It’s military moving (PCS) time – preparation advice for the 2022 peak moving season

SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. (July 18, 2022) – It’s that time of the year again. Moving season is upon us and you have probably noticed your neighborhood streets are lined with large moving vans and trucks with various transportation company logos. Some families are excited, while others are feeling the stress of having their household goods loaded on or off the large vehicles. 

Permanent Change-of-Station (PCS) moves can happen at any time during the year, but the majority of moves take place from mid-May through mid-September. One national moving van line, taking a cue from a national greeting-card firm, even developed a holiday centered around the annual event: they call the start of this season “National Military Moving Month,” observing it in May of each year. 
 
While moving can be hectic, preparation, organization, and coordination are the keys to getting your things packed, shipped, and ready for that next jump for you and your family’s new adventure. It’s even more important this year due to ongoing supply chain demands and labor shortages impacting the moving industry. To assist, U.S. Transportation Command’s (USTRANSCOM’s) Defense Personal Property Management Office (DPMO) is working with the various Department of Defense (DOD) service branches to push out messaging and offer advice for anyone moving in 2022.

As background, the DPMO oversees all moves for the Defense Personal Property Program (DP3). The office is responsible for creating the DOD-wide policies and regulations impacting hundreds of thousands of annual PCS moves. They also develop materials to educate and assist DP3 customers on the process of moving personal property.

One of the main ways the DPMO shares information is via their webpages housed on the Military OneSource website. The “Moving Your Personal Property” page on the website is designed to provide support throughout the moving experience with access to educational materials, customer service contacts, scheduling tools, and more. Besides featuring personal property information, the Military One Source website offers an array of relocation tools from finding housing to getting your family settled into a new community, making it a one-stop shop for all relocation needs. 

In addition to general moving support, the DPMO is placing a large focus this year on sharing information about the impact COVID-19 and other world issues are having on the current moving season. Like many other business sectors throughout the world, moving companies are continuing to experience labor shortages, supply chain congestion, and other business challenges. While DOD cannot control the environment, steps have been taken to mitigate the impact and offer advice to help customers prepare for and manage their moves. For instance, each service branch is trying to limit the number of scheduled moves per week to ensure the DOD does not flood an already strained market. Other mitigation actions include:

o    Increasing transit times to provide a more realistic and accurate delivery date for customers.
o    Requesting moving companies only accept shipments they can handle safely with competent crews.
o    Encouraging moving companies to proactively communicate with customers when things don’t go as planned.

“While we hope our actions will provide some relief, we cannot emphasize enough for service members and their families to plan accordingly, proactively communicate with their moving company and transportation office, and when needed, not be afraid to ask for help, especially from their chain of command,” said Air Force Brig. Gen. Joel Safranek, director of the DPMO.

Some of the ways that you can be proactive and take charge of your move during this unprecedented time include: 

o    Requesting your move through the Defense Personal Property System (DPS) as soon as you receive your orders; this will increase your chances to secure the dates and services you need. Remember to allow flexibility in your schedule, as long as the mover picks up your shipment within the seven-day spread you identified in DPS.
o    Speaking with your chain of command about delayed reporting options and other solutions if you are experiencing scheduling constraints.
o    Staying in close contact with your moving company on your booked dates and requesting the help of your local transportation office if your mover does not meet the agreed-upon dates.
o    Preparing for your move several months out to ensure your home and belongings are clean, organized, and ready to be packed; this will prevent movers from having to reschedule your pack or pickup dates.  
o    Making a plan to take necessary items with you in case your shipment is delayed.
o    Knowing your rights about when and how to file inconvenience claims if your moving company fails to meet shipment dates as promised.

Whether your move goes smoothly or has some hiccups, you are encouraged to share your feedback. The best way to share it is via the Customer Satisfaction Surveys (CSS). The surveys help the DOD know what is working well and hold moving companies accountable by highlighting issues and areas of improvement in order to make the program better for everyone.  

On April 30, 2022, the DPMO deployed a new virtual CSS for household goods shipments. Instead of logging into DPS or calling a phone operator, you will receive an email and text message with an invite to take your survey. Also, instead of receiving one long survey at the very end of the moving process, you will get multiple, short surveys after different stages of your move. 

These short surveys will be sent after:
 
o    Counseling 
o    Pickup 
o    Delivery 
o    Filing of a loss or damage claim (if applicable) 
o    Transfer of a loss or damage claim to the Military Claims Office (if applicable)

You will have 90 days to provide your input and will receive reminder messages to complete the surveys. The surveys feature a rating scale and open-ended comment boxes seeking feedback on your experience with DOD staff, as well as your moving company. You are encouraged to share specific details about your experience in the comment boxes. Staff members across the DOD use the survey info to track trends and evaluate issues.

“Completing your surveys is a great way to express which moving companies are doing a great job, or not meeting expectations,” said Army Col. Marshanna Gipson, deputy director for operations, DPMO. “Your feedback has a direct impact on a moving company’s program score, which determines their future business. Companies with high scores get rewarded with more business, companies with low scores get less business, and the companies with the worst scores face temporary to permanent elimination from our program.”

Overall, if you are moving this year, remember to prepare early, get organized, reach out for assistance when needed, and be sure to share your feedback. More information on the personal property moving process can be found at http://www.militaryonesource.mil/personalproperty. 

                                                                                    -30-