Information on PCS/moves/moving (DITY, TMO, DLA, storage)

[Guest lovelacm]

I mailed that last bit of Pro Gear over and claimed it on my voucher... Be sure you insure your helmet and send it registered or another trackable way...

Keep your receipts and you'll be good to go.

Anybody else have a similar experience?

Cheers!

Linda

[Guest Absolutlyfly]

Aren't helmets and stuff 'professional' gear and can be sent without excess charges and/or the weight doesn't count against you?

[Guest lovelacm]

Absolutly - Yes. But often we fly at a place right up to the last possible day or two before we out-process.... that means you've gotta figure out what the heck you're gonna do with your HEAVY pubs bag and your nugget-cover... excuse me, Helmet.

Too many bags to carry on the plane if they won't put Excess Baggage Allowed on your orders.. so if you'll send your stuff through the US Snail Mail and be sure you can track it (peace of mind and that helmet is EXPENSIVE), all will be good in the world after you file your voucher.

Off to the salt mines!

Linda

[LJ Driver]

Tell your commander to give the person cutting your orders a call and demand that they put "excess baggage allowed" on your orders. It's stupid not to since it already costs thousands of dollars to PCS someone OCONUS.

[Guest Squez0114]

I'm looking for a reputable car shipping company to ship my car from Luke AFB to Sheppard AFB. Anyone have any suggestions? Thanks in advance!

[Guest Squez0114]

I have another question regarding per diem rates. Is my wife included in the per diem they are quoting on the GSA website (https://www.gsa.gov/Portal/gsa/ep/contentVi...Fprogram%2FgsaB asic.jsp&P=MTT) or do I multiply that rate times two to include my wife?

[F-15E WSO]

https://www.shipcar.com/

Is a place to start, but there's tons of places that will likely end up referring you an independent tower.

I shipped a car across the country in 2003 with no problems. I got referred to the guy from a website, called him, we picked a date to pick up the car, and the car showed up when and where I wanted. I think it was about $600. Should be cheaper for you.

[Guest ce2be]

From the JTR:

Effective 19 March 2004

B. Dependent(s) Accompany Member. When dependents travel with a member, the member is authorized per diem

for each dependent while traveling, and at delay points, in an amount equal to the following percentage of the per

diem to which the member is authorized:

1. Three-fourths for each dependent age 12 or older; and

2. One-half for each dependent under age 12 years.

If separate travel, she would get 100% and the 3/4 and 1/2 rules apply for the rest

[ 29. December 2005, 22:20: Message edited by: ce2be ]

[Guest dcamp]

Anybody know if you get a separate W2 for a DITY move? My W2 is on mypay, just wanted to know if I was safe to go ahead and do my taxes.

[ClearedHot]

You should get a separate one, I always have.

[Guest gonads]

yes, you do get one. and don't forget to include it. you get a lot of those taxes back!

[pcola]

That sounds correct. You get paid per pound. Period. You will also file a travel voucher that is seperate from your DITY, where you will be reimbursed for mileage. Basically, they take the amount of weight that you moved and pay you 90% (I think) of what it would have cost them to hire somebody to do it. Your truck rental and other costs come out of pocket. If you rent, use Budget. In my experience, they have always been much cheaper. There are horror stories about people making like $200 bucks after paying for the Uhaul and supplies, but I've always made good money. I moved around 11000 lbs from Pensacola to Enid and profited around $1500 for the move alone (not including travel voucher and DLA.)

[brabus]

Since I have two vehicles, one of which my wife will drive down to Enid, will they pay the DITY rates for both vehicles or do they only allot you one? Because if I could count the weight of both vehicles into one lump total weight, that would be great. Would they reimburse me for mileage/gas on both vehicles or only one? Thanks guys.

[Baseops.Net]

You will not receive a reimbursement for the price of your u-haul.

You WILL get paid based on weight + distance travelled, plus MALT for your travel, plus DLA on arrival -- all of there are meant to offset the costs of things such as u-hauls.

EDIT: for Brabus -- you should be able to get paid for both vehicles (provided both are driven to/from the same location) as long as you do not exceed your maximum allowable weights (you should be fine...)

[ 01. April 2006, 15:08: Message edited by: Baseops.Net ]

[brabus]

Baseops...is it a problem if they're driven at different times? Yes they'll be from/to the same locations, but might be a week or two apart. Is that a problem?

