Last PCS season, a Marine sat in our Jacksonville office with his orders in one hand and his phone in the other. His wife was on speaker. They’d been going back and forth for three days: let the government handle it, or take the PPM and keep the difference? Neither of them was wrong. They just didn’t have the full picture yet.
That’s what this post is for. I’ll walk you through both options the way I’d explain them across a desk, and tell you where a local moving company does and doesn’t fit in.
What a government move actually looks like
On a government move, the military arranges and pays for everything. A contracted Transportation Service Provider (TSP) sends packers, loads the truck, hauls your household goods, and delivers them. You schedule through your installation’s transportation office, and you set it up in the Defense Personal Property System (DPS). Your cost is zero.
If something breaks or goes missing, you file a claim through DPS. You’re not out of pocket while that plays out, which matters if you’ve got a house full of electronics and a toddler.
The tradeoff is control. Pack dates get assigned. Delivery windows can stretch. And you don’t get to pick the crew, so quality can vary from one TSP to the next.
What a PPM looks like (and why people still say DITY)
PPM stands for Personally Procured Move. The old name, DITY, meant “Do It Yourself,” and plenty of people still use it, so you’ll hear both. The idea is simple. You run the move yourself, and the government pays you an incentive based on what it would have cost them to ship your goods. That number is the Government Constructed Cost, or GCC.
For a member-elected PPM, the payout is 100 percent of the GCC for your authorized weight and distance. If your real costs come in under that figure, you keep what’s left. If they come in over, the difference is yours to cover.
Two details trip people up. Your documented expenses (truck rental, fuel, tolls, packing supplies, certified weigh tickets) are reimbursed tax-free, but leftover profit counts as taxable income. And you need certified weight tickets, one empty and one full, plus every receipt, plus the move set up in DPS before you leave. Miss a ticket and the payout can shrink fast.
Side by side
| Government move | PPM | |
| Who manages it | Contracted TSP | You |
| Upfront cost | None | Yes, then you get reimbursed |
| Money in your pocket | No | Possible, if costs beat the GCC |
| Damage | Claim through DPS | Your risk |
| Schedule | Set by availability | Yours |
The in-between option
A partial PPM splits the job. The government moves the heavy bulk of your household goods, and you haul a smaller load yourself, like a trailer or a packed SUV, for a partial incentive. It’s less sweat than a full PPM and still puts something back in your pocket. Ask your transportation office whether it makes sense for your weight and route.
How I’d think about choosing
Big household, tight timeline, or a lot of fragile things? A government move usually wins. You get professional packers and a formal claims process, and you can spend your energy on everything else a PCS throws at you.
Smaller household, flexible dates, and a few capable friends or hired hands? A PPM can be worth the paperwork. I’ve seen families come out ahead by a real amount because they planned the truck, the labor, and the receipts before day one.
Neither is better across the board. It comes down to your weight, your calendar, and how much risk you’re comfortable carrying.
Where All Ways Moving fits
I want to be straight about this: we’re a local, licensed moving company (NCUC-2623, USDOT 3995684), not the government’s contracted carrier. So here’s what we actually do.
For PPMs, you can hire us for the physical work. That can be full packing, partial packing, or fragile-only packing, plus loading and transport. If you’ve rented your own truck or a container, our labor-only crews can load and unload it. We can give you guidance on how a PPM is typically documented, but your transportation office makes the final call on what’s reimbursable, so confirm that with them before you spend anything.
For government moves, families sometimes bring us in for what the contracted crew doesn’t cover. Short-term storage is the big one. Ours runs from a few days to a couple of months, which covers the gap when your move-out date and your base housing or rental don’t line up. We don’t offer long-term storage.
We also take 5 percent off for active and retired military. We have offices in Jacksonville and Greenville, so whichever side of Eastern North Carolina you’re on, someone’s close by. Our estimates are free, in person or by virtual survey.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a PPM the same thing as a DITY move?
Yes. DITY was the older name, short for “Do It Yourself.” The program is now called a Personally Procured Move, though plenty of people still use both terms.
Can I hire movers and still do a PPM?
Generally, yes. Many service members hire help for packing, loading, or driving. Check with your transportation office on which costs count and what receipts they want before you book anyone.
What are weight tickets, and do I really need them?
They’re certified records of your vehicle’s weight, one empty and one loaded. For a PPM, they’re required, because your payout is built on the documented weight of your goods. No tickets can mean a reduced payout or none.
Who pays if something is damaged?
On a government move, you file a claim through DPS. On a PPM, you carry that risk yourself, so consider what coverage you’d want on a truck full of your own belongings.
What if my new housing isn’t ready when I arrive?
It happens a lot during PCS season. Our short-term storage can hold your goods for a few days up to a couple of months while you sort out lodging or wait on a unit.
Where do I start?
Log in to DPS or visit your installation’s transportation office. At Camp Lejeune, that’s the Distribution Management Office. Starting early matters, because summer slots fill quickly.
Planning a PCS in Eastern North Carolina?
Not sure which route is right for you? Call us at (910) 395-9922 or visit our site for a free estimate. Tell us your weight, your dates, and what you’re leaning toward, and we’ll give you a straight answer on where we can help and where we can’t.
