Military PCS Car Shipping: A No-Stress Guide for Service Members

If you’ve got PCS orders in hand, you already have a hundred things to track. Housing, household goods, the school situation, the dog, your sanity. Figuring out how to get your car to the new duty station shouldn’t be the thing that keeps you up at night. The truth is, shipping a personal vehicle during a PCS is one of the more straightforward parts of the move once you know how it works. Here’s a plain guide for service members and their families, minus the runaround.

First, know the difference between your POV and your car

This trips people up, so let’s clear it early. If you’re moving overseas, the military typically ships one Privately Owned Vehicle (POV) for you through the government’s contracted program. That’s the official channel, and you’ll go through your transportation office for it.

But that program usually covers just one vehicle. If your family has a second car, or you’re doing a stateside (CONUS) move where the military doesn’t ship your car at all, you’re on your own to get it where it needs to go. That’s where civilian auto transport comes in, and that’s what this guide is really about. Driving one car while shipping the other is a common play for families with two vehicles and one cross-country move.

Stateside PCS: shipping the car yourself

A CONUS move from, say, Fort Bragg to Joint Base Lewis-McChord is a long haul, and nobody wants to caravan two cars across the country with kids in the back. Booking commercial auto transport for one or both vehicles is the easy button.

You’ve got two main options:

• Open transport. Your car rides on an open carrier, the kind you see hauling cars down the interstate. It’s the most common and most affordable choice, and it’s perfectly fine for everyday vehicles.
• Enclosed transport. Your car travels in a covered trailer, protected from weather and road debris. It costs more, usually in the range of 30 to 60 percent above open, and it makes sense for a higher-value car or one you’re particular about. We cover the trade-offs in our guide to enclosed vehicle transport.

For most PCS moves, open transport on a fully licensed and insured carrier does the job. You can compare what’s available on our services page.

Timing it around your report date

This is the part worth planning carefully. Auto transport isn’t instant. Once a carrier is assigned, a cross-country trip can take roughly a week to ten days on the road, and that’s after the pickup window. So don’t wait until the week you’re supposed to report.

Work backward from your report-no-later-than date. If you need the car at the new station by a certain day, book early enough that even a few days of slack won’t leave you stranded without wheels. Military moves cluster heavily around the summer PCS season, May through August, when demand spikes and carriers fill up fast. If your move falls in that window, book sooner rather than later. Prices tend to run higher then too, simply because everyone’s moving at once.

What it costs and how to budget

Cost comes down to distance, vehicle size, the route, and the season. A short regional move is cheaper than a coast-to-coast haul, and a big truck costs more than a compact. Summer pricing runs higher than the slower months. As a rough starting point for an operable sedan on open transport:

Distance	Typical transit	Estimated all-in (open)
Short (under 500 mi)	1–3 days	$550 – $800
Medium (500–1,500 mi)	3–5 days	$800 – $1,300
Long (1,500–2,500+ mi)	5–8 days	$1,300 – $1,800

SUVs, trucks, enclosed transport, and peak season run higher. And because you’re moving on orders, say so — we apply a military discount on top of our live carrier-market pricing. Rather than guess off a chart, pull a number built for your actual route and car: you can get an instant quote in a couple of minutes.

One more budgeting note. If you’re shipping a second vehicle that the government won’t cover, keep your receipts and paperwork. Depending on your orders and circumstances, some moving costs may be reimbursable, so check with your transportation office or finance about what applies to your situation. Don’t assume, and don’t throw away documentation.

Shipping overseas, to Hawaii, or Alaska

If your orders take you OCONUS, the government ships your one POV through the official program — but a second vehicle, or any move to Hawaii or Alaska, adds an ocean-freight leg and port coordination. We handle the mainland pickup and the hand-off to port; reach out and we’ll walk you through the timing and what the port needs.

Prep checklist before pickup

Getting the car ready takes maybe twenty minutes and saves you grief later:

• Wash it so any existing chips or scratches show up clearly in your photos.
• Take date-stamped photos of the whole car, inside and out, plus the odometer.
• Leave about a quarter tank of fuel. Enough to load and unload, not a full tank of dead weight.
• Remove personal belongings, your base decal if you want, and the toll transponder. Carrier insurance covers the vehicle, not loose items inside.
• Note any quirks for the driver, like a kill switch or a touchy battery.
• Have a contact who can hand off or receive the car if your own schedule is chaos during the move. A spouse, a buddy, a neighbor.

When the driver arrives, they’ll do a walkaround and fill out a Bill of Lading noting the car’s condition. Go over it together and keep your copy. Do the same at delivery. That document plus your photos is what makes any claim painless if something goes sideways.

Door-to-door versus terminal

Most PCS families want door-to-door, where the carrier picks up and drops off as close to your address as the truck can safely get. On base, a big rig sometimes can’t navigate housing areas or gate access, so the driver may ask to meet at a nearby lot or a wide spot off-post. That’s normal. Coordinate a meeting point ahead of time and it’s a non-issue.

Why work with a broker for a military move

PCS timelines are rigid and your schedule during a move is often a mess. A broker takes the legwork off your plate. Instead of you calling around to find a carrier that runs your route on your timeline, we match you with fully licensed and insured carriers and handle the coordination. If your dates shift, which they always seem to, you’ve got one number to call instead of starting over.

We’ve helped plenty of service members move cars during PCS season, and the routine is well understood on our end even when it’s brand new on yours. If you want to get specific about your route, our car shipping by state page is a good place to start, and our team can take it from there.

Frequently asked questions

Will the military reimburse me for shipping my car?

For overseas (OCONUS) moves, the government ships one POV at its expense through the official program. For stateside (CONUS) moves, you typically receive a driving allowance rather than paid shipping, so commercial transport is usually out of pocket. Confirm your exact entitlement with your transportation office (TMO/PPSO), and keep your paperwork in case any costs are reimbursable.

How far ahead should I book?

Two to three weeks is comfortable, especially during the May–August PCS rush. Shorter notice is often doable too — just request a quote and we’ll tell you the realistic pickup window for your dates.

Can you pick up from or deliver to a base?

We deliver as close to your address or the base area as the carrier can legally and safely reach. Many installations restrict large trucks at the gate, so we’ll arrange a nearby meeting point if needed.

Can I ship a second car or a motorcycle?

Yes. Second vehicles, motorcycles, and inoperable vehicles are all common PCS shipments. Add each one to your quote so we match the right carrier and equipment.

Bottom line

Shipping your car during a PCS isn’t complicated. Decide which vehicle goes by truck, book early enough to beat your report date, prep the car and photograph it, and keep your paperwork straight. Handle those and the car becomes one less thing to stress about during an already hectic move.

Got orders and a car that needs to move? Get an instant quote online, or call us at (713) 766-6633. We’ll help you ship it on time so you can focus on everything else the move throws at you.