[schokie]

You will get reimbursed if you own the trailer. You'll get to standard rate for it's weight as if it was cargo in your car. You don't get reimbursed if you rent a trailer. (edit - You won't get reimbursed for the rental cost)

My roommate bought a trailer right before he PCSed to Elmendorf. Drove it across the continent, then sold it after he moved it. Between the money for the sale and the money he got from TMO for driving that weight cross country he make out pretty well.

All that aside, do a DITY even if you end up losing money. You'll have all your crap as soon as you get there, and it won't be stolen or broken. Both of which WILL happen if you let the government contract it out to the lowest bidding moving company. Just ask around for horror stories.

[ 01. April 2006, 16:06: Message edited by: schokie ]

[Baseops.Net]

Brabus - you can drive at different times (i.e. you go first, your family goes later on.) Just remember to to fill out two separate sets of paperwork -- and you will have to weigh BOTH cars empty and then BOTH cars loaded up. As long as you keep all your receipts, weigh tickets, etc. you should be fine.

And if you load up your vehicles to the brim (or tow a boat / trailer, etc., you should get a decent amount of money.

[Toasty]

I'll be taking my car along with everything I own from Florida to Texas; so you're saying I'd be better off renting a u-haul with a trailer for my car(which I'd like to keep the miles off)?

[ 02. April 2006, 01:08: Message edited by: toastychicken ]

[Guest C-21 Pilot]

All good lesson mentioned here...

You wanna make some money, go out and buy yourself a 6x9 enclosed trailer for about $3-4K. I bought one when I was enlisted for $3300, and it paid itself off in the first move from Altus to Charleston. Now, we always do a partial DITY using the trailer, and are able to claim the weight of the trailer (850lbs) on top of what ever we store in their.

Looking back at old paperwork, it looks like we were paid about $35 for every 100 lbs of DITY stuff, plus mileage, which you can find here:

https://secureapp2.hqda.pentagon.mil/perdiem/faqpovpast.html

"While driving enroute to your PCS, you will NOT be compensated at the normal TDY Per Diem rates. For example: you are PCSing from San Antonio, TX to Washington DC; for this move you are authorized 4 days to travel. During your drive, you will NOT be paid the standard TDY Per Diem rates (since you are not on TDY status).

Rates for PCS travel, known as MALT (Monetary Allowance in Lieu of Transportation), are different (lower) than TDY travel. This is because TDY travel rates are specifically designed to reimburse the member for traveling on official duty, and MALT rates were never intended to reimburse the transportation costs for driving a car; they are based on commercial fares and are a payment instead of providing the member with Government procured transportation. The MALT/PCS mileage rates do not reflect the price of gasoline. TDY mileage rates on the other hand, are based on the costs to operate a vehicle (gasoline, insurance, etc.) and are intended to reimburse the expense of using a POC for the official government travel.

The rate per car, depends on the number of passengers in the car for which the Government is providing reimbursement. Here is a quick reference table:

One passenger -- $0.15 per mile

Two passengers -- $0.17 per mile

Three passengers -- $0.19 per mile

Four or more Passengers -- $0.20 per mile

Remember, the rate is per car, not per person. So, for example, if a military member and his/her spouse traveled to a new duty station in one car, the reimbursement rate would be $0.17 per mile (total) for both of them. However, if they traveled in separate cars, the reimbursement would be $0.15 cents per mile for each car (assuming there were no additional dependents in either car). If the military member traveled in one car, and his/her spouse and child traveled in another car, the member would be reimbursed at the rate of $0.15 per mile for the car he/she is driving, and $0.17 per mile for the car that his/her dependents were traveling in.

In addition to the mileage rates, military personnel and their dependents receive a per diem for each day of travel. Generally, 1 day of travel time is allowed for each 350 miles of official distance of ordered travel. If the excess is 51 miles or more after dividing the total number of miles by 350, one additional day of travel time is allowed. When the total official distance is 400 miles or less, 1 day's travel time is allowed.

2. Don't forget to keep all of your gas receipts from your drive during your PCS. You will be reimbursed for 100% of your gas expenditures, so keep all your receipts. The best thing to do is to keep an envelope in your vehicle and as you gas-up, place your receipt in this envelope. Also, keep all toll charges (ask for a receipt from the toll-booth operator) as they are all 100% reimbursed.

3. Get an oil change before you leave, or as soon as you get to your permanent duty station. The government will reimburse you for one oil change (per vehicle) - so take advantage of this. Simply get the oil change prior to leaving or immediately upon arrival and keep the receipt to be turned in with your post-PCS paperwork.

Are you TDY Enroute to your PCS?

