Contact Your Transportation Office

Who to contact

Get counseling from your local Transportation Office (TO) — also called the TMO, JPPSO, PPSO, or PPO depending on your installation — before you make any PPM/DITY arrangements. Skipping counseling and required documentation can mean a delay, a reduced payment, or no payment on your PPM claim, so don't assume it's optional. Military OneSource states that you must have your official orders and your TO's approval before moving.

Start at Military OneSource's Defense Personal Property System (DPS) page to reach the current official system and find your TO's contact information. You book a PPM in DPS — you create a PPM shipment, upload your orders, and DPS helps calculate your estimated incentive payment. If a link, portal, or process your TO mentions looks unfamiliar, ask them which system applies to you rather than guessing.

What the TO does

The TO arranges shipment of your personal property, which can take a few forms:

• First, a full service moving company can be contracted by the military to move the property (a traditional PCS move).
• Second, you can move your own goods and be paid by the military for doing so (a full PPM/DITY).
• Third, a combination of both (a partial PPM/DITY).

What's not part of your household-goods shipment

Pets and food aren't handled as part of your household-goods weight — but that doesn't mean there's no support for them at all. Pet transport can have its own separate PCS benefits with their own eligibility and paperwork; see Military OneSource's passenger and pet transportation guidance before you assume a pet simply isn't covered. Ask your TO which restricted items apply to your specific shipment before you pack.

Once you've talked to your TO and confirmed at least a partial PPM/DITY, it's time to carefully examine the options available to you.