PCS vehicle transport — entitlements, base coordination, timeline planning, and how military auto shipping works.
Tell us your vehicle details, current duty station, and destination. We send you a price-locked military car shipping quote within an hour — 5% military discount applied automatically.
Once you book, we match your PCS vehicle shipment with a fully insured FMCSA-authorized carrier heading toward your new duty station.
Your carrier arrives at the off-base meeting point. Joint walk-around inspection and Bill of Lading signed documenting your vehicle's condition before loading.
Second inspection at delivery near your new installation. Compare against pickup docs and note any issues on the Bill of Lading before signing.
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Military families ship vehicles more frequently than almost any other group. PCS (Permanent Change of Station) moves happen every 2 to 4 years on average, and most involve transporting at least one vehicle across the country. Military car shipping uses the same auto transport infrastructure as civilian vehicle shipping, but PCS moves come with additional considerations: entitlements, timing coordination with report dates, off-base pickup logistics, and the reality of managing a cross-country car shipment while serving.
At Auto Transport Professionals (FMCSA MC# 1302183), we handle military vehicle transport regularly and offer a 5% military discount on all PCS auto shipping orders. Here's how military auto transport works and what you need to plan for.
The military provides entitlements for vehicle shipping during PCS moves, but the specifics depend on your branch, orders, and move type.
Government-arranged transport. In some PCS scenarios, the military arranges and pays for vehicle transport directly through contracted carriers. Your Transportation Management Office (TMO) or Personal Property Shipping Office (PPSO) coordinates this. You don't choose the carrier — the government contract does.
Personally Procured Move (PPM/DITY). If you're doing a PPM (formerly DITY move), you arrange and pay for car shipping yourself and get reimbursed. This is where working with a commercial auto transport broker like us comes in. You get a vehicle shipping quote, book the transport, pay for it, and submit the receipt for reimbursement up to the government-calculated allowance.
Which approach applies to you depends on your orders, branch policies, and the TMO at your installation. Check with your TMO early — ideally as soon as you receive orders — to understand your military car shipping options and entitlements.
Important: Military vehicle shipping entitlements and reimbursement rates change. We're not your TMO and can't guarantee what the military will reimburse. Confirm your specific PCS auto transport entitlements with your installation's transportation office before booking.
PCS timelines are tight. You have a report date, a household goods pickup window, potentially TLA/TLE periods, and the vehicle shipment all competing for the same weeks.
The practical approach: Ship the vehicle early. Book auto transport 2 to 3 weeks before your household goods pickup date. This gives the car time to be picked up, transit across the country, and arrive at or near your new duty station before you do. You fly to your new location, pick up the car, and have transportation from day one.
Why not drive? For short PCS moves (same state or adjacent states), driving makes sense. For cross-country PCS — Fort Liberty to JBLM, Camp Pendleton to Fort Stewart, Fort Cavazos to Fort Carson — driving consumes 3 to 5 days that most service members can't afford during a PCS window. Military car shipping and flying is faster and often reimbursable.
Coordinate around your household goods move. HHG pickup and vehicle pickup don't need to happen the same day, but they should be planned together. If your HHG ships Monday and the car transport ships Wednesday, you need somewhere to stay (and a way to get around) between those dates. Planning both pickups in the same week minimizes the gap.
Report date buffer. Don't schedule the vehicle to arrive on your report date. Build at least 3 to 5 days of buffer. Auto transport transit estimates are business-day ranges, not guarantees. Weather, carrier scheduling, and the multi-stop nature of vehicle shipping can shift delivery by a day or two. Arriving at your new post with no car and no buffer creates unnecessary stress.
Military installations have access restrictions that affect auto transport logistics. We do not arrange pickup or delivery on base. Carrier trucks cannot access military installations — base security protocols, commercial vehicle restrictions, and access credentialing make on-base auto transport pickup impractical for both carriers and service members.
How it works instead: We coordinate pickup and delivery at an off-base location. Your off-base housing, a parking lot near the gate, a nearby commercial address, or any accessible location outside the installation works. Most military families live off-base or have convenient meeting points near the gate. This is standard practice for military vehicle shipping — it keeps the process simple and avoids the access coordination that would otherwise delay your car shipment.
If you're currently living in on-base housing, the easiest approach is to drive your vehicle to a nearby off-base location for the carrier pickup. Your auto transport coordinator will work with you to identify the most practical meeting point near your installation.
Military car shipping rates are based on the same factors as civilian auto transport — corridor distance, vehicle type, transport method (open or enclosed), and seasonal demand. Auto Transport Professionals offers a 5% military discount on all PCS vehicle shipments, applied to your final car shipping quote.
