PCS - A Moving Game
07 June 2018
Sailors moving this summer should start preparing now, said Naval Supply Systems Command (NAVSUP) Household Goods (HHG) Director John E. Hilaman. "A good move doesn't just happen," he said, "it takes planning." Hilaman recommends Sailors prepare for a smooth move by keeping these 10 tips in mind:
1. START EARLY - HHG peak season runs from the beginning of May through August. Start early by going online at
https://www.navsup.navy.mil/household to review your entitlements and responsibilities. To begin your move process, go to:
www.move.mil.
2. PLAN ALTERNATE MOVE DATES, JUST IN CASE - When scheduling pickup or delivery, select alternate dates in addition to your preferred dates. During busy times, it could be difficult to get the first date you request. By establishing alternate dates that work for you, inconvenient pickups and deliveries can be avoided.
3. TELL UTILITIES, LANDLORDS - Be sure you have a confirmed date for your pack out and pickup before you inform your landlords or turn off your utilities.
4. MINIMIZE CHANGES - After the pickup date has been confirmed, only request changes in an emergency. Date changes can lead to delays, additional cost to the member, or the need to convert the shipment to a Personally Procured Move (PPM).
5. BE REACHABLE - Moves go smoother when you are easy to contact. Provide your personal phone numbers, cell phone numbers and personal e-mail to the personal property offices at origin and destination. Include in-transit contact information, as well.
6. TIME MOVES AHEAD OF VACATE DATE - Do not schedule a pickup for the day you are to close on the sale or purchase of a home or on the day you must vacate a rental. Allow time for unforeseen problems and last-minute changes.
7. SORT - Start sorting through household goods now and set aside items you have decided to put up for sale or donation. Service members must keep all shipments within their weight allowance or pay to ship the excess weight. Authorized weight allowance chart located at:
https://www.navsup.navy.mil/public/navsup/hhg/quick_links/weight_allowance/.
8. GET READY FOR PRE-MOVE SURVEY - Once the service member initiates the move online, the shipment contract has been awarded and the transportation service provider (TSP aka moving company) assigned, the TSP will contact the service member to schedule and perform the pre-move survey. Be aware the TSP will conduct a pre-move survey no later than three business days prior to the first scheduled pack date.
The pre-move survey allows the TSP to establish a more realistic weight estimate, determine how many crew members to assign, determine the number of packing days needed, and determine what packing materials are needed and whether any special equipment is needed.
All dates for packing, pickup and delivery are finalized between the service member and the assigned TSP.
9. KEEP RECORDS - Keep all hard copy and electronic records of your move details. The more information you keep, the better. Consider taking pictures of documents with your phone as a back-up reference. Email yourself reminders and notes regarding specifics to help you remember things down the road.
10. UNDERSTAND - Know that minimum transit times for moves are determined by the Defense Travel Regulation. For example, on domestic shipments moving companies are given a minimum of 14-20 days to drive from the East Coast to the West Coast, depending on the weight of the shipment and the start and end locations. International transit times can be anywhere from 30-90 days, depending on the start and end locations.
Of note, you should schedule separate days for each separate move. If multiple carriers are scheduled for the same day, there can be confusion on what items go with which shipment and you could be charged for an attempted pickup or waiting time as the carrier waits for the previous carrier to depart.
Sailors with questions about household goods transportation and storage entitlements can contact the Navy Household Goods Customer Contact Center at 855-HHG-MOVE (855-444-6683) or send an email to householdgoods@navy.mil. Find household goods move information online at
https://www.navsup.navy.mil/household.
Headquartered in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, and employing a diverse, worldwide workforce of more than 22,500 military and civilian personnel, NAVSUP's mission is to provide supplies, services, and quality-of-life support to the Navy and joint warfighter.
Infographic by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Andrew Skipworth
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