Every year, over 400,000 active duty service members make a PCS move along with their families. After you receive the PCS notification, start planning your move, including the transportation of your POV. Hire military auto transport services to ship your car, as they are convenient, cost-effective, fast, and reliable.
Learn in this guide, how military car shipping services can help simplify your PCS move and why you should go for them.
How does Military Auto Transport Services Simplify Your PCS Move?
Military car shipping services offer convenience, time-saving, special knowledge of the military protocols, documentation handling, full insurance coverage, special military discounts, and much more. Discover the top benefits of military PCS vehicle shipping in the following list.
Convenience and Time-Saving
According to the Air and Space Forces Magazine, 32% of spouses favored leaving the military lifestyle in 2024, mainly due to the convenience factor. And there’s a lot that comes under this convenience factor including having to leave a lot behind while moving.
Overseas military car shipping services make sure you don’t at least have to leave your beloved car behind just because you have a tight deadline. All you need to do is hire one reliable military auto transport service, and they’ll handle the rest of the process.
This is time-saving too, because professional military car shipping services offer priority scheduling to active duty service members, so your car arrives right when you need it. Not just that, military PCS vehicle shipping professionals plan their routes strategically as well, so there are no potential delays due to circumstances like bad weather or road closure.
For instance, when shipping from Hawaii to Louisiana, there are chances of flash floods and heavy rain flooding on coastal roads and inland highways in Louisiana at any time of the year. To deal with this, military car shipping professionals monitor weather forecasts and flood warnings. And if the risk factor is high, they will plan a reroute, detours, or wait for the conditions to improve.
Knowledge of Military PCS Requirements
Besides being registered with the FMCSA and possessing a USDOT number, military PCS vehicle shipping services acquire full knowledge of the military PCS moves and their requirements. These professionals fully understand the military protocols and security issues.
They know what documents are required and which inspection your vehicle must pass through for a smooth PCS transition. Moreover, companies that are dedicated to military PCS moves have years of experience in this service, avoiding the risk of potential delays or disregard for military protocols.
For instance, according to the Joint Travel Regulations (JTR), if the transportation mode used is not authorized or “most advantageous to the government,” the reimbursement price can be limited to the constructive cost of the authorized mode. And then, you will have to pay the difference.
That is why it is best to hire government vehicle transport services that fully understand these entitlement rules and ensure your car is transported through an approved, compliant method.
Want to hire a 3rd party military car shipper that understands the regulations and nuances of PCS POV transports? Easy Auto Ship can help. Call us at (888) 687-3243 to receive a free quote and ship your vehicle today!
Special Military Discounts
According to the National Military Family Association, military families during their moving process have tight budgets. And to cope with that, military auto transport companies offer special military discounts for the verified service members, saving you dollars that you otherwise would have spent on food, lodging, fuel, and potential repairs if you had driven your car to your next destination. It’s a cost-effective solution that simplifies your PCS move to some extent.
For instance, if your vehicle needs to go 2,800 miles from Camp Pendleton (Marine Corps) in California to Fort Hamilton in Brooklyn, New York. If you drive there, you’ll have to pay for gas which if we assume your car achieves 25 MPG, then 2,800 miles would require 112 gallons. Using a weighted average of ~$3.60 (accounting for CA/NV) brings the fuel cost closer to $400-$450. Some other expenses you’ll come across include:
- The Physical Toll: To make this trip in 4 to 5 days, you’ll have to drive for 10+ hours daily and after hotel meals at ($150+), accommodations ($400+), and tolls on Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New Jersey route ($80+), you’ll arrive exhausted. These.
- The Hidden ‘Wear’ on Your Vehicle:The cost of driving in 2024 was $0.82 per mile according to the Bureau of Transportation which includes the insurance, license and registration fees, wear and tear, resulting depreciation, pre-driving checks, fluids/oil top ups, gas cost, and post driving inspection with car wash. Let’s remove the insurance, license and registration fees, and gas cost for 2,800 miles ($0.12 per mile), then the figure would come close to $0.40 driving cost per mile. And for 2,800 miles, you’ll drop roughly $1,120 off your asset in a single week.
Yes, you can get MALT reimbursement, which is $0.21 per mile ($588 for 2,800 miles). Maybe you get reimbursement for lodging meals as well, but you will still lose vehicle value in the long term due to the ‘odometer penalty’ from adding 2,800 miles. And what about the time cost and physical effort. You’ll be tired after driving for 4-5 days straight.
That’s where a car shipping company can help. Your vehicle will be parked on a trailer the whole distance so absolutely no wear and tear, while you fly comfortably to your new post.
