How Box-n-Go Works — Storage, Moving, and Student Services
Welcome. If you’re on this page, you’re probably in one of two situations: you need somewhere to put your stuff for a while, or you need to move it from one place to another. Maybe both. You’re poking around to figure out who Box-n-Go is and whether we’d be a fit for what you need before you commit to anything. Good — that’s exactly what this page is for. Here’s the honest pitch first, and then we’ll show you how it actually works. Most storage and moving in this country is built around one assumption: you’ll do the driving. You rent a truck, drive it to your house, load it, drive to a storage facility, unload it into a unit, drive the truck back. Months later, you do it all over again in reverse. It’s exhausting, it eats your weekend, and you spend half the time worrying about whether the truck is going to fit somewhere. Box-n-Go is built around the opposite assumption: that you’ve already got plenty on your plate, and you’d rather not deal with any of that. So we come to you.
We bring a sturdy, weatherproof box to your driveway. We call it a container, but the easiest way to picture it is a portable mini storage room. You load it on your own time, over a few days. When you’re done, you padlock it and we come back to pick it up. From there it goes either to our secure indoor warehouse in Commerce (if you’re storing) or to your new address (if you’re moving). You handle your belongings exactly once. Nobody else touches them until you open the container at the other end. That’s the basic idea. Almost everything we do is a variation on this, with one exception for college students that we’ll get to.
What we do — three services
Three things, all centered on the same core idea. If you want the deeper story on any one of them, read more about each one. Storage. For homes and businesses. Short-term while you renovate, medium-term while you sell, long-term while you figure life out. Personal storage during a move, between leases, when downsizing, when the kids leave home. Business storage for inventory, records, seasonal stock, restaurant equipment, contractor materials. Same service either way. More on Box-n-Go storage. Student services. For college students during summer break, study-abroad semesters, dorm move-outs, and moves between dorms and apartments. Built around the school calendar, which means the dates that matter to students — finals week, move-out day, move-in day in fall — are baked into how we schedule. More on student services. Moving. Local moves within Southern California, and long-distance moves anywhere in the US. You can load the container yourself and let us handle the transport, or hand off the whole thing to a professional crew. Your call. More on Box-n-Go moving.
The container service — for most storage and moving
This is what most of our customers do, so we’ll start here. It covers personal storage, business storage, student container storage, and self-load moving. The way it works is the same in all four cases. Three steps:
- We deliver. You tell us where you want the container, when you want it, and how many you need. You can do this online in a couple of minutes through the quote form, or you can call us at 877-269-6461 and we’ll walk you through it. Either way, we drive a container to your address — your driveway, your parking lot, the curb out front, your side yard, wherever you’ve designated. If you’re not sure how many containers you need, we’ll help you figure it out. You only pay for the ones you actually use.
- You load on your own schedule. The container stays with you while you pack. There’s no truck rental clock ticking, no hourly rate, no rush. Take a long weekend, take a week, take whatever you need. Stop in the middle to eat lunch, run errands, have dinner with your family, sleep. The container will be sitting right where we left it when you come back. When you’re done loading, you padlock the container with your own padlock — your lock, your key — and let us know it’s ready.
- We pick it up. We come back and take the container away. From there, one of two things happens depending on what you booked. If you booked storage, the container goes to our indoor warehouse in Commerce, where it sits safely with hundreds of others until you want it back. If you booked a move, the container goes directly to your new address and we deliver it where you want it placed.
Either way, your belongings are sealed inside the container the entire time. They go in once, on your timeline, and don’t get handled again until you open the container at the other end. No trucks to transfer between. No strangers rooting through your boxes. No multiple loadings.
That short video covers the basic flow visually. The same idea applies whether you’re storing for a month or moving across town — the container is the constant, and we handle the rest around it.
We Deliver
We Pick Up
We Store or Move
Store on your driveway or inside our secure facility. Load/unload only once. Ground level access.
