What You Need to Know About PCS and POV Shipping

Members of the military can receive their PCS orders at any time and often at short notice. When this happens, it pays to know all there is to know about PCS/POV shipping. Shipping your POV doesn’t have to be stressful. The process is very simple, especially when you’ve got a trustworthy PCS shipping company in your corner.  

What is PCS Shipping?

PCS stands for permanent change of station. This happens when a member of the military is assigned to a new location for at least 20 weeks. The move could be for training or a new job. PCS shipping is the process of moving your car or cars so that you can be mobile in your new station. 

What is POV Shipping?

POV stands for privately owned vehicle. In certain cases, members of the military are allowed to ship one POV for free. In all other cases, and when there are multiple vehicles to ship, the members of the military will have to organize their own military car shipping. 

PCS and POV shipping are just alternative names for one service: military car shipping. This is an auto transport service that’s specifically designed for military personnel, both retired and active. A military car shipping company will do everything it can to provide a smooth experience and make your next PCS move a stress-free one.

Get in touch with us here at SGT Auto Transport and we’ll make all the necessary arrangements. We’ll arrange for a carrier to pick up and deliver your POV as close to your chosen location as possible. 

You’ll be pleased to learn that the Government may cover the cost of one POV when it’s part of a PCS order. There are requirements you have to meet, for example:

• Entitlement is only applicable to HHG (Household Goods) moves.
• Funds are only available if you have two cars. You can only ship one car for free when transferring overseas.
• There must be more than one driver in the family and the drivers have to be married.
• Members of the military family must travel together. For example, everyone travels in the first car and the second car is shipped at the same time.  

However, these are just guidelines and there are always exceptions to the rules. Therefore, it’s best to check with the Department of Defense. 

If you’re not eligible or want to ship more than one car, you’ll have to cover the additional cost yourself.

Active and retired members of the military could be eligible for a military discount. When you get in touch with an auto transport company, ask about this discount and check whether you meet the requirements. It could mean you make some savings on the cost of PCS and POV shipping. 

How much does POV shipping cost?

The cost of shipping your POV depends on a few factors. They include:

• The make and model of the POV you want to ship
• How far the vehicle has to travel
• The delivery time frame (express shipping and guaranteed pick-up costs a little more)
• The type of transport you choose (open vs. enclosed shipping)
• Whether your vehicle is operable
• Seasonal fluctuations
• The location of the pick-up and delivery (remote/rural locations can cost more)
• The cost of fuel

If you want to know how much it will cost to ship your POV, get your instant quote today. 

If you’d rather discuss your POV shipping requirements with one of our shipping advisors, call (864) 546-5038 or use our Live Chat.

FAQs

How long does it take to ship my POV?

The timeframe for shipping a POV varies. Typically, an experienced auto transport company will be able to cover several hundred miles in one day. However, this timeframe can be affected by several different things. 

The most obvious factor is the distance the carrier has to transport your car. For distances of more than 2,000 miles, you can expect it to take between 7 and 9 days. If the location of the pick-up or delivery is remote, rather than near a city, you can expect it to take a little longer. 

Other factors that can affect the time frame include:

• Heavy traffic
• Road construction
• Weather conditions
• Number of stops
• The flow of the traffic
• Detours

As well as the factors above, the driver is also limited as to the number of hours they can stay on the road. The current mandate from the US Department of Transport is 70 hours per week. 

What is considered a PCS move?

A PCS move is a move between one duty station and another. It can also be between your final duty station and home of record at the time of retirement or discharge.

There are three main types of military moves:

• Personally-procured moves (PPM) - you have control over the move process but have to do a lot of the work yourself. 
• Do-it-yourself moves (DITY)
• Partial-PPM or a partial-DITY which is a combination of the two above