If you’re in the military you know that relocating comes with the territory. Most folks make a permanent change of station (PCS) every 2 to 3 years and then there are the temporary duty assignments (TDY) or deployment moves.
Depending on your family and the possessions you’ve accumulated moving can be a very big job. Often, in these cases, the best choice is a complete military move in which all your possessions are packed, loaded, shipped, and unloaded by professional movers. A benefit of service is that this is free of charge. This is a smart choice too if you have little time for your move.
But for many others, especially singles, young couples or families that don’t have a lot of goods, and have the time, a Do It Yourself (DITY) move may be a better option.
If you choose to go this route you must begin with a DITY Move Calculator. Available on base or online a DITY Move Calculator is an easy to use software tool that helps you through the process of estimating what your move will cost. The DITY Move Calculator will input mileage, weight of your goods, current fuel prices, truck rentals, hotels food and other details about the move to arrive a specific cost.
The military has fixed rates it pays the professional movers. If you choose to DITY the a DITY Move Calculator is the only accepted method for calculating your costs. If you DITY you will be reimbursed about 90% of what it would have cost to move you using a pro.
By using a DITY Move Calculator you’ll learn what the reimbursement will be and whether you can actually make the move for less. If you can, and most people do, you can pocket the difference. A nice benefit that might cover your next rainy day. When choosing an on line DITY Move Calculator make certain that it is current and has the latest approved values.