American Portable Storage

What American Portable Storage does

American Portable Storage (APS) is a California-based, privately held provider of intermodal shipping container sales, modification, certification, and delivery services, founded in 1983 and operating from three yards — Oakland (Northern California), Wilmington (Southern California), and Adelanto (inland Southern California) — that together span 134 acres. The company sells new and used containers ranging from 20 to 53 feet in standard, high cube, open-top, flat rack, and double-door configurations, with unit prices spanning $800 for storage-class units to $13,500 for new 53-foot high-cube units. APS facilities in Oakland and Wilmington provide in-house modification services (electrical, insulation, doors, windows, ventilation, security, paneling, paint, weatherproofing) and facilitate IICL, CSC, ISO, and cargo-worthy certifications required for international shipping.

APS generates revenue across four streams: one-time container sales, professional modification work, delivery logistics (direct within California and through partnerships nationwide and worldwide), and certification inspection facilitation. Its customer base spans logistics and intermodal companies needing certified containers for ocean and rail transport, construction firms requiring portable site storage and workspaces, businesses deploying containers for on-site storage, and individuals or developers converting containers into offices, tiny homes, studios, and pop-up retail. The company is vertically integrated with sister entities FastLane Transportation (a Wilmington container depot) and Compass Chassis (intermodal chassis rental and leasing in Oakland and Wilmington), enabling bundled container-plus-chassis-plus-depot offerings.

The go-to-market motion is direct-to-consumer, combining three physical yards, an e-commerce catalog with quote-request forms on apstorage.com, phone-based sales, and brand presence on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. APS claims to have served 12,000+ customers across more than four decades of operation. Revenue, ownership, and headcount figures are not publicly disclosed; the company has no documented funding rounds, parent company, or material M&A activity and is privately held under United States jurisdiction.

Name

American Portable Storage

Legal name

American Portable Storage

Website

https://apstorage.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

American Portable Storage is a privately held California-based seller of new and used intermodal shipping containers, offering in-house modification, certification, and delivery services from three yards serving logistics, construction, storage, and conversion customers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Shipping Containers

SIC

Wholesale-Misc Durable Goods (5090)

akta.pro primary industry

Commercial & Office Portable Storage Container Rental & Moving (HSAKAIAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Residential Portable Storage Container Rental & Moving (HSAKAIAA), Portable Storage Container Delivery, Pickup & Repositioning Services (HSAKAIAE)

Keywords

• Shipping containers
• Portable storage containers
• Container modifications
• Intermodal containers
• Container delivery services

Headquarters

HQ city

Wilmington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Personnel, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Container Sales: One-time purchase revenue from selling new and used shipping containers. Product categories include 20ft, 40ft, 45ft, and 53ft containers in standard, high cube, open-top, flat rack, and double-door configurations. Prices range from $800 (storage-class) to $13,500 (new 53ft high cube).
2. Container Modifications: Revenue from customizing containers with electrical wiring, insulation, paneling, doors, windows, ventilation, security features, paint, and weatherproofing. Modification services are performed at their Oakland and Wilmington facilities.
3. Delivery Services: Container delivery service throughout California and beyond through trusted partnerships for nationwide and worldwide delivery. Delivery cost based on location and container size.
4. Certification Services: Facilitates IICL and cargo-worthy certification inspections to certify containers meet international shipping standards.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

American Portable Storage sells new and used ISO-compliant shipping containers in 20, 40, 45, and 53-foot sizes across Standard, High Cube, Flat Rack, Open Top, and Double Door configurations. The company also provides custom modification services at facilities in Oakland and Wilmington, facilitates IICL, CSC, ISO, and Cargo-worthy certifications, and delivers containers throughout California with nationwide and worldwide reach through partnerships.