If you are on TDY status Enroute to your PCS - i.e. attending a formal school enroute to your PCS, you are entitled to have movers pack up to 800 pounds of household goods to ship to and from your TDY location. For example, 1LT Smith is PCS from NAS Corpus Christi TX to Pope AFB, NC - but will by TDY to Little Rock AFB enroute to the PCS. LT Smith is entitled to having up to 800 pounds of household goods shipped to his TDY location at Little Rock, and at the termination of the school, have 800 pounds also shipped FROM his TDY location to his final PCS destination of Pope AFB. Make sure you arrange for this when coordinating your PCS paperwork. Weigh your vehicle and do a Partial DITTY move. For each PCS, you should weigh your family's vehicles and fill out the paperwork for a Partial DITTY move. This means that you will get paid for all the weight that you carry in your vehicles while driving to your PCS. Even if you select movers to move your household goods, undoubtedly, you will be carrying some items in your vehicles - if you weigh your vehicles, you will get compensated for it.

PCS TRAVEL

Passengers Rate Per Mile

1 $0.15

2 $0.17

3 $0.19

4 + $0.20

Travel Days

The single biggest factor is the distance and number of travel days between your new and old duty stations. Your PCS orders will usually have the number of travel days printed on the top right hand corner. You are authorized one travel day for every 350 miles (of any remaining miles, 51 miles or more is an additional travel day). Beware, this number isn’t always accurate, double check with Finance when you out-process. Three hundred and fifty miles is a lot of driving; assuming you drive 75 mph the entire way, that’s roughly six hours on the road once you figure in gas and meal stops. (Note: “Spouse” refers to a civilian spouse. Military spouses get their own entitlements).

Per diem

Per Diem for a PCS is computed completely different than a TDY. It’s a fixed-rate entitlement for meals and lodging, meaning you get the same amount of per diem if you stay at the Hilton, Motel 6, or the side of the road at mile marker 127 on I-40. You are authorized per diem for your actual travel days, not to exceed the number of days on your orders. Here’s how it breaks down:

Members -- $99 per day

Spouses -- $74.25 per day (exception: if your spouse doesn’t travel on the same day, it’s $99 per day)

Dependents 12 and older -- $74.25 per day

Dependents under 12 -- $49.50 per day

Since your per diem is a flat rate, you essentially get to keep what’s left over after you buy meals and pay the hotel bill for the night.

Here are some tips to save you some considerable pocket change:

1. Plan ahead and see if you will be driving past a military installation (Air Force, Army, Navy; it doesn’t matter) on your way. You can stay for a night at a Temporary Lodging Facility (TLF) for under $40 at most military bases. You can make reservations ahead of time since you are on orders.

2. Does your family like to camp or own a camping trailer? As long as the weather is good, why not stay at a campground or a state or national park for a night or two? A PCS is the perfect time to throw a vacation into the mix.

3. Try staying at hotels that offer continental breakfasts, or if staying on a military installation, chow halls are very cheap and serve decent food.

4. Pack sack lunches. Stock up at the commissary before you leave.

5. When making reservations, don’t ask for the government rate up front. Ask for the best rate and then ask what the government rate is. Sometimes the government rate is higher and is tied to the TDY rates. Sometimes you can get tax free if you show the hotel your ID and orders. It doesn’t hurt to ask.

6. Stay with friends or family. Most would be more than happy to let you crash for the night for free.

Mileage

You are authorized two vehicles if you have dependents; one vehicle if you have no dependents. Mileage is paid at $0.15 per mile for each driver and $0.02 per mile for each dependent, not to exceed $0.20 per vehicle. You’re paid on the official mileage from your old base to your new base. That mileage is calculated using a table, not your odometer. The best thing you can do to is to make sure that your car is tuned up and the tires are properly inflated before you leave to try and save gas mileage. Use your cruise control. My car tells me my gas mileage and I’ve noticed that I get much better mileage (5 to 10 mpg) when the cruise is on. Cut down on wind resistance and try not to attach anything to the roof if you don’t have to. If you can, make the trip without the A/C.

Basic Allowance for Housing

While BAH isn’t necessarily a travel entitlement, it’s important to remember that you get BAH at your last base’s rate until you get to your new base. So if you’re coming from a high-cost of living base it might be advantageous to burn a couple days of leave and rack up some BAH in the process.

Temporary Lodging Expense

You can be reimbursed up to 10 days of lodging at either your old or new base (split it up how you like). You have to stay in billeting unless you have a non-availability letter.

