JPPSO encourages movers to look at all options

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HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. --  Personnel who are PCSing from within the contiguous United States this summer should be aware the peak summer move season is in full swing and, as a result, the Department of Defense is experiencing difficulty obtaining Transportation Service Providers (TSPs) to pack and pick up personal property shipments.

The DoD attributes this to several factors to include limited carrier capacity, an increase in private sector moves, completion of mandated Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) relocations and the normal large volume of requests for property movement from May 1 to July 31.

To offset the impact to families, the Air Force Joint Personal Property Shipping Offices (JPPSOs) are using all available tools and options to manage shipment volume and move property in accordance with customers' requested pickup dates. To that end, they are working closely with the Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command (SDDC) and commercial industry to identify carriers who are able to service shipments. The JPPSOs are also placing some shipments into temporary storage at origin locations. Furthermore, the Military Services have been working with industry to add flexibility to business rules with a goal of securing maximum carrier capacity.

Because there are many competing pressures for personal property movement this summer, JPPSOs are encouraging movers to focus on some options to offset the impact.

First, review the schedule and work with the assignments team to determine if the move can be postponed or the report-no-later-than-date (RNLTD) can be changed until after the summer season when carriers are better able to pack and pick up property.

Another very important thing movers can do is elect the option to perform a Personally Procured Move (PPM), formerly called DITY. This option allows the customer to control the move dates and ensures they have ready access to the property upon arrival at a new location.

There are several PPM options, including one that reimburses up to what the government would have paid for the move and another in which the mover could receive a financial incentive if the move costs less than 95 percent of the government's constructed cost. Factors, such as weight limit, actual weight of property moved and distance between origin and destination, determine the amount of money involved.

In addition to the "rent a truck" PPM option, customers now have access to new modes within the commercial industry called Portable Moving and Storage Containers (PMSCs). These come in the form of containers dropped at a person's door that can be packed and the company picks up, transports, stores and then delivers the container to the final destination.

Some companies also offer a menu of associated services, including full or partial packing. To discuss the benefits of PPMs, the local Personal Property Processing Office (formerly TMO) can provide an estimate of the cost factors, describe the particulars of the programs and help determine if this option is appropriate.

For further information, contact Hanscom's Personal Property Shipping Office at 781-377-5330 or 781-377-7491.