Will the military ship your car on PCS orders?

The military will not automatically ship your car because you have PCS orders. Military OneSource says a service member moving inside the 48 contiguous states can drive, or can pay to ship one or more privately owned vehicles. The government pays a monetary allowance in lieu of transportation, called MALT, for the drive. This page does not state the MALT rate. Your personnel office does. A government shipment of the car itself, on a typical stateside PCS, is the exception.

If the move is outside the contiguous United States, Military OneSource says the government may pay to ship one POV to the new duty station, or to store one POV during the tour. "May" is the right word. Some locations do not allow a POV in. Your orders and your transportation office decide. RideShipper does not.

RideShipper is a private comparison site. It is not the government's POV contractor, not a vehicle processing center, and not a broker. Companies that receive a quote request may pay RideShipper. See how we make money and why this site is not PCSmyPOV.

What should I read before I pay anyone?#

Read the orders. Then talk to the transportation office. Military OneSource's move guide says an assignment notification is not orders, and that the orders are what determine what you may bring. It also says the Joint Travel Regulations are the authority, and that the transportation office walks through your entitlements in counseling. A blog, a Facebook group, or this page is not a substitute for that counseling.

Military OneSource uses these place names. CONUS means the 48 contiguous states and the District of Columbia. OCONUS means Alaska, Hawaii, and international locations. A PCS, on that page, is an assignment of 20 weeks or more. A shorter temporary duty is a different, smaller shipment of household goods. Do not assume a TDY includes a car.

What does Military OneSource say about a stateside move?#

From the personal-property guide, opened 10 November 2026:

• A service member traveling within the 48 contiguous states can drive, or pay to ship one or more POVs at personal expense.
• The government pays MALT for mileage, fuel, tolls, and certain other expenses of the drive. Save receipts. The rate is not printed here.
• A POV shipment between CONUS duty stations may be allowed if you are physically unable to drive, or you do not have enough time to drive and still report as ordered. That is a case-by-case conversation with the transportation office, not a box you tick on a commercial quote form.
• A civilian employee changing stations within CONUS may be allowed to ship up to two POVs if the new station is more than 600 miles away. Military OneSource says to confirm exceptions with the civilian personnel office or the transportation office. Two cars and 600 miles are that page's words. They are not a promise that your agency has authorized the shipment.

The entitlements page says the same thing in shorter form: for CONUS to CONUS, the cost of transporting your POVs is largely your responsibility, with exceptions. If you do not drive, you pay the shipping. If you cannot drive for medical or personal reasons, or the travel time is past your report date, contact the transportation office.

If the office says the government will not move the car, a private shipment is an ordinary auto-transport job. The range below is a private-market sedan range, not an entitlement.

Use it only for the car you will pay for yourself. Do not describe a government VPC turn-in as a RideShipper quote.

What does a government POV shipment look like when it is authorized?#

Military OneSource says you make an appointment with the global POV contractor, International Auto Logistics, and you take the car to a vehicle processing center. Appointments, locations, and document rules are on PCSmyPOV. Centers are by appointment. Military OneSource's short page on PCSmyPOV says that site is where you look up and track a POV that is shipping or in storage for a PCS.

The entitlements page adds these turn-in points. They are for that program, not for every private carrier:

• No unresolved safety recalls for electrical or fire items, and documented proof of no open recalls at turn-in.
• Clean inside and out, and dry inside. The entitlements page says further cleanliness details are on PCSmyPOV.
• One-quarter tank of fuel or less when you turn the car in for shipping or storage.

The entitlements page also says the government ships one POV of 20 metric tons or less on the OCONUS patterns it describes. If the vehicle is larger, you may have to pay the excess. There are exceptions. Ask the office. We are not converting 20 metric tons into a list of models.

Only one POV owned or leased for personal use is the baseline on that page for OCONUS to CONUS, CONUS to OCONUS, and OCONUS to OCONUS. A second car is covered on a second car on PCS orders. A motorcycle can be a POV to some places, or household goods whose weight counts against your allowance. The entitlements page says to check the country and the transportation office. For a motorcycle shipped as household goods, that page says to drain the gasoline and remove the battery before pickup for storage, and it also says to disconnect the battery and tape the ends. Those steps are not the private-carrier steps unless your carrier copies them. The private list is on how to ship a motorcycle.

If the host country will not accept a POV, Military OneSource says you may store it for the tour, at government or personal expense depending on the authorization. Storage is not the same as shipping it to your family in another state. If you want the car to move privately to a relative, that is a private shipment, and you should confirm it does not conflict with a storage entitlement you already accepted.

What should I ask the transportation office?#

Take the orders. Ask, and write down the answers.

1. Do these orders authorize a government POV shipment or storage?
2. Is the destination one that accepts a POV?
3. Is a second vehicle authorized, or is it entirely personal expense?
4. If I drive, what is the MALT process, and what receipts do you want?
5. If I ship at my own expense, does that affect MALT or a household-goods allowance?
6. For a government shipment, which VPC, and what documents does PCSmyPOV list this month?

The PCS planner is a way to separate "the government moves this one" from "I need a private quote." It is not an approval of your orders.

What if I am paying for a private shipment?#

Then the rest of the process is the same as any other move. Name a person at each end, because you may already be at the new unit when the car is picked up. Read shipping a car when you relocate. Look up the company's MC or USDOT number. FMCSA's auto-transport advisory says interstate brokers and transporters must be registered. Use the company check.

A private contract can limit personal items in the car. The government VPC rule is stricter: the preparation sheet says to remove them. Do not leave household goods in a car you turn in at a VPC. For a private truck, read personal items and the contract.

Registration at the new location may follow different rules for a service member than for a civilian new resident. This page does not state a blanket exemption. The installation legal office or the state motor vehicle agency is the source. A separate guide, registering a car after a PCS, is the place for that question.

Alaska and Hawaii are OCONUS on Military OneSource's definition, and they are also ocean routes if you ship privately. A private quote and a government VPC booking are different doors. Read Alaska or Hawaii only for the private ocean path, after the transportation office says the government is not moving the car.

Bring the orders to counseling, not a screenshot of a rank chart from a forum. Military OneSource says weight allowances change with rank, dependents, and the type of move, and that the Joint Travel Regulations are the authority. That weight figure is about household goods. It is not a dollar amount for the car, and this page will not convert it into one. If the counselor's answer and a website disagree, follow the counselor and the orders. Then, if the car is yours to move, come back and request a private quote with the cities and the dates you were actually given. Do not request it the day you receive an assignment notification. That notification is not orders. Military OneSource says so, and it says not to make permanent decisions until the orders are in hand. A truck deposit is a permanent decision.