subject: Can I Use My Own Boxes For Storage At An Archive Company? [print this page] People that are starting to use an archive company for the first time often have a lot of questions about how the service works. They either have special requests that they hope can be honored, or they are just wondering about what the standard policies are at the company. In either case, it is certainly true that a Philadelphia document management company will get their fair share of questions regarding whether or not a firm can use their own boxes for archival storage.
Almost all archive companies are going to allow you to use your own boxes for storing your files if you so choose. There are also a lot of archive companies that are going to have their own boxes that they will provide to you if you request them. If you do decide that you want to use your own boxes though, there are a few things that you should keep in mind.
The first thing that you should remember is that you should always use unmarked boxes. Don't use boxes which are proudly blazoned with the company logo, at the very least. Part of the security that is presented by a filing company is the anonymity of the files which are stored there. The company will identify packages only by using a unique bar code system. When your boxes are unidentifiable, it helps to increase their level of security within the archival company.
The other thing you need to keep in mind is that most archive companies are going to insist that you only use standard sized file boxes. Varying from this industry standard is a bad idea for several reasons, which is why most companies will not allow it. All of the archive company's facilities will be set up to optimally store industry standard file boxes.
Bigger boxes might not fit, and smaller ones would waste space which is something these companies are always trying to avoid. Another thing to keep in mind is that even without identifying print, unique shapes, sizes, and colors are also identifying marks on boxes. Some non standard boxes may also be acidic in nature which could cause damage to the records being stored in them, something which your archival company will always be striving to avoid.
Sometimes it is just easier to use the boxes you can buy from the records company, but if you truly want to use your own you should have no problem using industry standard filing boxes.