Military moves: compare licensed carriers before you commit

A military move runs on orders, a report date, and a weight allowance, and for most PCS moves the government arranges the shipment through its own program. When you are the one hiring the truck, whether that is a personally procured move, a retirement or separation move, or a shipment that falls outside your entitlement, this desk puts your route through our network of eight — job details only. They send pricing to us. You choose the mover — they never get your contact details. You never pay us.

Carriers on our list hold USDOT and MC authority
Written estimates with no obligation to book
An advertising-supported comparison service, not a mover

These companies pay us to compete for your business. You never pay us, and using this desk does not increase the quote. The numbers are our editorial order, not a purchased rank. How we are paid

We put the job through our network of eight. They price it to us. You choose the mover — they never get your contact details. You never pay us. Using this desk does not increase the quote — moving companies pay us to compete for your business.

What a military move involves

Orders set the clock. Your report date fixes the day you must be at the new duty station, and every other date, including pack, load, and delivery, is worked backward from it. Your weight allowance depends on your rank and whether you have dependents, and weight above that allowance is charged to you rather than to the government. Your installation transportation office is the authority on what you are entitled to. The carriers on our list are not, and neither is this desk.

For a standard PCS, the DoD household goods program assigns a carrier and you schedule through that system, so you would not normally need a comparison service at all. A commercial mover you hire yourself comes into play in a narrower set of situations, and those are the moves this page is for.

A personally procured move (PPM, formerly called a DITY move), where you arrange the move and are reimbursed afterward
A partial PPM, where the government ships most of the household and you move the rest
A retirement or separation move you choose to arrange yourself
Goods that fall outside your entitlement, such as a second household, a family member's belongings, or items over your weight allowance
A move on a timeline the program cannot meet, or a long-distance move that is not covered by orders at all

What a licensed carrier handles, and what is optional

The core of any interstate move is the same: the carrier loads, transports, and delivers your household goods against a written inventory, and provides basic released-value protection on the shipment. On an interstate move that basic protection is 60 cents per pound per article, which covers very little of what most items are actually worth. Full-value protection is available on interstate moves, and it is the option to ask about if you want the carrier to be responsible for repair or replacement at the item's actual value.

Everything beyond loading and hauling is optional and should appear as a separate line on the estimate. That includes packing and unpacking, custom crating for a piano or a framed piece, storage in transit if your housing is not ready, shipment of a personal vehicle (often handled by a separate auto transporter the mover arranges), debris pickup after unpacking, and any shuttle service where a full-size trailer cannot reach your door or your gate.

Two items are specific to military households. First, base access: the carrier's crew has to clear the gate, which usually means valid identification for every crew member and sometimes a visitor pass or sponsor arranged in advance. Ask each carrier how they handle it and what they need from you. Second, firearms and ammunition: ammunition is a hazardous material, and you should expect every household goods carrier to refuse it; each carrier sets its own policy on unloaded firearms. Ask before you assume anything is going on the truck.

How to compare estimates for a military move

Interstate estimates are normally based on weight and distance, and the useful ones are built from a visual or video survey of what you own rather than a room count. The estimate should say plainly whether it is binding, non-binding, or not-to-exceed. A binding estimate holds the price to the goods and services listed; a non-binding one is the carrier's opinion and the final charge follows the actual weight; a not-to-exceed estimate caps the charge while letting it come in lower. Ask which type you are being given and why.

Then read the line items against each other. The delivery spread is the window the carrier commits to, and a wide spread can matter more than a small difference in the total when you have a report date. Accessorial charges such as stairs, long carry, and shuttle service vary from carrier to carrier and are easy to miss. Packing materials, storage in transit, and valuation are the other places where two estimates that look alike are not.

The carrier's USDOT and MC numbers, and whether the company you are talking to is the carrier or a broker arranging one
The estimate type, in writing, with the survey it was based on
The delivery spread and what happens if it is missed
The valuation option you chose and its deductible, if any
Confirmation that certified weight tickets will be provided if you are filing a PPM claim
A copy of the federal booklet Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move, which interstate movers are required to give you

Weight tickets, orders, and the paperwork that pays you back

On a personally procured move you are reimbursed after the fact, and the reimbursement rests on documented weight. That means certified scale tickets for the vehicle empty and again loaded, with the vehicle identified on each. If a carrier is hauling your PPM shipment, get their commitment in writing that they will weigh the truck at a certified scale and hand you the tickets, because a claim filed without them is a claim you will have to argue. Keep every receipt for packing materials, tolls, and rented equipment alongside the tickets.

Keep a folder with your orders, the entitlement counseling paperwork from your transportation office, the signed estimate, the inventory, and the bill of lading, and carry it with you rather than sending it on the truck. PCS season concentrates in late spring and summer, when licensed carriers book up early, so the sooner you have orders in hand the wider your choice of dates and carriers will be. If orders are still pending, say so when you request estimates and give the date you expect; carriers can quote against it and firm up the schedule once your dates are set.

Common questions

Military Moves, answered plainly

Does the military pay for a moving company?

For a PCS, the government arranges and pays for shipment of your household goods up to your weight allowance through the DoD move program. If you choose a personally procured move instead, you hire the mover or rent the truck yourself and are reimbursed afterward based on documented weight and the government's cost. Your transportation office determines what you are entitled to; this desk and the carriers on our list do not.

What is a PPM or DITY move?

A personally procured move, once called a do-it-yourself or DITY move, is one where you arrange the shipment yourself, whether by renting a truck or hiring a licensed carrier, and file for reimbursement afterward. The claim depends on certified weight tickets taken empty and loaded, so ask any carrier you hire to provide them.

Can I hire my own movers for a PCS?

Yes, as a personally procured move, and you can also split the move so the government ships part of your household and you arrange the rest. Compare written estimates from licensed carriers first, confirm the reimbursement rules with your transportation office, and keep the estimate, bill of lading, and weight tickets for your claim.

What happens if my household goods are over the weight allowance?

Weight above your allowance is charged to you rather than the government. Before you request estimates, ask your transportation office what your allowance is, then use each carrier's survey to see where you stand. Selling or donating heavy items you no longer want is the simplest way to bring a shipment under the line.

Will movers be able to get onto the base?

Carriers deliver to installations regularly, but every gate has its own rules. Crews generally need valid identification for each person, and some installations require a visitor pass or a sponsor arranged ahead of time. Ask each carrier how they handle access at your specific installation and what they need from you before moving day.

Can a moving company transport firearms and ammunition?

Ammunition is a hazardous material, and you should expect every household goods carrier to refuse it. Policies on unloaded firearms differ from carrier to carrier, and some will not take them at all. Tell each carrier what you have when you request estimates and get its answer in writing, then plan to move whatever is declined yourself.

We don’t just collect your details. We publish who we’d send them to.

We put this military moves job through our network of eight. You choose the mover

You never pay us. Using this desk does not increase the quote — moving companies pay us to compete for your business. Never a booking.

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