A PCS move is a hundred moving parts, and the car is the one with a hard deadline — it has to be at the new station by your report date, and you may have more vehicles than drivers. Ship it wrong and you arrive without wheels or pay a last-minute premium. PCS car shipping is simple once you know the order of operations. We move service members every season, so here is the whole process, start to finish.
The short answer: Confirm your orders, request quotes early, book a carrier against your report date, and arrange an off-base handoff with an inspection at both ends. Book two to three weeks ahead in the May–August surge, claim your service-member discount, and remember the DoD pays mileage to drive a CONUS POV, not to ship it.
Everything starts with your PCS orders. They are the document carriers need to book your move and the proof of eligibility for any reimbursement or service-member discount. Until they are in hand, you cannot lock anything in.
Once you have them, keep both digital and printed copies — you will reference them at booking, at pickup, and for any entitlement claim. With orders confirmed, the clock starts, and in military shipping the early mover wins. Our military car shipping service page covers the entitlement landscape your orders unlock.
Request quotes the moment your orders are confirmed. This matters more for a military move than almost any other, because PCS season concentrates moves into the summer. From roughly May through August, bases turn over at once and carriers tighten nationwide.
Booking early against firm orders gets you a better rate and your preferred dates. Waiting until the report date looms means competing with every other family in your situation for the last available trucks, at peak prices. Two to three weeks of lead time is the practical minimum in summer.
Before you book, know the reimbursement reality so there are no surprises. For a domestic (CONUS) move, the DoD generally does not pay to ship your POV — it pays a mileage allowance (MALT) for a car you drive. Many members apply their Dislocation Allowance toward privately shipping a second car.
For an overseas (OCONUS) move, the government usually ships one POV at its expense through a Vehicle Processing Center. The two situations are very different, so read up on yours: our cost and reimbursement guide covers CONUS, and the OCONUS car shipping guide covers overseas. Always confirm current rules with your transportation office.
When you book, ask for the service-member discount — most carriers offer 5% to 15% off, verified with your orders or military ID. It is not automatic, so you have to request it and provide proof. On a second car you are paying for yourself, that is real savings.
Choose open transport for a normal POV; it is the standard, cheaper option and what most service members use. Reserve enclosed for a classic or high-value vehicle. Our military car shipping discount guide explains how to claim and stack savings.
Here is the logistics wrinkle unique to military moves. Most carriers cannot bring a full transport truck through a controlled gate, so you will meet the driver just off base — typically a wide lot or shopping center near the installation.
Plan the handoff around your in- or out-processing schedule so the timing works. Give the driver your contact and a clear meeting point when you book. This is routine for carriers who serve bases regularly, and it adds minutes, not cost. The state guides — like Fort Benning and Fort Stewart in Georgia — cover local handoff spots near major installations.
Get the POV ready: wash it so the inspection is clear, leave about a quarter tank of fuel, remove personal items and the toll tag, and note any existing damage. Photograph it from every angle before it loads.
At pickup, you and the driver do a walk-around inspection on the bill of lading. Review it, confirm it matches the car, and sign it. Keep your copy — it is your record of the car's condition before transit, and your protection if anything changes.
The goal is to have the car arrive around when you do. Transit runs 1 to 3 days regional up to 5 to 9 coast to coast, plus the pickup window, so work backward from your report date when you book.
If the car may beat you to the new station, line up a trusted person to receive it and sign the delivery inspection, or ask about short-term storage. A driver will not leave a vehicle unattended at an empty address, so a backup receiver keeps delivery on schedule.
PCS car shipping is straightforward when you run it in order: confirm orders, quote early, know your entitlements, book with your discount, arrange the off-base handoff, and time delivery to your report date. Do that, and the car is one less thing to worry about during a busy move. Start at our military car shipping hub for the full entitlement picture, price your route on the calculator, and verify any carrier with our FMCSA lookup.
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You confirm your PCS orders, request quotes, book a carrier, and arrange an off-base handoff. The driver picks up your POV, transports it to the new station area, and delivers it with an inspection at both ends. The process mirrors any auto transport, with military timing and base logistics layered on top.
As soon as your orders are confirmed. The summer PCS season (roughly May to August) is the busiest shipping window of the year, so early booking gets you a better rate and your preferred dates. For a summer report date, two to three weeks of lead time is the practical minimum.
Effectively yes. Your PCS orders are the document carriers and any reimbursement depend on. Have a copy ready when you book and at pickup. They confirm the move is official and, for any entitlement or discount, prove your eligibility. Keep both digital and printed copies during the move.
Usually you meet just off base. Most carriers cannot bring a full transport truck through a controlled gate, so you arrange a handoff at a nearby lot, often a shopping center near the installation. Plan it around your in- or out-processing schedule so the timing lines up.
It depends on distance and how many vehicles you have. For a long move or a two-car household with one driver, shipping at least one car usually wins on time, fuel, and wear. For a CONUS move the military pays mileage to drive (MALT), not to ship, so weigh the reimbursement against the shipping cost — our cost and reimbursement guide covers the math.
Transit depends on distance — 1 to 3 days regional, 3 to 5 cross-region, 5 to 9 coast to coast — plus a 1-to-3-day window for the driver to collect the car. Build in a buffer during the summer surge, when carriers are busiest and schedules can slip.
Plan for it, since travel and shipment rarely align exactly. Name a trusted person near the destination to receive the car and sign the delivery inspection, or ask the carrier about short-term storage. A driver will not leave a vehicle unattended at an empty address.
For a CONUS move, generally not for shipping — the DoD pays mileage (MALT) for a car you drive, though many members apply their DLA toward a shipped second car. For an OCONUS move, the government usually ships one POV. Confirm current entitlements with your transportation office, as rules change yearly.
Wash it so the inspection photos are clear, leave about a quarter tank of fuel, and remove personal items and the toll tag, since loose belongings are not covered by the carrier's insurance. Photograph the car from every angle, and note any existing damage on the bill of lading at pickup.
Unfortunately yes — service-member moves attract bad actors. Be wary of a quote far below the rest or pressure for a large upfront deposit. Confirm an active USDOT/MC number and verify any carrier free with our FMCSA lookup before paying. Our scam-watch guide lists the red flags.
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