Can the military transport my car to the United States?
Yes, but with limits. On overseas (OCONUS) orders the government generally ships one privately owned vehicle for you. For a stateside (CONUS) move, government shipment of a POV is the exception rather than the rule: it typically requires meeting distance and eligibility conditions, and most service members either drive the car themselves or arrange civilian transport under a Personally Procured Move. Your transportation office confirms exactly what your orders allow. Here is how the two paths work, and how to use a transport company when the government option does not cover your situation.
Common Options for Military Relocation
Whether you are in the Army, Navy, or Air Force, receiving a PCS order means relocating to a new duty station. The government usually provides two options for moving your vehicle:
Personally Procured Move (PPM)
The PPM, also known as a DIYM (do-it-yourself move), is a relocation option whereby the government provides funds and resources and you handle the relocation yourself.
Choosing this method means you handle the details of shipping your POV: scheduling, tracking, and booking with a transport company of your choice. The advantage is control, since you pick the dates, the addresses, and the carrier, and military discounts can stretch the allowance further.
Using a Government Issued Transport Company
In this method, the government handles the moving procedures through its contracted transporter, without you managing the logistics yourself.
To be eligible and qualify for entitlements from the government, you would need to meet certain requirements including but not limited to the following:
- The distance to your new duty station must be 600 miles or more
- Only passenger automobiles, wagons, sedans, light trucks, or other similar vehicles can be shipped
- Only vehicles intended for personal transportation are allowed, (no commercial vehicles).
- For international (OCONUS) shipping, only one vehicle can be transported
- Stateside (CONUS) government shipment of a POV is the exception rather than the rule; it generally requires meeting the distance and eligibility conditions above, and your transportation office confirms what your specific orders allow
Steps to have the Government Ship Your Vehicle Stateside
Receiving a PCS on short notice can be overwhelming, but these steps keep the POV portion of the move on track.
Request Orders from Your Transport Office
After receiving your orders, report to the transportation office. The counselors there explain your entitlements, the deadlines that apply to your specific orders, and the paperwork the vehicle processing center will expect. They know the ins and outs of POV shipping and can save you from expensive mistakes.
Get More Information on Military Shipping
Alongside the official guidance, talk to friends and colleagues who recently completed a PCS with a vehicle. Recent firsthand experience with the same route or processing center catches the practical details that briefings miss.
Use your Entitlements Efficiently
Use every entitlement your orders provide; you have earned them. Anything your entitlements do not cover comes out of your own pocket, so confirm what is covered before booking anything yourself, and keep receipts for whatever reimbursement your orders allow.
Find a Military Car Shipping Company
If you are shipping your vehicle yourself, engage a transport company experienced with military moves. They work to tight report dates, know the base access rules, and take the logistics burden off a schedule that is already full.
Look for verifiable credentials (FMCSA registration you can check; Ship A Car, Inc. is USDOT 2303542, MC 784930), a real military discount, and positive reviews from other service members. A company that ships to and from bases regularly will plan pickup around gate access rather than learning it on your move.
Military Vehicle Shipping Acronyms
Military life is full of acronyms, but you don’t need to memorize them. Here is a list of the acronyms used in this article, and their meanings
- PCS: Permanent Change of Station
- POV: Privately Owned Vehicle
- PPM: Personally Procured Move
- CONUS: Continental United States
- OCONUS: Outside Continental United States
Conclusion
Government shipment, where your orders allow it, costs you the least but comes with rigid dates, locations, and processing queues. If you want flexibility and control over when and where your vehicle moves, the do-it-yourself route with a civilian transporter is usually the better fit, and military discounts narrow the cost difference.
Hiring a shipping company like Ship A Car, Inc. gives you control over the date, location, and method of delivery, with a military discount and one coordinator handling the move to or from any base in the country. Call (866) 821-4555 for a free instant quote for shipping your military POV.
FAQs
What is the best time to ship my vehicle with the military?
Low-demand seasons: winter outside the holidays and the shoulder months generally price best and book easiest. PCS moves cluster in summer, and that surge raises prices and tightens carrier schedules for everyone, so booking as early as your orders allow matters most from May through August.
How much does it cost to ship your military vehicle
If your orders qualify you for government CONUS shipment, your entitlements cover most or all of it. Shipping yourself, a POV move prices like standard auto transport for the route and season, minus a military discount; get a real number for your route from the instant calculator before you decide which path fits your orders.
