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DityMoversPPM / DITY Move Guide

Your Move Options

Explains the available options for performing a military DITY/Personally Procured Move.

Many PPM/DITY move options exist:

  • Rental Trucks — the option most often associated with DITY moves. You rent a truck, load it, drive it to your new home, and unload it.
  • Rental Trailers — typically suitable for partial PPM moves or smaller amounts of goods.
  • You-Pack/We-Drive — a company drops off a trailer or container, you load it, they do the driving.
  • Full-Service Movers — a crew packs, loads, drives, and unloads for you.
  • À La Carte Movers — pick and choose which parts of the labor you want handled for you.
  • POV — using your own vehicle to move goods, on top of whatever other option you choose for the bulk of your belongings.
  • Small Package Shipping — a narrow option for shipping a handful of boxes via USPS, FedEx, or UPS.

The options above should be carefully examined, and they're not mutually exclusive. For example, you might hire a You-Pack/We-Drive company for the bulk of your goods, but keep your most valuable items with you via the POV option. The right combination usually comes down to personal preference, cost, and destination.

How much space do you actually need?

Whatever option you choose, you'll need a rough size estimate — truck length, number of PODS containers, trailer size. We're not going to guess for you; use one of the free calculators the rental/container companies themselves provide, based on your home size and room count:

These tools are rough estimates, not guarantees — when in doubt, size up. Running out of truck on moving day is a much worse problem than having a little extra room.

Helpful Hints

  • Don't pass up the POV option. Nearly every CONUS move can take advantage of at least a partial PPM using it — it's a simple way to make a little money while easing your move.
  • Consider how long you'll wait for housing at your new duty station. If you'll be in temporary housing for a while, your goods may need to go into storage — meaning you could end up loading and unloading twice. Some You-Pack/We-Drive companies offer built-in storage options that avoid this.
  • Understand exactly how much time you have to return trucks and trailers. Late fees can be expensive and will eat into your profit fast — ask the company exactly what a late day costs before you commit.
  • Check with your insurance company about coverage during your move. This includes coverage for driving a rental truck (your auto policy) and coverage of your goods in transit (typically your renter's or homeowner's policy).

In This Section

  • Rental Trucks

    Explains the Rental Truck option for performing a military DITY/Personally Procured Move.

  • Rental Trailers

    Explains the Rental Trailer option for performing a military DITY/Personally Procured Move.

  • Full Service Movers

    Explains the Full Service option for performing a military DITY/Personally Procured Move.

  • À La Carte Movers

    Explains the À La Carte option for performing a military DITY/Personally Procured Move.

  • You Pack/We Drive

    Explains the You Pack/We Drive option for performing a military DITY/Personally Procured Move.

  • POV

    Explains the POV (Personally Owned Vehicle) option for performing a military DITY/Personally Procured Move.

  • Small Package Shipping

    Using USPS, FedEx, or UPS to ship a small portion of your belongings as part of a Personally Procured Move.