Partial DITY

Swing by TMO and ask about Partial DITY moves. You can get reimbursed for the weight of the household goods you bring along with you in your POV. Maintain your gas receipts for the trip and submit them with your DITY paperwork to reduce your taxes on your DITY move."

Info from chairforce.com

[ 05. April 2006, 02:03: Message edited by: C-21 Pilot ]

[Guest C-21 Pilot]

As I was thinking, I came up with more stuff that is compensated during your travel. These are completely unofficial, but, when we go TDY, these are simple things we get reimbursed for:

ATM Fees: Keep track of what you take out and any fees associated with.

Official Telephone calls

Conference Fee (official computer usage): I generally print maps, weather, etc at the business center of the hotel.

Tolls

Taxi

Parking Fee's

Also, when you go to weigh your vehicle, the "smart" thing to do is to weigh the UHAUL with and without gas...generally, this adds about another 150 lbs to your equation, or about another $50 to boot.

Any other tips out there....

[brabus]

Thanks for the info C21...good stuff. Here's a predicament (hopefully not, but probably)...I have to be at ASBC 7 Jun and then after that I'm going to Vance for casual/UPT. My wife wants to go down to Vance probably around 12 Jun or so to get housing, job set up, etc. Last night I just thought about if the AF will not give us housing at Vance until I actually report to Vance (so like 30 Jun or somewhere around there), or will they still give us housing in Jun because my wife will be down there and obviously need a house? I just have this feeling they won't give us housing because I haven't actually reported to my permanent duty station yet and am TDY at Maxwell. If this is the case, will the AF at least give me BAH for Enid so she can get an apartment or something?

[Baseops.Net]

Incidently - C-21's post looked real familiar - like a page I authored on the internet!

Check it out here:

Military PCS Advice

[ellsworb]

so if you are TDY Enroute, are you paid the TDY mileage rate to your TDY location AND the PCS mileage between your outprocessing and inprocessing stations? This will be a major factor in my trip from Vance to McCHord with Combast Survival being "TDY enroute".

[Guest phil413]

Originally posted by schokie:

You will get reimbursed if you own the trailer. You'll get to standard rate for it's weight as if it was cargo in your car. You don't get reimbursed if you rent a trailer. (edit - You won't get reimbursed for the rental cost)

Thanks for the input. I'm still confused as to whether or not I can include the weight of my utility trailer for reimbursement. Several have told me I can, and the AF Portal said:

"A member who uses a personally owned utility trailer for an authorized personally procured move may include the weight of the utility trailer in the total weight. The utility trailer weight applies one time only if the trailer is used as the means of conveyance."

However, my TMO office said I can't include the trailer weight for reimbursement if it's just hauling household goods. Here's what they sent me (I don't understand why there are restrictions on the type of trailer!):

"A member can claim the weight of a personal utility trailer, one time, if it fits the following criteria:

The trailer must be used to transport motorcycle, jet-ski, boat, or snowmobile

Can not be longer than 12 feet from hitch to rear

Can not be wider than 8 feet from outside wheel to outside wheel

Side rails can not be taller than 28 inches

Drop down tail gate (if attached) can not be taller than 4 feet

This utility trailer must have a single axle

This utility trailer can not be enclosed

You must provide a stand alone weight ticket of the utility trailer

You must provide utility trailer registration for proof of ownership.

No exceptions."

Any input? Thanks.

[Guest nolanrthompson]

Thanks for the input. I'm still confused as to whether or not I can include the weight of my utility trailer for reimbursement. Several have told me I can, and the AF Portal said:

"A member who uses a personally owned utility trailer for an authorized personally procured move may include the weight of the utility trailer in the total weight. The utility trailer weight applies one time only if the trailer is used as the means of conveyance."

However, my TMO office said I can't include the trailer weight for reimbursement if it's just hauling household goods. Here's what they sent me (I don't understand why there are restrictions on the type of trailer!):

"A member can claim the weight of a personal utility trailer, one time, if it fits the following criteria:

The trailer must be used to transport motorcycle, jet-ski, boat, or snowmobile

Can not be longer than 12 feet from hitch to rear

Can not be wider than 8 feet from outside wheel to outside wheel

Side rails can not be taller than 28 inches

Drop down tail gate (if attached) can not be taller than 4 feet

This utility trailer must have a single axle

This utility trailer can not be enclosed

You must provide a stand alone weight ticket of the utility trailer

You must provide utility trailer registration for proof of ownership.

No exceptions."

Any input? Thanks.

I've never seen these requirements before...do they enforce them? So if I buy a tandem axle 7x14, they won't pay for my weight or what?

Nubby :confused: