Domestic Car Shipment for Military Families

1. Travel Allowances
2. Driving Vacation
3. Ship your Vehicle

No matter if you are in the Army, Air Force, Navy, Marines, or Coast Guard, when you are in the military, there is always the chance that you will receive permanent change of station (PCS) orders. When that does happen, you and your family need to plan for getting your privately owned vehicle (POV) to your new station.

If you are currently stationed in the continental U.S. and you are transferred to a base in another part of the continental U.S., the military is going to leave transport of your POV up to you. While overseas shipment of POVs is often covered, with only a few exceptions, Uncle Sam doesn’t pay for the domestic transport of your POV.

This leaves you with a few choices. You can drive your POV to your new home. You can tow your vehicle behind a moving truck. Or, you can enlist the services of a quality military vehicle transportation company.

Travel Allowances

According to Military One Source (www.militaryonesource.mil), a website maintained by the Department of Defense, there are certain travel and relocation allowances to assist with moving. This can include per diem that reimburses you for meals and lodging on the way to your new station. Further, the government will pay for the shipment of household goods to your new home. The amount the government will pay for the relocations of your goods is based on a weight limit calculated based upon rank and family status.

In the article “Will the Military Movers Pack My…?” on the Military.com website the process of moving a military family is explained in clear details. According to author Amy Bushatz, what the movers will and will not pack depends in large part on what company the military hires to move you. The website https://www.move.mil/entitlements provides detailed information on what items can and cannot be shipped via the movers hired by the military. Certain items like food, batteries, and candles are typically excluded for safety and sanitation.

The military also offers the Personally Procured Move Program in which you are reimbursed 95% of the Government Constructive Cost (GCC) if you move your personal property on your own. Some people just prefer the do-it-yourself approach.

Driving Vacation

It is understandable if you do not want to load a moving truck and tow your POV across country. This leaves us with two viable options: driving you POV to your new home or contracting with a quality auto shipper.

Under the right circumstances, driving cross country with your family can be fun. You can turn your long-distance drive into a mini vacation. You can make it educational as well, seeing all the sights along the way. Seeing tourist attractions like the Grand Canyon or Elvis’ Graceland can be a once in a lifetime opportunity.

But sometimes the circumstances aren’t right for a mini vacation. You may be in a rush to get to your new base. It may be the middle of winter and driving conditions aren’t safe. Perhaps you just don’t like being trapped in a car for hours upon hours.

Ship your Vehicle

No matter what your reason is to not want to drive your POV across the country, you can rest easy knowing that you have the option of using a top-quality transportation company like A-1 Auto Transport.

A-1 Auto Transport has been fulfilling vehicle transportation needs for over 30 years. The company has extensive experience moving military POVs and offers discounts to military families and veterans.

In order to ship your vehicle, it needs to fit certain criteria:

• A member of the military or a dependent must own or lease the vehicle.
• If the vehicle is leased, you must have written consent for transport.
• Unless it is a motorcycle, the vehicle must have four wheels or more.
• The vehicle must be legal to operate on public highways.

There are several options for moving your vehicle with A-1 Auto Transport:

• Open Air
• Enclosed Transport
• Terminal to Terminal
• Door to Door
• Luxury, Exotic, and High End
• Electric Vehicle Shipping

Types of Transport

Open air transport is the cheapest way to ship a car. In this option, your car is loaded on an open-air trailer with other vehicles.

Enclosed car transport involves loading your car onto an enclosed rig that offers protection from the elements and road debris.

Terminal to terminal shipping has you dropping off your vehicle at a transportation hub at your starting point, and then picking it up from a terminal at the final destination.

Door to door is the most convenient shipping option. As the name implies, your vehicle will be picked up from your door at the start of the move and delivered to your door at your new home.

Luxury, exotic, and high-end shipping follows many of the same principles as enclosed transportation, with a few added bells and whistles such as air ride suspension to prevent chucking and hydraulic lift gate use for loading and unloading.

When it comes to electric vehicle shipment, the large, rechargeable lithium-ion batteries that power the vehicle often times makes the car heavier than a conventional gas-powered auto. Before transport, the battery must be secured in place to prevent movement or short circuits which could result in an explosion.

Some carriers have elevated shipping prices for electric vehicles compared to gas vehicles, however A-1 Auto Transport is dedicated to offering the best prices for military families no matter what kind of vehicle you are shipping.

Life in the military is a noble pursuit. We know that your service keeps our country safe and strong. So, when you find yourself being transferred to a different part of the country, trust A-1 Auto Transport to get your POV to your new home quickly, safely, and with a military discount.