Product overview

American Portable Storage (APS) is a shipping container sales, modification, and delivery company operating three California locations (Oakland, Wilmington, and Adelanto) across 134 acres. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of shipping containers in four sizes (20ft, 40ft, 45ft, and 53ft) across five container types (Standard, High Cube, Flat Rack, Open Top, and Double Door) in new, cargo-worthy, and storage-class conditions. Container products range from $800 to $13,500 depending on size, type, and condition. APS complements its container sales with extensive modification services including doors, windows, electrical wiring, insulation, paneling, paint, security systems, ventilation, and weatherproofing at two dedicated modification facilities. The company also provides delivery services throughout California and worldwide, facilitates IICL and CSC certification, and operates related businesses FastLane Transportation (container depot) and Compass Chassis (chassis leasing).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Standard Shipping Containers Standard dry freight shipping containers in 20, 40, and 45-foot lengths designed for intermodal transport, storage, and workspace applications. These are the most commonly used container type for shipping cargo and additional storage.
• High Cube Shipping Containers Shipping containers that are 1 foot taller than standard containers, offering 148 cu ft additional capacity for 20-foot units and 310 cu ft for 40-foot units. Ideal for taller items, office space, and living space conversions.
• Flat Rack Shipping Containers Open-sided shipping containers without a top, designed for transporting oversized, heavy, or out-of-gauge (OOG) cargo that will not fit in standard containers. Available in 20-foot and 40-foot lengths.
• Open Top Shipping Containers Containers with removable tarpaulin covers allowing top-loading and unloading of bulky or oversized cargo. Ideal for machinery, equipment, vehicles, and construction materials.
• Double Door Shipping Containers Shipping containers with doors at both ends, allowing more efficient loading and unloading. Provides increased flexibility for shipping, storage, retail uses, and living space applications.
• Container Modification Services Custom modification services including doors (roll-up, sliding, personnel), windows (sliding, fixed, casement, picture, skylights), electrical wiring, insulation and paneling, paint, security (lock boxes, alarms), ventilation, and weatherproofing. Two state-of-the-art modification facilities in Oakland and Wilmington handle all customization.
• Container Delivery Services Shipping container delivery throughout California and nationwide/worldwide through trusted partnerships. Delivery includes roll-off service at customer's desired location with requirements for hard surface, clearance space, and proper maneuvering area.
• Container Certification Services Facilitates IICL and cargo-worthy certification inspections to ensure containers meet international shipping standards. CSC certification is provided for new containers, valid for five years from manufacturing date.

Quantifiable outcome

• 40+ years of industry experience serving 12,000+ customers

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• FastLane TransportationminorOthersFastLane Transportation is operated by the same parent group as American Portable Storage. In Wilmington, FastLane is a container depot with a state-of-the-art and secure facility. This is an affiliated company under common ownership, not an external partnership.
• Compass ChassisminorOthersCompass Chassis is operated by the same parent group as American Portable Storage. In Oakland and Wilmington, Compass Chassis rents and leases intermodal chassis. This is an affiliated company under common ownership, not an external partnership.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• SecureSpace Self Storage: Portable and traditional self-storage operator. Tangentially competitive for storage-use-case buyers considering on-site containers versus off-site storage facilities.
• BoxHub: Online marketplace for buying and shipping containers nationwide. Competes with APS for the digitally-enabled buyer segment, especially for customers outside California where APS has limited owned presence.

Broad incumbents

• PODS: National portable storage container rental and moving company. Competes with APS on portable storage use cases but operates a rental/moving model rather than container sales.
• WillScot: Large public modular space and mobile office provider. Overlaps with APS's container conversion/workspace use cases and storage applications but operates at much greater scale across a leased fleet rather than direct sales.
• United Rentals: Largest equipment rental company in North America. Overlaps tangentially with APS's portable container offerings for construction and storage applications but is far broader in scope and operates a rental model.

Direct peers

• Container One: Online-first shipping container dealer offering new and used containers nationwide with delivery and modification services. Comparable product mix, customer segments (storage, construction, intermodal), and customization capabilities.
• Falcon Structures: Shipping container modification specialist converting containers into offices, retail, housing, and workforce accommodations. Directly overlaps with APS's container conversion use case and modification service line.
• Container Alliance: Shipping container sales and modification company with West Coast presence. Comparable product portfolio (new/used containers, modifications, delivery) and customer segments.
• Cargotainer: Shipping container sales, modification, and rental company serving West Coast markets. Directly comparable product portfolio and customer use cases, particularly for storage and conversion applications.
• Conex West: Regional shipping container dealer with multiple West Coast locations selling new and used containers with modification services. Directly competes with APS in California on similar container SKUs, delivery, and modification offerings.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php?id=61560041197336
• Instagraminstagram.com/fast.lane.transportation
• TikToktiktok.com/@fast.lane.trans
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/american-portable-storage

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about American Portable Storage