Traffic Management Office/Joint Personal Property Shipping Office

To get started with your DITY/Personally Procured Move, you need to visit your local Traffic Management Office (TMO) or Joint Personal Property Shipping Office (JPPSO) or equivalent. On some installations they may still be routinely called the Transportation Office or the Personal Property Office. Regardless of their local name, they are an essential part of any government move. You must visit this office to arrange your move BEFORE departing! You cannot skip this step!

The TMO/JPPSO is responsible for arranging shipment of personal property from one duty station to another. This can take several forms:

• First, a full service moving company can be contracted by the government to move the property (a traditional move).
• Second, the servicemember/employee can arrange to be reimbursed by the government for moving their goods at their own expense (a full DITY).
• Third, a combination of these can be arranged (a partial DITY).

The TMO/JPPSO gets your DITY rolling by ensuring all of the required paperwork is accomplished. In the case of a DITY move, they will provide you with a form that must be submitted at your destination to receive reimbursement from the government. They will also brief you on the other items you must provide the government including weight tickets and receipts for moving expenses.

The TMO/JPSSO knows all the rules. Remember that the government will not pay you to move some of your possessions such as houseplants, pets, and food. The TMO/JPPSO will supply you with these restrictions, and you will typically have to sign a document stating that you understand them.

The TMO/JPPSO can give you a prediction of your reimbursement based on the weight of your goods. It is up to you to provide an accurate weight estimate. Because estimating weight is tricky at best, we recommend asking them for several quotes, both above and below your best estimate of weight.

Once you've visited your TMO/JPPSO and committed to at least a partial DITY, it's time to carefully examine the options available to you.

Helpful Hints:

• The government uses a centralized database to determine how many miles lie between each duty station. This, not the number of miles you actually drive, is used to determine the mileage reimbursement for your PCS (this is separate from your DITY reimbursement). The TMO/JPPSO can tell you how many miles "officially" lie between duty stations.
• The TMO/JPPSO can become very busy, especially during the height of the moving season. Call them to set up an appointment well ahead of your move, preferably by a couple of months.
• Ensure you have a safe place to keep all of the documents you receive from the TMO/JPPSO as you will need them at your destination. A notebook or large envelope should work nicely. Consider also keeping your expense receipts and weight tickets in it as well.