Quick Answer: A successful military PCS move comes down to four things: contacting your installation's transportation office (PPPO/TMO) as soon as you receive orders, deciding between a government-arranged move and a Personally Procured Move (PPM/DITY) before your household goods pickup date, knowing your rank's weight allowance so you don't get billed for overage, and lining up family-specific logistics — school records, medical records, pets, and spouse employment — well before your report date. Most families have 60–90 days between orders and report date, and peak PCS season (May–August) can push scheduling lead times to 6–8 weeks, so early action matters more than any single packing tip.
Moving as a military family isn't like a typical relocation. There are orders, deadlines, weight allowances, reimbursement paperwork, and — usually — kids and pets who need their own transition plan. Active-duty families move on average every 2–3 years, so getting a repeatable system down makes every future PCS easier. Here's what actually matters, in the order it matters.
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Government Move vs. PPM (DITY): Which Should You Choose?
| Comparison | Government-Arranged Move (HHG) | Personally Procured Move (PPM/DITY) |
|---|---|---|
| Who packs and moves your goods | Military-contracted movers | You (or movers you hire yourself) |
| Cost to you upfront | $0 — government pays the carrier directly | You pay, then get reimbursed |
| Reimbursement | None needed — it's already paid for | Up to 100% of the Government Constructed Cost (GCC) — what the military would have paid a contractor |
| Potential profit | None | Many families report $2,000–$8,000 in savings when done efficiently |
| Effort required | Low — movers handle packing and loading | High — you coordinate the truck, labor, and paperwork (or hire help) |
| Best for | Heavy or fragile inventories, limited time, first-time movers | Families comfortable coordinating their own move who want to keep the difference |
| Weight tickets required | No | Yes — certified weight tickets are mandatory or your claim is denied |
A Partial PPM — letting the government move your large furniture while you personally move a portion of your household goods — is a popular middle ground: you reduce your own workload while still earning reimbursement on the weight you move yourself.
Confirm your options with your installation's Personal Property Processing Office (PPPO) or Transportation Management Office (TMO) — they schedule your move through DPS/MilMove and can tell you exactly which choice fits your orders.
Know Your Weight Allowance Before You Pack
Every rank has an authorized household goods weight allowance under the Joint Travel Regulations (JTR), and it typically increases with rank and whether you have dependents. As a general guide:
- Junior enlisted (E-1–E-4): roughly 5,000–8,000 lbs
- NCOs (E-5–E-9): roughly 7,000–13,000 lbs
- Officers (O-1–O-10): roughly 8,000–18,000 lbs
You're also generally authorized up to 2,000 lbs of unaccompanied baggage (UB) for items you need immediately at your new duty station, and professional books, papers, and equipment (pro-gear) are typically excluded from your weight allowance when properly documented.
Why this matters: Going over your authorized weight means you're personally responsible for the overage at the government's per-pound rate. A quick rule of thumb is 1,000–1,500 lbs per room — use it to sanity-check your inventory before pickup day. Because exact figures change and vary by dependency status, confirm your specific weight allowance with your PPPO before you finalize what's going with you.
PCS Entitlements to Track
Your PCS comes with several allowances designed to offset moving costs. The categories to know:
- Dislocation Allowance (DLA) — a lump sum tied to your rank and dependency status
- Temporary Lodging Expense (TLE) — covers a capped number of days of lodging at your old or new duty station
- Per diem — daily travel money for you and your dependents during authorized travel days
- Mileage reimbursement (MALT) — a per-mile rate for driving your privately owned vehicle to your new station
- PPM incentive payment — reimbursement if you personally move some or all of your household goods
Rates for all of these change periodically and differ by situation — verify your exact numbers through your finance office or Military OneSource before you budget around them, and keep every receipt (weight tickets, fuel, tolls, lodging) since undocumented expenses are the most common reason claims get delayed or denied.
Your PCS Moving Timeline
As soon as you receive orders (60–90 days out): Contact your PPPO/TMO immediately — scheduling a household goods shipment takes 2–4 weeks under normal conditions and longer during peak season. Start researching your new duty station's housing market and schools.
4–6 weeks out: Finalize government move vs. PPM. Begin decluttering — don't move boxes you haven't opened since the last PCS. Request school records transfer and start researching the new district's enrollment requirements.
2–3 weeks out: Confirm your household goods pickup date, schedule any local moving help you need for the PPM portion, and transfer medical and dental records if you're changing TRICARE regions.
1 week out: Finish packing anything not covered by government movers, confirm pet travel arrangements (health certificates often have short validity windows), and set aside essentials — orders, ID cards, medical records, and valuables — to travel with you, not in the shipment.
