Arranging a Personal Property Shipment

DPS is the online system you use to upload your orders and create shipment(s) (e.g. household goods, unaccompanied baggage, non-temporary storage, personally procured move, etc.).

You can log in using a common access card, or CAC, or by obtaining a user ID and password before accessing DPS. Follow the instructions in the “New User Registration” tutorial in DPS when setting up your account. After that, follow the instructions in the “Create a Shipment” or “Create a PPM Shipment” tutorial.

Note: First time movers, separating service members and retirees must contact their local transportation office before scheduling a move in DPS.

When creating your shipment, you will select the packing and pickup dates. This will be a seven-day spread window during which your moving company is required to pick up your shipment. Learn more about the 7-Day Spread Window Policy.

Once your shipment application (DD Form 1299) has been created and submitted, the local transportation office, will review and submit for routing and awarding to a transportation service provider, or TSP.

When you sign in to DPS, you’ll be asked a series questions about your move. Make sure you are prepared to provide the following:

• Your contact information
• Estimated weight
• Pickup and delivery locations
• Pickup and delivery dates
• Special entitlement items (boat, guns, large electronics, etc.)
• Estimated weight of professional books, papers and equipment, or PBP&E

Log in to or contact DPS »

Related Forms:

• DD1797 – Personal Property Counseling Checklist: This form will be automatically generated by DPS upon completion of counseling.
• DD1299 – Application for Shipment and/or Storage of Personal Property: This form will be automatically generated by DPS upon completion of counseling.

HHG, or a household goods move, is a move completed by a government-furnished moving company, also called a transportation service provider, or TSP. During a HHG move, your TSP is responsible for packing all of your belongings and transporting them to your new location. See the Managing Your Moving Days article for an overview of this process.

Approved for:
CONUS
Permanent change of station, or PCS

OCONUS
Permanent change of station, or PCS

Note: If your HHG shipment includes storage-in-transit you may have the option to request the use of a container. Shipments in containers are dependent on what the moving and storage industry is able to provide at the time of your move. To learn more about shipments in containers, see the Personal Property Containerization fact sheet.

PPM, or a personally procured move, is a do-it-yourself move within the military. You will be responsible for either packing/unpacking and transporting your belongings to your new location yourself or hiring your own commercial moving company. You can use portable moving and storage containers, rental trucks, or any other method of your choosing to conduct a PPM.

PPMs are especially recommended for any irreplaceable valuables you own, such as family heirlooms, photos and important documents or for necessities you will need immediately at your new location while waiting for your transporter to arrive.

As an incentive to move yourself, the government will pay you 100% of the government’s constructed “best value” cost to hire a moving company on your behalf or perform your own move. If you can move your belongings yourself for less money, you get to keep the difference.

Remember, this money is considered an incentive and is based on the household goods weight you actually transport, not to exceed your authorized weight allowance. If necessary, for most branches of military service you can receive an advance payment of up to 60 percent of the incentive value.

If the government cannot arrange an HHG move within the timeframe you request, you may be authorized to do a PPM and in some cases receive reimbursement of the actual coast associated with hiring a commercial moving company if approved in advance by your military service or agency.

See the Personally Procured Moves fact sheet for more details and contact your local transportation office with any questions.

Approved for:
CONUS
Temporary Duty, or TDY
Permanent Change of Station, or PCS

OCONUS
Temporary Duty, or TDY

Note: There’s no incentive PPM for DOD civilians. Civilians are only authorized actual cost reimbursement for expenses incurred or the commuted rate based on the General Services Administration schedule.

Related Forms:

• DD2278 – Application for Do It Yourself Move and Counseling Checklist: This form will be automatically generated by DPS upon completion of counseling for a PPM.
• DD3166- Personally Procured Move Checklist and Expense Certification: This form will be generated by DPS during your transportation office counseling appointment. The form will help you gather all the required documents prior to submitting your PPM voucher.

UB, or unaccompanied baggage, is an option for shipments where a small portion of your total weight allowance is expedited to your new location, typically while you wait for the rest of your belongings to arrive at a later date. UB shipments are approved for CONUS TDY and OCONUS TDY and PCS.

POV, or privately owned vehicle, shipment and storage is available for some moves. In general, if you are traveling overseas or outside of the contiguous United States, the government may pay to ship one POV to your new duty station or store one POV during your OCONUS tour.

You will need to make an appointment with the global POV contractor, International Auto Logistics, or IAL, and take it to a vehicle processing center, or VPC, for transportation to your new duty station or to a contracted storage facility.

You can find global VPC locations, schedule your turn-in or drop-off appointment, and view POV shipping and storage documentation requirements on IAL’s website, PCSmyPOV. Read the 6 Things to Know About Shipping a Car Overseas article for additional information.

Note: Some OCONUS countries do not allow POV transportation into the host country. Check with your local transportation office for country-specific restrictions. In these situations, you can store your POV at government or personal expense for the length of your OCONUS tour. Contact your local transportation office for storage authorizations and reimbursement options.

If you are a service member traveling within the 48 contiguous states, or CONUS, you can drive your vehicle to your new location or pay to ship one or more POVs at your own expense. The government will pay you a monetary allowance in lieu of transportation, or MALT, for mileage, fuel, tolls, and certain other expenses you encounter along the way.

Be sure to save your receipts and tickets. In some cases, a service member may be allowed to ship a POV between CONUS duty stations if he or she is physically unable to drive or has insufficient time to drive and report to the new duty station as ordered.

If you’re a civilian employee changing duty stations within CONUS, you may be allowed to ship up to two POVs to your new duty location if the new CONUS destination is further than 600 miles away.

There are other exceptions, so check with your servicing civilian personnel office or local transportation office if you have questions.

NTS, or non-temporary storage, is long-term storage of your belongings generally used but not shipped to your new duty station. Expect the storage location to be located near the origin or pickup location where items may remain for the duration of your tour.

When you return and have established a new address, you can request retrieval and shipment of your stored belongings. There may be restrictions on CONUS NTS, so be sure to contact your local transportation office if you have any questions.

NTS is approved for CONUS PCS (exceptions may apply) and OCONUS PCS.

Note: For retirement: NTS may be authorized for one year beginning with retirement date. Upon expiration of the one-year NTS storage entitlement, the storage cost will be converted to member expense. A shipment entitlement extension may be authorized or approved through the secretarial process, but normally this extension does not extend the NTS entitlement at government expense.

Note: For separation: NTS may be authorized for 180 days. Upon expiration of the 180-day NTS storage entitlement, the storage cost will be converted to member expense. A shipping entitlement extension may be authorized or approved through the secretarial process.

For information about shipping special items such as boats, motorcycles, firearms, pro gear and more, review the entitlements moving guide or contact your local transportation office.