As a military member, you're going to have to relocate
more than a few times in your career. Moving is one of the most stressful life
events a person can experience, and when you add to the stress you already
experience daily as an active service member, you can only imagine what it must
be like. Thankfully, the government does lend a hand to relocating service
members, and you'll be presented with several different options for moving your
household goods (HHG) when you receive your PCS orders.
Read on to learn
more about what your HHG options are and how to choose the one that's best for
you and your family.
When you receive your PCS orders
Planning for your military move
will begin as soon as you receive your PCS orders. To make sure your move goes
as smoothly as possible, it helps to begin planning when you first learn of your
impending move:
- Contact your servicing Transportation Office right away. When you
receive your PCS orders, you should contact the Transportation Office as soon as
you can to arrange a counseling appointment. Since the Transportation Office
near you will be responsible for handling all of the moving options and travel
arrangements, get in touch with them to begin ironing out the details as soon as
you can.
- The government has a limit on how much they will ship for you. When
it comes time for you to decide if you want the government to arrange for your
mover or do it yourself, be aware of the maximum HHG weight the government will
ship or store at their expense. In this case, the maximum weight is 18,000
pounds, meaning if your shipment exceeds this amount, you will be responsible
for covering the expenses associated with any overages.
- Overseas destinations may have smaller weight limits. If you are
relocating overseas, the maximum weight allowance that the government will ship
or store at their expense may vary. For example, the maximum amount of household
goods that may be shipped to Japan is 4,500 pounds. If you are moving overseas
,make sure to inquire with the Transportation Office about any weight
limitations.
- How to estimate the size of your HHG shipment: For an easy way to
estimate the weight of your HHG shipment, take the number of rooms in the house
you are packing up and multiply it by 1,500 to give you a rough estimation of
the size of your move. Please remember that this is only an estimate and you
should still have a moving professional survey your household goods and provide
you with a more accurate quote.
Shipping your goods with a GBL
If you choose to have your
household goods shipped by the government, that means you will allow the them to
designate a moving company for you and pay for the movers using a GBL, or
government bill of lading. This is how most military moves are carried out. In
this case, you would need to contact the Transportation Office when your travel
authorization is finalized. The Transportation Office will make the necessary
arrangements for your move and you will be provided with all of the details
regarding your HHG shipment.
Personally arranging your move
You can choose to handle the move and contract
a moving company by yourself, subsidized by many of the entitlement programs
that the government offers for relocating service members, as well as the
Commuted Rate Schedule for Transportation of Household Goods (CRS). If you do
decide to go this route, here are a few things you should know:
- You can still choose to move on your own even after your GBL has been
authorized. If you have your GBL authorized through the Transportation
Office and then change your mind and decide to personally move your HHG
shipment, you can still be reimbursed for the moving expenses you incur during
your relocation (for example: moving boxes, packing tape, packing wrap, rental
truck, gas, etc.) up to the amount that the move would have cost had it been
shipped with the GBL.
- If you move on your own, a cost comparison will be done to determine the
amount of reimbursement you'll receive. Using the aforementioned CRS, or the
Commuted Rate Schedule for Transportation of Household Goods, the government
will run a cost comparison between the expenses you incurred during your move
and the actual cost of the move as determined by the GBL. In the event that the
costs of one method exceed the costs of the other by more than $100, you will be
reimbursed for the full amount of the cheaper method.
- Don't forget your Certified Weight Tickets. If you choose to ship
your HHG on your own, or with a mover you've hired yourself, you must remember
to obtain the Certified Weight Tickets for your shipment to show the gross
weight, tare weight and net weight of your shipment before and after your HHG
are loaded, so you can be reimbursed for the proper amount.