Military moves come with many logistics, timelines, and, of course, questions. Before you even pack a box, you might wonder how your cherished items will get from your current home to your new duty station.
The military world calls a move a permanent change of station (PCS). When you PCS, you leave your current command and report to a new one, often in a different city, state, or even country.
One of the first questions you need to answer is what kind of PCS move you want to do. If you want to let the military handle the heavy lifting and the bill, a household goods move might be the right choice.
What is an HHG Move?
A household goods (HHG) move involves the military taking care of moving logistics and expenses. The transportation office contracts civilian moving companies to pack, load, ship, and unpack all your belongings. The bill goes directly to the transportation office, and all you need to do is make sure things go according to the plan and inspect your items for damage once they arrive.
Some people prefer a more hands-on approach and do the packing and moving themselves. Often called a DITY move, the military uses the term personally procured move (PPM). You can also do a partial DITY move and ship the big household items, such as furniture, with a moving company while you pack some sentimental or smaller goods.
An HHG is best for those who don’t want a lot of involvement or work with the actual moving process. Because the military and the contracted moving company, also called the transportation service provider, handle all the logistics and billing directly, you’ll have fewer out-of-pocket costs.
Navigating an HHG Move
Once you’ve decided that an HHG move is the best choice for your situation, you must consider a few things. Preparation for your move starts with knowing what and how much you can move, how to get your most precious items to your new home intact, and when you can expect everything to arrive.
Before you can schedule your HHG move, you must have official orders to report to your new duty station. Once you have that done, you can get your move rolling. Talk to the transportation office at your current location to start the process. You’ll need to complete training before you can schedule anything to ensure you understand the requirements and restrictions.
HHG Weight Allowance
Household goods are measured by weight rather than room or number of boxes. This allows the military to calculate and pay for shipping everything from one location to the next.
The pounds you are allowed to move depends on your rank and dependents. Junior enlisted without dependents start at 5,000 pounds. More senior military members are allowed to ship more weight, up to 18,000 pounds for those ranking O-6 and above. You will likely need to pay for anything over your weight limit.
Learn: View your specific weight allowance.
Professional gear and materials are shipped with your household goods but are counted in a separate weight allowance. Military members can ship up to 2,000 pounds of professional materials, and spouses can ship up to 500 pounds, although this needs to be itemized and approved before the move.
What About the PCS Prohibited List?
There are a few items that you can’t include in your HHG shipment. If you want to move these things, you’ll need to make the arrangements yourself. A few prohibited things include:
- Ammunition
- Food in glass jars
- Open containers of food
- Propane tanks
- Batteries with acid or alkali
- Hazardous items, such as flammable liquids, paint, and fireworks
- Alcoholic beverages in containers over one gallon
You can set these aside in a designated room during your packing and make it clear to the movers not to pack them. To make it even clearer, you can add a sign labeling them as “do not pack.”
What Items to Handcarry?
While most moving companies treat your items with care, packing them in appropriate boxes with materials to keep them safe during the move, some will inevitably get jostled around and risk breaking.
To protect your most cherished belongings, consider hand-carrying them to your new home. If you are driving a vehicle, you’ll have more room to pack extra items. For those flying, you may need to make room in your suitcase or pack a second suitcase altogether. You can get reimbursed for some flying fees, such as checked bags, when you file your travel claim.
Some items are irreplaceable due to sentimental value, while others are fragile and require a delicate touch. If you worry something might break and are able to hand-carry it to your new home, it’s worth considering.
Things to hand-carry include:
- Sentimental items that you could not replace
- Photos and letters
- Diplomas or other memorabilia
- Important records (birth certificate, passport, etc.)
- Moving information
- Delicate or fragile items
Transportation and POV Shipment in HHG Move
As you prepare, you may wonder how you’ll get your vehicle to your new city.
In a CONUS move within the continental U.S., you can drive your vehicle and get reimbursed for the cost or work with the transportation office to have it shipped.
In an OCONUS move, which includes moving overseas or to Hawaii and Alaska, each service member is authorized to ship one personal vehicle. You will need to get your vehicle to a designated drop-off site and pick it up from the designated site once you arrive.
HHG Move Timeline
One of the main reasons people opt for a PPM instead of an HHG move is the timing. When you pack and move your own household, you have much more control over when things happen and how long it takes to get to your new home. If you are driving a moving truck, you can load it up, drive to your destination, and unload in a matter of days. The same move with a moving company can take weeks or even months.
The exact number of days it takes to transport your household goods depends on where you are shipping from and to. The most recent intratransit time table can help you determine the time it takes from one location to another.
You should receive an expected timeline when you do your pre-move counseling with the transportation office, but delays happen, even after your household items have been packed. If you encounter unexpected delays, work with your new command to get temporary items, including pots, pans, and dishes, to help make your wait smoother.
When your items arrive, the moving company will unpack them and reassemble any furniture. Inspect everything closely for damage, especially if it was stored at any point in the move.
Should You Do an HHG Move?
Ultimately, the decision to do an HHG move or another kind of military move is up to the service member, their family, and the regulations surrounding their current or new duty station.
HHG moves are ideal for those who don’t want to deal with packing and unpacking, shipping items from one place to another, or paying upfront for moving expenses. In an HHG move, the military directly handles all of these things. For those wanting more control over the process and the chance to make a little money through reimbursements, a PPM may be the better option.
The Bottom Line
Knowing the available options and which best fits your situation is important to get the best moving experience. A household goods move (HHG) is great for those who want the military to take care of the details so they can focus on the transition to a new job and community.
Interested in more PCS tips? Download the AHRN PCS Toolkit for more information.