Military Car Shipping During a PCS: Two Systems, One Move

Military car shipping runs on two separate systems, and confusing them is where families lose money. One is the government-arranged shipment of a privately owned vehicle, or POV, coordinated through a military transportation office and processed at a Vehicle Processing Center. The other is a commercial shipment a family books and pays for itself, usually to move a second vehicle or to cover a stateside move that carries no shipping entitlement. The rules, the paperwork, and who to call first differ completely. Knowing which system applies to your orders is the first real planning decision of the move.

When the government pays, and when it does not

Military OneSource states you “may have an entitlement to ship or store one POV at government expense” when you receive PCS orders. The key word is “may.” Eligibility depends on your orders, your destination, and your circumstances, not on military status by itself. For a move within the continental United States (CONUS), Military OneSource says the cost of transporting your POV is “largely your responsibility.” Most CONUS moves involve driving the vehicle, with mileage reimbursed through the Monetary Allowance in Lieu of Transportation (MALT) plus a per diem. The Defense Travel Management Office publishes the MALT rate, which mirrors the IRS optional standard moving rate: for 2026 it began at $0.205 per mile and rose to $0.235 per mile per authorized vehicle for travel on or after July 1, 2026. MALT reimburses driving; it is not a refund of a private auto-transport invoice. Overseas (OCONUS) moves are where a government-funded shipment usually applies, because driving is not an option.

How a government POV shipment actually starts

You do not begin a government shipment by calling a broker. You begin with your installation transportation office or Personal Property Shipping Office, which confirms what your orders authorize, then you use PCSmyPOV to book a Vehicle Processing Center appointment. The government’s contracted network handles the vehicle from there. Your orders must specifically state that POV shipment is authorized. That sequence, transportation office first, is the clearest line between the two systems.

One vehicle, two-car households, and storage

For service members, the standard is one POV shipped at government expense, and Military OneSource notes there “may be exceptions,” so unusual cases belong at the transportation office rather than being assumed. The “two POV” figure that circulates online applies to DoD civilian employees relocating CONUS to CONUS, limited to the number of licensed drivers on the orders and capped at two; it is not a service-member entitlement. A second vehicle is generally the family’s job to drive, sell, ship privately, or store.

Storage is the option most competing content ignores. Under the Defense Transportation Regulation, Part IV, Attachment A-K4, one POV may be placed in storage at government expense, typically when the destination country restricts imports. Two rules matter: the vehicle stays in storage for the tour, and once removed it “cannot be returned to storage at Government expense.” For a household deciding what to do with a second car before an OCONUS tour, storage can be a genuine alternative to shipping it.

Documents: keep the two lists separate

The two systems ask for different paperwork. For a government POV turn-in, PCSmyPOV and the DTR call for a complete set of orders stating POV shipment is authorized, current registration, proof of ownership (a legible copy of the title front and back, or the electronic title), a bill of sale if the vehicle was bought within 90 days, written lienholder or lease-company authorization to export if there is a loan or lease, valid identification, and a notarized power of attorney or letter of authorization if someone other than the member turns the vehicle in. OCONUS shipments add a passport copy, and a spouse turning in a vehicle may need a marriage certificate. The vehicle must have no open recalls, a quarter tank of fuel or less, and no personal items inside. A commercial carrier mainly needs proof of ownership or authorization, valid ID, and a signed Bill of Lading. Do not confuse that commercial Bill of Lading with the military port inspection document, DD Form 788.

Base access and pickup

Installation security rules can affect where a commercial carrier picks up or delivers. Many bases require commercial drivers to be vetted and to hold a visitor or RAPIDGate credential, and a full-size car hauler may not reach base housing or a narrow street. In practice this often means pickup and delivery happen off base, at a wider lot or a nearby meeting point. Rules vary by installation, so confirm your gate’s commercial-vehicle procedure rather than assuming. For example, a broker’s military car shipping page notes that pickup and delivery may need to occur off base because a large truck cannot always reach every address.

What drives commercial price and timing

On the commercial side, price is driven by distance, vehicle size, open versus enclosed, condition, season, and route. Independent 2026 shipment data from RoadRunner puts the nationwide average near $1,215, with open transport (about 93 percent of shipments) averaging $1,205 at a median $1.23 per mile over a median 987 miles, and per-mile rates ranging from $0.33 to $2.00; enclosed transport averaged $1,804, a premium of roughly 50 percent, with FreightWaves Checkpoint citing a 30 to 60 percent range. Timing has three pieces that are easy to conflate: carrier assignment (commonly 1 to 3 business days on busy lanes), the pickup window, and transit (commonly 400 to 500 miles per day under FMCSA hours-of-service limits). A delivery estimate is not a guarantee. “Expedited pickup,” “guaranteed pickup,” and “guaranteed delivery” are three different products, so ask which one you are buying, especially against a fixed report date.

Timing, deployment, and condition

Against a fixed report date, decide whether to ship before or after you travel. Shipping early means arriving without a car and arranging interim transport; shipping as you leave means the vehicle trails you, so build in the pickup window and transit time. If you are deployed or traveling, you can authorize a representative to release or receive the vehicle: the commercial side uses a written authorization, and the government side requires a notarized power of attorney or letter of authorization. Open transport is the common, lower-cost choice; enclosed adds protection and cost for high-value vehicles. Preparation is simple: clean the car, remove toll tags and loose items, record existing damage, and leave a quarter tank of fuel. On insurance, the carrier’s cargo coverage applies to the vehicle, not to personal belongings left inside, and it is often capped, so confirm the limit and check your own policy before handing over the keys.

Broker versus carrier, and marketing versus proof

Many “military car shipping” companies are brokers, not the truck. That matters for a claim: under the Carmack Amendment, cargo liability for damage in transit sits with the motor carrier, not the broker. A broker’s $75,000 bond under 49 CFR 387.307 protects carriers against non-payment; it does not cover your vehicle. Verify any provider by its USDOT and MC numbers on FMCSA’s SAFER system, and confirm the assigned carrier’s cargo insurance. A commercial discount is also not a DoD benefit: Matson, an ocean carrier, publishes a $100 active-duty discount on car shipments between the U.S. mainland (Oakland or Long Beach) and Hawaii (Honolulu, Kahului, Nawiliwili, or Hilo), requiring the service member’s name on the registration or title. Treat any advertised military discount as a private pricing decision with its own terms. Labels like “military-friendly,” “veteran-owned,” or “PCS specialist” establish nothing on their own.