Moving and self-storage go hand in hand these days. Whether families are downsizing, they need a place to store their belongings while their new home is being remodeled, or they simply need somewhere to stash their outdoor “toys,” U-Haul has a self-storage solution for them.
U-Haul self-storage has come a long way over the last 40-plus years, from chain-link containers inside of existing buildings to multi-story, climate-controlled self-storage facilities. Here’s a look at the evolution of U-Haul self-storage.
U-Haul entered the self-storage business in 1974 by placing chain-link containers inside of existing buildings. A rapid expansion of self-storage followed as U-Haul purchased and renovated existing buildings.
By 1980, U-Haul offered self-storage at more than 600 U-Haul Stores with a total of 60,000 self-storage rooms. That number nearly doubled to 110,000 rooms in 1982.
In 1993, U-Haul built its first climate-controlled, multistory L-shaped moving and self-storage facility.
U-Haul developed the industry’s first centralized reservation system for U-Haul self-storage rooms in 1999. Two years later, U-Haul unveiled WebSelfStorage—another industry first! This business platform is a Web-based solution to help self-storage companies manage their facilities.
U-Haul reached a major self-storage milestone in 2005, achieving 90-percent self-storage occupancy.
Today, U-Haul offers more than 44-million square feet of self-storage in 490,000 rooms, with more being added all the time. Many locations include 24-hour access, climate-controlled rooms, online account management and SafeStor Protection.
Have you ever used a U-Haul self-storage location? If you remember the “old days” of self-storage, tell us about them in the comments section.