Practical details people usually want to know
How long can the container stay at my place? Up to 5 days as the standard time. If you need more time, just ask — we can usually work it out, especially if the container’s sitting on your own property and not in the way of anything. What sizes are available? We have five sizes, from the small 8-foot Flex (roughly a room and a half of stuff) up to the 20-foot XL (a full 3-bedroom home worth of belongings). Specifics on each size, what fits in each, and weight limits live on the Containers page.
Where can the container go? Driveways, parking spaces, side yards — all fine. Streets are usually fine too, but some cities require a permit if it’s on a public street; check with your city if that’s where you’re planning to put it. If you live in an HOA community or an apartment with management, check with them before booking. We need a little over 8 feet of width and 8 feet of height for our delivery truck to maneuver. More on placement on the Access page. What can I put inside? Just about anything you’d put in a regular storage unit. Furniture, appliances, books, boxes, tools, sports equipment, holiday decorations, the contents of a garage, a finished basement, a business storage room. There’s a short list of things you can’t store: liquids of any kind, perishable food, anything hazardous (propane tanks, paint, chemicals), cash, valuables (jewelry, fine art, collectibles), and original important documents (passports, birth certificates). The full list is on the Policies page. Are my belongings safe? The warehouse is indoor, with controlled access. Our 8-foot Flex containers are made of breathable wood that lets air move through naturally, so you don’t end up with that musty smell or mildew that you get from sealed metal units. Optional protection plans are available — three coverage tiers — and a baseline level of coverage is included automatically. Details on coverage and how the protection plans work are on the Protection Plans page. What if I want to access my stuff while it’s in storage? You can. Access is by appointment at our warehouse, during normal business hours. We pull your container to the access area, set it on the ground so you can drive right up to it, and you can grab what you need or add to what’s there. Schedule by phone or through your account. Full details on the Access page.
A La Carte — the by-the-box service, mostly for students
This one works differently from the container service above, and it’s built for a specific kind of customer: college students living in dorms or small apartments, where the stuff to store is mostly boxes, maybe a mini-fridge, maybe a few small pieces of furniture. For these students, leaving a container at the dorm isn’t practical — there’s nowhere to put it, and there’s not enough stuff to fill it anyway. So we do the loading work ourselves instead. Here’s how it goes:
- The student (or more often the parent) books online. As soon as the booking is in, we ship a packing kit to the campus address. The standard kit has 5 of our boxes (sturdier than what you’d buy at a hardware store, built to survive months of stacking in storage), packing tape, and a marker. If the student needs more boxes or different sizes, those get added at booking.
- The student packs. At their own pace, before pickup day. They label the boxes, seal them with the tape we sent, and set everything aside.
- Our crew comes to the room on pickup day. They label every item on multiple sides so nothing gets lost in storage. They do all the lifting and carrying. They walk everything out of the dorm, down the hall, down the stairs, across the courtyard, into the truck. The student doesn’t have to move a thing. Most rooms take less than an hour.
- We store everything indoors at the Commerce warehouse — usually for the summer, sometimes longer.
- Fall delivery. When fall comes around, the student tells us their new address (new dorm, new apartment, back home, anywhere in our service area) and we deliver everything there. Same crew, same care, same labels still on every box.
Who A La Carte is built for
Dorm residents whose stuff is mostly boxes and small items. Students without their own transportation. Students with parents coordinating from out of state who don’t want to fly out to help with the move. Anyone who’d rather hand off the physical work entirely and just be there to point and say “yes, that goes too.”
Pricing is by-the-box, not by-the-container
Because we’re picking up individual items rather than a sealed container, you only pay for what you store. A student with 8 boxes pays for 8 boxes — not for the empty space in a container. For furniture and oversized items (mini-fridges, bed frames, desk chairs), there are per-item rates. Nothing is too small to include, and nothing too oversized — we’ll quote anything. More on how we work with college students.
Full-service moving — when you’d rather hand off the lifting
For customers who’d rather not do the loading themselves. Box-n-Go schedules and coordinates these moves; the actual loading and driving is done by partner crews we work with. Our local partner for moves within Southern California is MyMovingGuys. For long-distance moves, we work with a small set of partner companies that cover long-distance routes.
