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PCS Week

Monday March 18, 2013

What is it?

Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command (SDDC) manages Department of Defense’s Personal Property mission. SDDC designated Mar. 18-22 as “PCS Week” to educate service members, federal employees and their families on how to improve/enhance their permanent change of station (PCS) experience, especially moving household goods during peak moving season which is from May through August each year.

What has the Army done?

Upon receiving orders, scheduling personal property moves can be made with the Transportation Service Provider, or TSP, either through the local transportation office (TO) or Personal Property Shipping Office (PPSO) – or by self counseling using the Move.mil website. SDDC provides the following tips to ensure a smoother move for service members, federal employees and their families, during the peak moving season.

  • *Three key factors ensuring a less stressful move during peak moving season are diligent planning, attention to detail and flexibility

  • *Create a personal move calendar with checklists, phone numbers, dates and important web links

  • *Ask questions early. Your TO/PPSO is your primary point of contact for customer service

  • *Once you get orders, immediately start your moving process for a better chance to lock in your preferred pickup and delivery dates

  • *Move.mil is the portal to the Defense Personal Property System (DPS), placing you in direct contact with your TSP to manage your personal property move. It is extremely important to keep your phone number and e-mail address contact information updated

  • *Requested pickup and delivery dates are not confirmed until coordinated with your TSP

  • *Pack, pickup and delivery dates are normally scheduled on weekdays in which you or your designated representative must be available between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.

  • *Multiple shipments (household goods, baggage, long term storage) should be scheduled on separate days to avoid confusion as different TSPs/local agents may be picking up each shipment

What continued efforts does the Army have planned for the future?

SDDC continues to educate all customers on how to effectively move personal property using the DPS during the peak moving season. Also, SDDC continuously monitors performance of TSPs to ensure a quality program remains in place.

Why is this important to the Army?

The volume of shipments during the peak moving season exceeds the moving industry’s capacity to accommodate some requested move dates. SDDC wants to ensure it provides service members, federal employees and their families, valuable information to shape their expectations for a successful move during an already stressful time.

Resources:

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