Typical costs for high-volume PCS corridors (open transport, standard sedan):
~1,300 mi · $950 to $1,350
~2,400 mi · $1,200 to $1,650
~2,800 mi · $1,400 to $1,900
~900 mi · $650 to $950
~650 mi · $550 to $800
~400 mi · $400 to $600
These PCS auto transport corridors see heavy year-round military vehicle shipping volume, particularly during summer PCS season. Fort Liberty, Fort Cavazos, Camp Pendleton, Fort Stewart, and JBLM are among the highest-traffic PCS installations for car shipping, and carrier availability on routes connecting them is consistently strong.
For reimbursement: Get a detailed receipt or invoice that shows the origin, destination, vehicle details, dates, and total cost. Your TMO or finance office needs this documentation to process the PPM reimbursement. A quote and a paid invoice from a licensed FMCSA auto transport broker is standard documentation.
Multiple vehicles: If you're shipping two vehicles during a PCS, ask about multi-vehicle car shipping pricing. Two vehicles on the same route and timeline can often be bundled for a per-unit discount on your military auto transport order. Whether the military reimburses for one or both depends on your entitlements — check with TMO.
Receive orders and check with TMO about vehicle shipping entitlements. Decide: government-arranged or PPM vehicle transport. If PPM: start getting car shipping quotes from licensed FMCSA auto transport brokers.
Book military car shipping (especially for summer PCS season — June and July are peak demand for auto transport). Coordinate vehicle pickup timing with HHG move dates. Identify off-base pickup location near your installation.
Confirm carrier assignment and pickup window with your auto transport coordinator. Prepare the vehicle — wash exterior, remove personal items, take dated photos of all sides and odometer.
Complete Bill of Lading inspection with the carrier driver at your off-base meeting point. Sign paperwork, hand over one key. Confirm destination contact information with the carrier.
Have someone available for delivery and Bill of Lading inspection at the off-base delivery point. Compare vehicle condition against pickup BOL. Document any issues on the delivery BOL before signing — damage during car shipping is extremely rare, but anything noted after signing is nearly impossible to claim.
The Department of Defense concentrates PCS moves in the May through September window, with the heaviest volume in June and July. This is confirmed across all branches — most service members receive summer report dates, and the military designates May 15 through September 30 as peak PCS season. This coincides with the auto transport industry's busiest period overall, which means carrier demand is high and military car shipping rates are elevated.
What this means for military vehicle shipping:
Book early. Three weeks of lead time is the minimum during summer PCS season for auto transport. Four weeks is better. Carriers on PCS-heavy corridors connecting Fort Liberty, Fort Cavazos, JBLM, Camp Pendleton, and Fort Stewart fill quickly during peak military moving season.
Car shipping rates run 10 to 20 percent above off-peak levels during summer. If your orders give you any flexibility on timing — shipping the car in May before the peak or in September after it — that flexibility translates to lower vehicle transport cost and faster carrier scheduling.
Consider open auto transport unless your vehicle genuinely warrants enclosed car shipping. More open carrier positions are available during peak PCS season, which means faster dispatch and more military auto transport options for your vehicle shipment.
The military provides entitlements for vehicle shipping during PCS moves, but the specifics depend on your branch, orders, and move type. Check with your installation's TMO or PPSO for your specific situation. If you're doing a Personally Procured Move (PPM), you arrange and pay for auto transport yourself and submit for reimbursement up to the government-calculated allowance.
We do not arrange pickup or delivery on base. Carrier trucks cannot access military installations due to security protocols and commercial vehicle restrictions. Instead, we coordinate pickup at a convenient off-base location near the gate — your off-base housing, a nearby parking lot, or any accessible address outside the installation. This is standard practice for military vehicle shipping and keeps the car transport process simple.
Three to four weeks minimum during June and July. Summer PCS season (May through September) is the busiest period for auto transport nationwide. Early booking secures better pricing and more carrier options for your military vehicle shipment. Book as soon as you know your PCS dates.
Yes. Many military families have two vehicles. Both can ship on the same corridor, potentially at a per-unit discount when bundled on a single auto transport order. Whether the military reimburses for one or both vehicles depends on your entitlements — check with your TMO.
Yes. Auto Transport Professionals offers a 5% military discount on all PCS vehicle shipping orders. The discount applies to open and enclosed auto transport on any corridor. Request a free military car shipping quote to see your discounted rate.
Contact us immediately. We can adjust the pickup window if the carrier hasn't been assigned yet. If a carrier is already scheduled, we'll work to reschedule or reassign your military auto transport order. PCS orders change — we understand that and accommodate adjustments when possible.
Wash the exterior so scratches and dents are visible during inspection. Remove toll transponders, base parking passes, and loose interior items. Leave roughly a quarter tank of fuel. Disable aftermarket alarms. Take dated photos of all sides, roof, and odometer before the carrier arrives at the off-base pickup point.
Yes. Every carrier in our military auto transport network carries cargo insurance as required by their FMCSA operating authority. Coverage specifics are confirmed before dispatch. At both pickup and delivery, you complete a joint vehicle inspection documented on a Bill of Lading — this protects you if any issue arises during transport.