Moving day: Do a full home inventory walkthrough with the moving crew, confirm every item is noted on the inventory sheet, and keep your own photos of high-value items before they're loaded.
Tips Specific to Military Families
Kids and school records. Request records early and hand-carry copies if possible — electronic transfers between districts can lag behind your report date. Many installations have School Liaison Officers who can help match your PCS timeline to enrollment deadlines.
Spouse employment and MyCAA. If your spouse's job is remote-friendly or portable, confirm that before the move. The Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts (MyCAA) program and installation employment readiness offices can help with job searches at your new duty station.
Pets. Confirm any specific health certificate requirements and timing windows well before your travel date, especially for OCONUS moves — some destinations require documentation completed within a narrow window before departure.
TRICARE and medical records. Update your TRICARE region as soon as you have a report date, and request copies of medical and dental records rather than relying solely on electronic transfer, especially for ongoing treatment.
Storage during overseas or unaccompanied moves. If you're heading OCONUS or to an unaccompanied tour, non-temporary storage (NTS) may be authorized for the household goods you're not taking. Confirm eligibility and timelines with your PPPO before your move date.
Where Haul Bros Fits Into a PPM or Local Move
Haul Bros Moving Co LLC isn't a government HHG contractor, but we regularly help military families with the parts of a move that fall outside a government shipment:
- Local moving on and around base housing to off-base housing, or between on-base assignments — see our local moving services
- Labor-only help loading or unloading a rental truck for your PPM/DITY portion, so you keep the reimbursement without doing all the heavy lifting yourself
- Packing services for the portion of your household goods you're personally moving — see our packing services
- Storage solutions for the gap between move-out and move-in dates — see our storage solutions
- Long-distance moving for the personally-procured portion of a cross-country PCS — see our long-distance moving services
We also offer a military discount for active-duty, veteran, and first responder families — see our military moving page for details or request a quote.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a PPM or DITY move? A Personally Procured Move (PPM), formerly called a DITY (Do-It-Yourself) move, lets you move some or all of your household goods yourself and get reimbursed by the military — typically up to 100% of what it would have cost the government to hire a contractor for the same shipment.
How much weight am I authorized to move on a PCS? It depends on your rank and dependency status, generally ranging from around 5,000 lbs for junior enlisted without dependents up to 18,000 lbs for senior officers with dependents, plus up to 2,000 lbs of unaccompanied baggage. Confirm your exact allowance with your PPPO.
What happens if my shipment goes over my weight allowance? You become personally liable for the overage weight at the government's per-pound rate, which is why an honest inventory check (roughly 1,000–1,500 lbs per room as a rule of thumb) before pickup day matters.
Can I do a partial PPM? Yes — a partial PPM lets the government move your larger furniture while you personally move a portion of your belongings, letting you earn some reimbursement without taking on the full workload.
When should I contact my transportation office about a PCS move? As soon as you receive orders. Scheduling typically takes 2–4 weeks and can stretch to 6–8 weeks during peak PCS season (May–August).
Does Haul Bros handle full military PCS shipments? We're not a government HHG contractor, but we regularly help military families with local moves, labor-only loading/unloading for a PPM, packing, storage, and long-distance portions of a move — plus a military discount.
What records should I hand-carry instead of shipping? Orders, ID cards, medical and dental records, financial documents, and any high-value or irreplaceable items should travel with you rather than in your household goods shipment.
Is PPM reimbursement taxable? Yes, PPM reimbursement is generally treated as taxable income, though active-duty members may be able to deduct certain moving expenses — confirm your specific situation with a tax professional or your installation's finance office.
Key Takeaways
- Contact your PPPO/TMO the moment you receive orders — scheduling lead times are the biggest risk to your timeline.
- Decide between a government move, PPM, or partial PPM before your pickup date — a partial PPM often balances workload and reimbursement well.
- Know your rank's weight allowance before you pack to avoid personal liability for overage.
- Handle school records, TRICARE updates, and pet travel documents early — these have their own lead times separate from your household goods shipment.
- Haul Bros can help with the local, labor-only, packing, and storage pieces of your PCS, with a military discount included.
Get Help With Your Next Move
Whether you need local moving help around base, labor-only support for your PPM, or storage between duty stations, we're ready to help. Request your free quote, call 571-899-1919, or email relocating@haulbrosmoving.com — mention your military status for our discount.
For more on planning your move, see our guides on local vs. long-distance moving costs, Haul Bros vs. DIY moving, and our Woodbridge neighborhood moving guide.
Haul Bros Moving Co LLC — Relocating made easy.