Local full-service moves (within Southern California)
A MyMovingGuys crew arrives at your home on move day. They wrap your furniture in protective padding, disassemble what needs to come apart (bed frames, dining tables, large mirrors), load everything onto the truck, drive to your new address, unload, and reassemble. Most local moves happen in a single day, start to finish. You don’t need to lift anything.
If your move includes a storage stop — say you’re between leases, the new place isn’t ready, or you’re downsizing in phases — we can fold a Box-n-Go container into the move. The crew loads your belongings into the container at the old address, we keep it in our warehouse for as long as you need, and then delivery continues to the new address when you’re ready. One company handling both pieces means one bill, one schedule, no coordination between a separate mover and a separate storage facility. For a deeper comparison of how this works versus a traditional moving company, read how Box-n-Go compares to traditional movers.
Long-distance moves — two paths
For moves out of Southern California, the service splits into two options. We offer both because customers care about different things. Option 1: Load a container yourself, we ship it. We bring a Box-n-Go container to you. You load it. You padlock it. We pick it up. The sealed container ships via long-distance freight to a partner warehouse near your destination. Once it arrives there, we ask for 7 to 10 days of scheduling room before the local partner delivers it to your new address. What’s good about this option: your belongings are sealed in the same container from the moment you padlock it to the moment you open it at the other end. Nobody else handles them in between. For some customers, that security is the whole point. What’s the trade-off: the container itself is heavy, and long-distance freight is priced by weight. So on long routes, you end up paying to ship the weight of the container in addition to the weight of your belongings. It can add up. We can only do this option to major metro destinations where our partners have equipment to receive and deliver containers. Pricing is custom-quoted; quotes are valid for 30 days.
Option 2: A full-service crew handles the whole thing. Box-n-Go schedules the move; one of our long-distance moving partners performs it. The crew picks up at your home (or at our warehouse if you’ve already moved things into storage with us), wraps and disassembles your furniture, transports everything to your destination, and delivers it inside your new home — sets the beds back up, puts the dining table back together, the works. What’s good about this option: it covers almost anywhere in the US, not just major metros. It’s priced based on how much you’re moving (inventory volume) rather than weight, so you’re not paying to ship the container itself. In most cases, this option comes in cheaper than container long-distance. What’s the trade-off: your belongings get loaded onto a truck rather than staying in one sealed container. For most customers, this is fine; for customers who specifically want the seal-once-open-once experience, Option 1 may still be worth the cost. If you’re not sure which option is right for your situation, tell us what you’re moving and where it’s going, and we’ll quote both so you can compare.
Common questions people ask before booking
How far in advance do I need to reserve?
For an empty container delivery, usually a couple of days is enough. If you need it sooner — same day, even — call us and we’ll do what we can if it fits the schedule and falls within our business hours (full schedule on the Hours page). For bringing a container back to you (whether for access or for move-out), give us more lead time: typically 7 to 10 days, sometimes up to 15 during summer when we’re busiest. If your timing is May through September, plan ahead.
How does delivery and pickup actually work? Do I need to be home?
You don’t have to be home for either one. Tell us where you want the container placed, and our crew handles it. If your spot has anything unusual — a tight driveway, an HOA management to deal with, a specific orientation that matters to you — it helps to be available by phone in case our crew has a question. For pickup, the only thing we need is for the container to be padlocked and ready to go. We don’t need you there for that either. If you need to reschedule or cancel a delivery or pickup, just let us know by 2:00 PM on the business day before. After that deadline, a cancellation fee applies. Full cancellation terms are on the Policies page.
Can I put the container wherever I want?
Mostly, yes. Driveways, parking spaces, side yards — all straightforward. Streets are usually fine too, but some cities require a permit if you want it parked on a public street. If you live somewhere with an HOA or apartment management overseeing the property, check with them before booking — they usually say yes, but a few don’t, and it’s better to know upfront. Our delivery truck needs a little over 8 feet of width and 8 feet of height to maneuver. If the spot you’re picturing has a low-hanging tree, a tight gate, or a covered overhang, give us a call and we’ll talk through whether it’ll work. More on placement on the Access page.