The cost of shipping itself could range from $1,400 to $1,800 but that’s pretty much it. And even then, you can get a discount because reputable auto shipping companies offer clear quotes with no hidden fees, and military member discounts. So your costs are not as much as a regular person shipping a vehicle over thousands of miles. Anyone from the following list can obtain these discounts:
- Active duty service members
- Military veterans
- National Guard members
- Reserve members
- Dependents affiliated with the military
However, it is important that you inform your vehicle shipping company beforehand about your military affiliation, so that you can access all the available military discounts earlier.
Fully Insured Peace of Mind
On average, car repair costs after an accident can vary from $150 to $30,000 in the U.S., depending on the extent of damage. However, you can fully protect your car from damage and yourself from the financial strain that comes later, if you choose to ship your car using overseas military car shipping services.
Source: Storm Wise
Car shippers offer cargo coverage on your vehicle and the peace of mind that your car is in safe hands. You can use the real-time tracking systems to track your POV anytime during the shipment, offering a sense of tranquility that a safe shipping process is underway.
Not just that, you get dedicated customer support for active duty service members. So if you’ve got any questions about the process, insurance, or anything, there’s a reliable point of contact, ensuring you have a smooth PCS transition.
Want to hire a 3rd party military car shipper with expert carriers and cargo insurance to protect your vehicle in case of damage? Easy Auto Ship can help. Call us at (888) 687-3243 to receive a free quote and ship your POV today!
Handling Surprise Changes
In PCS moves, last-minute changes are quite common. Just when you think everything is under control and you’re ready to move, orders get changed, timelines are moved, and new duty stations appear with no warning. Also, according to Time, around 40% of the PCS moves happen during summer, and they mostly don’t go as planned, mostly due to the unavailability of contracted packers and shippers.
In such circumstances, military car shipping services offer some ease. Their dedicated professionals are able to handle the sudden changes, and they adjust the pickup and delivery dates as per orders without much hassle.
The key is to inform your military auto transport professionals as soon as possible, and they’ll handle the rest. In fact, if you’ve got orders for the rapid deployment, dedicated military shipping services will offer expedited car shipping for the immediate move.
Capability of Overseas Shipping
Shipping your car overseas is a complex process with a lot of customs paperwork and strict port procedures involved. You may be able to handle it on your own, but during the OCONUS PCS move this can get overwhelming. In such situations, government vehicle transport services like Easy Auto Ship can help you relocate your car with no hitch.
Whether you’re moving your car by road, sea, or air shipment, our military auto shipping services will smoothly handle the overseas car shipping procedures using RoRo. We will pick the vehicle from your home or base, safely move it to the departure port, have it loaded carefully onto the ship, and delivered to the destination port. This ensures your vehicle reaches you in time with no compliance issues.
Easy Auto Ship Simplifies PCS Transitions With Door to Door POV Shipping:
Dedicated military car shipping services like Easy Auto Ship are convenient, cost-effective, and save you a lot of time during your PCS relocations. Our military auto transport professionals smoothly handle the CONUS as well as OCONUS movement of your POV while acquiring full knowledge about the military protocols and paperwork.
The best part? We also offer special military discounts to verified service members, as a token of appreciation for their service. So on top of convenience, you’re saving some bucks too. Call us at (888) 687-3243 to receive a free quote and ship your POV today!
FAQs
How often do you PCS in the Army?
According to the U.S. Department of Defence, military families move every two to three years; sometimes even more. But the frequency of this move depends on their roles, specific assignments, and the need for the service. Also, in certain circumstances, you’re required to move more often. For instance, for overseas tours and professional military education.
What is the PCS season?
In military life, summer is considered the main PCS season. You will see a lot of moving trucks in military communities in the summer, helping military families pack up and move to their next destination. You’ll see this trend from May to August.
How many days do you get for PCS?
As per the Army Recruiting Command, you generally get 1 day of travel time for 51 to 400 miles. This authorized travel time keeps increasing with distance. And you will be reimbursed the amount you spend while you travel for food and accommodation based on the terms and conditions.
Does the military pay for car shipping?
Yes, the military does cover your car shipping costs, particularly in the case of a PCS move. But do keep in mind that it generally covers only one privately-owned vehicle (POV) per move, provided it meets certain weight and size limits.
What are the best military car movers?
The best overseas military car shipping company is the one with a deep understanding of the military protocols and has some practical experience in shipping POVs overseas. They should be able to handle all paperwork and offer you 100% coverage over your car.
Features like GPS tracking, options to choose between different types of technically adapted transport, services, and routes are a must.
