A SERVICE MEMBER’S ULTIMATE GUIDE TO PCSMYPOV

Life in the military is hard. Between figuring out benefits, being expected to sacrifice so much for your country, and constantly moving around the nation (or even the world), getting a grip on this new lifestyle can be challenging. Luckily, there are tons of programs and benefits out there that make adapting to military life more manageable. One of these is PCSmyPOV, which helps service members ship their personal cars between duty stations with no hassle. If you’re a service member about to PCS and have a personal vehicle you need to bring with you, keep reading to explore our ultimate guide to PCSmyPOV and easy military vehicle shipping.

Read next:

Can You Register a Car Without Insurance Post-PCS? In case you're more interested in selling your existing car or about to shop around for a new vehicle at your new duty station, our partners at TrueCar Military have a special deal for you that

you can read about here

.

What Is PCSmyPOV?

PCSmyPOV, also sometimes referred to as My PCS POV, is the go-to spot for service members who are currently moving or need to store their permanently owned vehicle (POV) due to a PCS. Whether you have a CONUS or an OCONUS move coming down the pipeline, if you need solutions for military PCS vehicle shipping (Hawaii, U.K., Japan, or for another base inside or outside the connected states), don’t stop reading! Powered by International Auto Logistics (IAL), PCSmyPOV has a website with clear-cut directions and information that provide you with everything you need to know about shipping or storing your vehicle during a military move. It also allows you to easily track the location and status of your vehicle, make appointments online, and attend virtual meetings to learn more. Below you’ll uncover the full details about what the website offers, their innovative solutions, and the process of shipping or storing your vehicle.

The Military Vehicle Shipping and Storage Process: Dropping Off

1. Make an Appointment

To start the process of shipping or storing your personal military vehicle, you must book an appointment with a Vehicle Processing Center (VPC). You can do this online; however, PCSmyPOV warns that security restrictions on DoD computers and tablets may cause malfunctions in the appointment scheduling process, so they suggest that you use a personal device to schedule your appointment.

2. Gather Necessary Documents

You’ll need to bring the following documents with you to your VPC appointment. If you do not have these documents, you will not be able to initiate the shipping or storage process.

• Pre-Shipping/Storage Instruction Form.
• Shipper Acknowledgement Form or Storage Acknowledgement Form.
• Vehicle Recall Printout Form.
• Proof of Entitlements.
  • For storage, you’ll need a complete set of PCS orders or amendments plus a letter of authorization signed by the TO.
  • For shipping, you’ll need a complete set of PCS orders and amendments.
  • For Marines only, you must bring your Web Orders in addition to your hard orders.
• Proof of Identity (valid government or state-issued ID).
• Proof of Ownership.

Additionally, if you’re looking to make Department of State and Embassy shipments, you’ll need your current vehicle registration, passport, and a copy of the front and back of your vehicle title.

3. Review Vehicle Rules

There are important rules, regulations, and procedures that must be remembered and followed when shipping or storing your vehicle with PCSmyPOV. These rules cover questions as basic as “Does the military ship your vehicle?” in addition to more involved troubleshooting like “What if my vehicle is oversized?” The very first rule you should note is the vehicle allowance. Your vehicle allowance answers the question, “Does the military ship vehicles for free?” And the answer to that is yes – to an extent. A military member’s vehicle allowance is only one POV, meaning that the military only fully pays for one vehicle to be shipped. There are also specific rules for oversized vehicles. If your car weighs more than 20 measurement tons (MT), it’s considered oversized. If this is the case, your branch may assess the vehicle shipping charges and request reimbursement that aligns with regulation JTR 053001,(B),(2),(a). To figure out your vehicle’s MT, here are the steps to take, as outlined by PCSmyPOV:

• “Measure your vehicle’s length, width and height (in inches);
• Multiply length x width x height, then divide that total by 1728. This will give you a value in cubic feet;
• Divide the result from step 2 by 40. The result will be your vehicle’s dimensions in MT.”

4. Prepare Your Vehicle

Your vehicle must be in good condition before you bring it in to be shipped or stored. Here are the factors that your VPC will look at before deciding whether or not it’s in good enough shape to ship:

• Cleanliness

  : Make sure the interior is free of dirt, sand, rocks, food, pet hair, and any other debris. Wipe down all interior surfaces and vacuum between seats, in the console, and the seat rails. More instructions can be found here.

• Fuel

  : Your fuel tank must be at ¼ of a tank or LESS. Failure to follow this rule is the most common reason people are denied shipping or storage privileges.

• Keys

  : You must turn in a full set of keys to your VPC. This includes ignition keys, trunk keys, gas cap key, door keys, and wheel lock.

• Prohibited Items

  : You must not leave any personal items, air fresheners, items hanging from mirrors, or loose equipment, such as navigation, video, or audio equipment, inside your vehicle.

• Roof Racks and Cargo Carriers

  : Any racks or supports not permanently mounted must be removed.

• Operating Condition

  : Your vehicle must be in safe operating condition, meaning that there are no leaks, the brakes and parking brake are fully functioning, and there are no significant cracks in the windshield.

• Electric Vehicles

  : Your car must have as full of a charge as possible. You will be asked to turn in your charging cable and owner’s manual.