What payment methods do you accept?
For your first delivery (the empty container coming to you): credit card (Visa, Mastercard, Discover, American Express), personal check, money order, PayPal, or cash on delivery. For ongoing monthly storage charges: automatic credit card billing is free. If you’d rather get a monthly invoice and pay manually by check or over the phone, that’s available too, but there’s a small monthly fee to cover the processing. For redelivery of a full container (bringing your stored stuff back to you): payment is due 24 hours in advance by credit card or other certified funds.
- No truck to rent. We deliver storage to you!
- Load/Unload only once.
- Pay only for space you use.
- Secure, climate-friendly facility.
- Ground access
No Truck to rent…EVER!
- Save money and time.
- Reduce the risk of accidents and injuries.
- No need to pay for gas, insurance & mileage!
Load ONCE Storage Solution!
- You only need to load your belongings once!
- No need to load and unload it all again into a storage unit.
- All containers come with easy ground level access!
Pay Only for the Space You Use!
(if storing at our facility)
- No not need to guess on how much space you actually need.
- Order an extra 8’ x 5’ unit. Do not use it – do not pay for it.
Secure, Climate-Friendly Facility!
- Highest degree of security and protection.
- Our 8’ x 5’ units are breatheable – no mold or mildew.
- No funky smell when your belongings return.
EASY Drive-Up Access!
(if storing at our facility)
- Access your units at ground level.
- No elevators, ramps, stairs to climb.
- Schedule access appointment & drive straight to your units.
Can I access my stored stuff during the storage period?
Yes. Access is by appointment at our warehouse. Call us or schedule online through your account. Next-business-day access needs to be booked by noon the day before. When you arrive, we pull your container to the ground-level access area and set it down so you can drive right up to it. You can grab what you need, add to what’s there, or both. Full details on the Access page.
How does moving out work?
Two ways. Either we deliver your container back to your address (allow 7 to 10 business days for scheduling, with longer lead times during peak summer), or you come to our warehouse and unload it yourself. At the warehouse, we pull your container to the ground-level access area so you or your moving truck can drive right up. Either option has associated fees. For container storage customers who’ve met their minimum stay requirement, you’ll get a refund for the unused portion of the month you paid for. Refunds are processed within 30 days of move-out. (Proration applies to container storage. A La Carte student storage is billed differently — by box and by item rather than monthly rent — so the same proration rules don’t apply.) Details on minimum stay terms and refund mechanics are on the Policies page.
Do you have a rate guarantee?
Yes. Your monthly rate is guaranteed not to increase for the first 12 months from your move-in date. After that, the rate may adjust automatically by 2% every 12 months. If you booked a term or promotional rate, those don’t increase during the agreed term; when the term ends, you go back to the standard month-to-month rate (with any automatic adjustments that have applied).
Do you offer protection coverage for my belongings?
Yes. A baseline level of coverage is included automatically. Beyond that, three optional coverage tiers are available, each at a per-container monthly rate. The coverage applies while your belongings are in our custody — during transport between your address and the warehouse, and during storage. Details on the tiers, what’s covered, and how claims work are on the Protection Plans page. If you’ve read this far, you have a pretty solid picture of how Box-n-Go works. The fastest way to see what your specific situation would cost is to grab a quote through the form on this page — it takes a couple of minutes and gives you an actual number based on your address and what you’re storing or moving. If you’d rather talk to a person, call us at 877-269-6461. We’re a small team. The same people who answer the phone are the ones running the company. For deeper detail on specific topics: container sizes and weight limits on the Containers page; cancellation, payment, protection plans, and prohibited items on the Policies page; how warehouse access works on the Access page; comprehensive FAQ on the FAQ page; hours and holiday schedule on the Hours page.
Find us
Our warehouse is in Commerce, just off the 5 freeway between downtown LA and East LA. Most of the time the service happens at your address — but if you’re coming to us for an access appointment or a facility move-out, here’s where to find us.
