Student Summer Storage Options

As the spring semester is nearing its close, many challenges begin to unfold for students who have to move out of their residence halls or off-campus housing. Students are faced with the predicament of deciding where to store their belongings over the summer or during their semester abroad. There is always the option to take your belongings home with you, but taking the bed, desk, TV and extra dressers home with you, only to bring them back in three months, can be an aggravating and costly task. A better option for most students, especially those from out of state, is to use summer storage.

A moving company may provide special services for students during the summer vacation to provide affordable solutions for their storage items:

Summer Storage Program

·        Students may bring their items to a general collection area on campus

·        All items are stored in a bonded, temperature-controlled warehouse

·        3 months of storage often includes free pickup and delivery on campus

Ship-It-Home Program

·        Parcel shipping service for students includes pickup from campus using a freight service such as UPS or FedEx

·        Economical ground or air express, may offer a discounted price

·        Custom packing for fragile or high value items

Senior Store ‘n Ship

·        For high school graduates heading to college

·        Summer storage plus fall shipping to new college/dorm

Self-Storage Units

·        Monthly fee based on size of storage unit

Although there are costs to using a storage service, one must consider the cost of replacing items, like furniture, when moving from residence to residence. Students are constantly changing their housing arrangements from dorms to apartments or apartments to off-campus houses. When students return home for the summer, these items have to be left in the dorm or residence, sold, given away, packed up, or brought home. Most storage facilities offer year-round storage options such as mini-storage units. Self-storage provides many benefits to students and their parents, such as 24/7 access and affordable prices.

Custom Crating

Click photos to enlarge view.

When should you request a custom crate? If you have an item to be transported or stored for any length of time, a crate will provide protection from its surroundings and the environment. It will also provide protection from the rigors of transportation – the jostling back and forth associated with road travel and being moved on and off a truck, as well as protecting the contents from exposure to the environment (wind, rain, heat, cold, dust).

There is no standard size for a crate, which is why finding a custom crater is necessary. For example, sculptures and fine art, antiques, mirrors, furniture, pianos, machinery, tools, medical equipment and semiconductor equipment are all different sizes and weights, and each requires unique measurements and has individual packaging needs.

What IS standard, though, is the need for a sturdy crate that is reinforced for any weight, with a forklift-ready base for transport from warehouse to truck to dock. Crates may be constructed for a one-time use, or they can be built to be reusable, for example for a trade show, where it would be used over and over again.

Inside the crate, the item must be blocked and braced securely to ensure the stability of the item during transport. Packing materials, such as acid free paper and foam for artwork, to heavy duty shrink and bubble wrap for larger items, provides further padding and protection.

To ensure proper overseas shipping, heat treated (HT ISPM) wood must be used so that your valuable cargo is compliant with international treaties and will not be held up for any reason during export. If your cargo is to be shipped in a sea container and is sensitive to moisture, it should be shrink wrapped and sealed inside a foil vapor barrier bag, which is heat sealed. This will protect your cargo from long-term exposure to the marine environment.

It is important to label your crate with proper identification on all four sides to prevent any chance of loss or misplacement – adhere a large label with the consignee’s name and address as well as your own, and affix labels indicating which side is up and if the crate contains glass or fragile items. Tipping indicators placed inside and on the outside of the crate are further handy indicators to monitor your cargo’s condition while in transit or storage.