Know the limits on PPM moves Published May 27, 2008 By Randall Bailey 14th Mission Support Group COLUMBUS AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- Summer PCS season is upon us and the Traffic Management Office wants the BLAZE Team to know there are a many authorized means of having their personal property shipped to their next duty station. Servicemembers can have the Traffic Management Flight make the arrangements or they can procure their own move. Before a member sets out to self-procure they need to look at the amount of money the government will allow them to spend/earn to take on this task. For example, a Master Sergeant with dependents, moving his maximum weight allowance of 13,000 pounds from Vandenberg AFB, Calif., to Luke AFB, Ariz., has a moving budget of $8,682.70. Now for the options - they can do all the work themselves, they can do some of the work themselves, or they can broker a moving company. Most of the 51,000 personally-procured moves accomplished last year were done by the member and family doing the work and driving the truck. Today there are companies that will load the truck after a member packs their goods and they will unload it upon arrival. Portable on Demand Storage can be placed in a driveway and when the member has completed loading, will pick-up and deliver to a new destination. The member can also hire a commercial moving company and working within their budget sit back and let them handle the move. The biggest challenge is to make sure you do your homework, get estimates from at least three service providers, know your expectations and communicate that with the moving company. The allowance of $8682.70 isn't too bad for a 507 mile journey. Being well informed and weighing the options will be the key to determining how much money you keep! See the Traffic Management Office for more information. The figures used in this article are only an example and individual figures will depend on the origin/destination and authorized weight shipped.