  Do not

  check on your EV through remote apps during the shipping process, as this can drain your car’s battery.

5. Turn In Your Vehicle

When it’s turn-in day at your VPC, here’s how it will all go down.

1. Pre-inspection.
2. Sign-in and document verification.
3. Joint inspection.
4. Review departure documentation.
5. Fill out a customer comment card.
6. Sign out.

Watch this video for more information about the drop-off process and things to keep in mind:

The Military Vehicle Shipping and Storage Process: Picking Up

1. Check Your Notifications

You’ll be notified via email when your car is ready for pick-up. Even if you check the tracker and see that your vehicle has arrived at your Destination Vehicle Processing Center (DVPC), you must wait until you receive the notification.

2. Make an Appointment

You must make an appointment to pick up your vehicle. You should make an appointment within 21 days of the date that the vehicle arrived at the DVPC, or they will be required to declare the vehicle abandoned.

3. Bring Required Documentation

Your DVPC will require you to bring the following documentation when you come to pick up your vehicle: Proof of Identity. Proof of Ownership. Vehicle Inspection Form. Power of Attorney or Letter of Authorization (for Designated Agents).

4. Pick Up Your Car

When you’ve presented all the necessary documentation after signing in, you’ll undergo a joint inspection to ensure no damage has occurred to your vehicle, fill out departure documentation, fill out a customer comment card, sign out, and leave with your vehicle. Review the process in video form to make sure you aren’t missing anything:

PCSmyPOV Shipping Times

Depending on transportation availability and where you’re shipping your vehicle, the average military PCS vehicle shipping time is typically between 20 and 30 days. OCONUS (outside continental U.S.) and foreign shipping destinations may take longer than military vehicle shipping CONUS (continental U.S.) times.

Military PCS Vehicle Shipping Locations

PCSmyPOV locations can be found throughout the country and the world. In the continental U.S. alone, you can find 12 VPC spots in the following states, with two of them located in SoCal:

• California
• Colorado
• Florida
• Georgia
• Illinois
• Maryland
• New Jersey
• South Carolina
• Texas
• Virginia
• Washington

For military vehicle PCS shipping OCONUS sites, you can find locations in the following places:

• Alaska
• American Samoa (special remote location)
• Australia (special remote location)
• Bahrain
• Belgium
• Bulgaria (special remote location)
• Canada (special remote location)
• Estonia (special remote location)
• Germany
• Greece (special remote locations)
• Guam
• Hawaii
• Hungary (special remote location)
• Italy
• Japan (special remote locations)
• Latvia (special remote location)
• Netherlands
• Northern Mariana Islands (special remote location)
• Norway (special remote location)
• Poland (special remote location)
• Puerto Rico
• Qatar (special remote location)
• Romania (special remote location)
• South Korea
• Spain
• Turkey
• U.S. Virgin Islands (special remote location)
• United Kingdom

PCSmyPOV App

PCSmyPOV makes things even easier with a mobile app you can download via Google Play (Android) or the App Store (iPhone). With the PCSmyPOV app, you can check the status of your vehicle via ITV, or In-Transit Visibility, so that you stay in the know during the whole process. The app can also house other important information related to your PCS vehicle shipping or storage and notify you when your vehicle is ready for pick-up.

TrueCar Military: A Reliable Option for Selling and Shopping for a Vehicle

If you’ve reached your limit for free military PCS vehicle shipping, you may be looking for another cost-effective solution. TrueCar Military is the best place to go for many of your vehicle-related needs when it’s time for you to PCS. Their myriad programs and offerings take the hassle out of PCSing every time. Looking to buy a new or used vehicle? The TrueCar Military platform allows members of the military community to shop for new and used cars nationwide - all online. See what others paid for the car you want, and get an upfront price offer from a local Certified Dealer before visiting the dealership. Need to trade in or sell your current vehicle? Get a cash offer from a local dealer in minutes by answering a few questions about your car online. Additionally, with TrueCar Military, active-duty military members, Veterans, and their families get access to exclusive military incentives worth up to $2,000 when purchasing their next vehicle from select manufacturers. Get additional bonus cash on select vehicles from Audi, Jeep, Ram, Dodge, Chrysler, BMW, Mini, and Alfa Romeo. Plus, get up to $4,000 of benefits for Repair and Auto Deductible Reimbursement when you report your vehicle purchase. So, instead of worrying about shipping, you may want to consider selling your current vehicle and purchasing a new one at your new duty station with TrueCar Military. See site for details. Finally, home delivery through TrueCar Military might also be of interest during PCS season. TrueCar Military offers the ability to schedule pickup or delivery on select inventory.

PCSmyPOV and TrueCar Military Have Everything Handled

PCSing may get easier for some service members, but there’s no denying that there’s always a degree of hassle involved, and that makes the process mildly irritating at best and super stressful for families at worst. When you utilize military-centric solutions offered by PCSmyPOV and TrueCar Military, your PCS experience gets a lot easier. Or, at the very least, the days of worrying about transportation at your new posting will be a thing of the past.

Read next:

Military Base Access for Civilians & How to Host Guests This article is the result of a paid sponsorship with TrueCar Military.