need the portable storage container for?
Typically, short term storage would equal RENT, long term storage would equal BUY. Cost will come into play here, you can always resell your storage container after use, if a short term rental might come close to the purchase amount. Typically a storage container required for a few years, will warrant a purchase to be more cost effective. Whereas a period of a few months or even a year might make better sense to rent a portable storage container.

2. Do you need the container customized in any way?
Insulation, specific external/internal color scheme/painting, or partitions would be considered customizations. If something like this is required, purchasing a storage container would be the way to go, since rental arrangements do not allow for such modifications to the storage units.

3. Do you have capital to purchase a portable storage container?
Storage units aren’t always cheap, although our pricing is competitive , purchased units obviously require a substantially higher dollar amount upfront than a rental arrangement.

At the end of the day every circumstance is different, with Big Blue Boxes you can be sure that regardless of whether you rent or buy, your portable storage container will be, secure, wind and water tight, transportable and well constructed.

Have specific portable storage requirements that are not covered in this post, or want to talk about your storage needs? Complete our quick contact form today and we’ll be in touch right away. If you’d prefer, you can reach us at (888) 782-2363. Thanks!

We are all aware of the vast amount of oil currently being extracted from the Bakken Oil Field that spans an area of Western North Dakota, North Eastern Montana and Southern Saskatchewan in Canada. Although various sources report mixed volumes of oil available, a common figure that comes to the surface is around 24 billion barrels of oil available in the area. That’s a lot, and will take a while to completely extract. That’s why families, workers and some businesses have relocated to the area to get a piece of the action. it’s almost like a modern day “gold rush”.

So what does this have to do with Big Blue Boxes and Portable Storage?

With relocation there’s people, and with people, there’s stuff, and where there’s stuff there’s a need for storage, both commercial and residential. In addition to day-to-day storage needs, the Bakken Oil field requires cargo or storage containers for shipping shale, equipment storage and a host of other purposes. Temporary economic boosts such as the Bakken Oil Field, make for temporary living climates, which do not allow for construction and permanent dwelling places. That’s why portable storage units and self storage containers make for a perfect temporary storage solution.

Did you know that Big Blue Boxes is the only portable storage supplier that can, and will service the Bakken Oil Field?

It’s true, shop us, then circle back for us to supply your storage needs at the Bakken Oil Field.

Whether you are looking to rent short term or purchase a unit for a longer term need, we have portable storage to fit your needs, 10′, 20′ and 30′ units available and in stock. Contact us today for a quote on your portable storage requirements.

1. We offer far more options when it comes to container size and customization. U-Pack only offers small moving storage containers (6’3″ x 7′ x 8’4″). We offer options as large as 40′x8′x8’5″ to meet any need you might have!
2.  Simple pricing. We offer storage container rental for as little as $130 per month. U-Pack will only quote you a price when you contact them.
3. We offer FREE delivery of our containers in certain areas. Ask us about it when you call.
4. Prompt, friendly service is what you can expect from Big Blue Boxes. When you’re working with Big Blue Boxes, we will help you with as much or as little as you want with your move. Our friendly staff take the stress out of your move by providing you with professional and timely assistance whenever you need it.
5. When you sign up with Big Blue Boxes today, you will receive 20% off your first month!

Whether you are moving items or storing them, it is important for you to know what to expect when you use storage containers of any size. Here are some things you should know before you plan your next move.

1. When preparing a site to receive a moving storage container, make sure the ground is level, smooth and firm. If you are receiving a 20′ storage container, you’ll need about 80 feet of straight clearance. For a 40′ storage container, you will need approximately 100 feet of straight clearance.
2. If you need any modifications to your container give Big Blue Boxes a call. We can add extra doors, turbine vents or partitions. We also can provide shelving in many different configurations to suit all your storage needs.
3. Big Blue Boxes offers peace of mind with our storage containers. All of our new and used storage containers come equipped with a steel lock box welded to the outside of the unit. The lock box conceals and prevents your lock from being tampered with. Also, all of our storage containers are water-tested before they leave our delivery site to ensure that they do not leak.
4. Make sure that when you are filling your container that you do not put things that are hazardous, noxious, odorous, waste, toxic, explosive, illegal, stolen, poisonous, flammable, acidic, contaminated, unsanitary or dangerous materials in the container. We also recommend that you do not store flat-screen TV’s in containers.
5. If you need help moving, don’t be afraid to ask! Big Blue Boxes offers help from an extra strong back to white glove service. Just another way Big Blue Boxes goes above and beyond. We also offer 20% off your first month (or 25% off with the coupon inside this week’s email newsletter)!

Moving your household can be a costly endeavor. Here are some handy tips to help you save some money on your next move.

1. Don’t let guilt guide your decisions. Just because you SHOULD use that treadmill, doesn’t mean that you should try to haul it. Sell your un-used workout equipment and get cash in your pocket and less hassle in your move… you can always replace it at your new destination if you get the motivation again.
2. Speaking of exercise, make sure you terminate any gym, or club memberships in time before you move. It’s easy to forget, but it will cost you if you are paying for additional months that you won’t even be in town for.
3. Also remember to discontinue service from telephone, electric, gas, water and newspaper companies on time.
4. Try to get a floor plan of your new residence and copy it over to graph paper. Measure your furniture before hand and make sure it fits in on the graph. If it doesn’t fit, sell it.
5. CD’s, DVD’s and books are small on their own, but shipping your whole collection can take up precious space. Liquidate as much as possible and sell them to any of the many retailers that will buy used.
6. Clean out your kids toy box. Any toy they don’t used, donate, and keep the receipts. They may help you qualify for a tax deduction.

What tips do you have?  Share them in the comments.

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