Quick answer: On a PCS move to, from or between duty stations overseas, including Hawaii and Alaska, the military will usually ship one car for you at government expense. On a PCS move between two bases in the lower 48, it usually will not; it pays you a mileage allowance and per diem to drive instead. There are a few exceptions, plus a second-car rule for families. When the government is not shipping your car, ABC Auto Shipping’s military car shipping service can, with 8% off for active-duty and retired service members.
Your orders decide most of this, not your branch. The rules come from the Joint Travel Regulations (JTR), which cover every uniformed service, so the answer to “does the Army pay to ship your car” is the same one a sailor, airman, Marine or Coast Guard member gets. This guide explains what the JTR says, how long shipping takes, how to get a car through a base gate and how to prepare it. Your transportation office has the final word on your own orders, so check with them before you book anything.
Does the Military Pay to Ship Your Car?
| Your PCS move | Does the government ship your car? | What happens instead |
|---|---|---|
| From the lower 48 to an overseas duty station, including Hawaii and Alaska | Yes, one car, if your orders authorize it | You turn the car in at a vehicle processing center (VPC) |
| Between two overseas duty stations | Yes, one car, if authorized | The transportation office arranges the shipment |
| From overseas back to the lower 48 | Yes, one car, if authorized | You collect the car at a VPC |
| Between two bases in the lower 48 | Usually no | You get MALT (a per-mile allowance) plus per diem to drive |
| Lower 48 move where you cannot drive, or cannot drive and still report on time | Possibly, if authorized | Get written approval from your transportation office first |
| Change in your ship’s home port | Possibly, if authorized | Get written approval from your transportation office first |
Overseas moves (OCONUS): one car
Under JTR paragraph 053001, a service member on PCS orders to or from an overseas duty station is authorized to ship one privately owned vehicle (POV), unless the authorizing official or service regulations restrict it. A few details matter:
- It is not guaranteed. Shipment can be suspended or banned for national-interest reasons or because the host country says so. Some overseas posts do not allow POVs at all. In that case, the government may store one car for you instead (JTR 0532).
- There is a size limit of 20 measurement tons. If your vehicle is bigger, you sign an agreement to pay the extra cost.
- Dual-military couples who both have PCS orders can ship two cars, or combine their limits to ship one large vehicle.
- You do not hire the shipper. The transportation office arranges it. You turn the car in at a VPC, where an inspector checks it with you and you both sign a DD Form 788 as your receipt.
- Your trip to the VPC is covered. The JTR pays for travel to drop the car off and pick it up, at the mileage rate if it is a separate trip.
Bring your driver’s license, the title and registration, photo ID and a copy of your orders. If someone else is turning the car in for you, they need a signed letter of authorization or power of attorney. If the car is financed or leased, ask your lender or leasing company early what it needs before the car ships overseas; our guide to shipping a leased car covers the questions to ask.
Moves within the lower 48 (CONUS): usually no
Between two bases in the continental US, the government expects you to drive. You receive MALT plus per diem for the trip, which the JTR calls MALT Plus. Your travel time is set by distance: one day for 400 miles or less, and beyond that one day for every 350 miles, plus another day if 51 or more miles are left over. A 1,500-mile move gets five travel days, and a 2,100-mile move gets six.
The JTR (paragraph 052901) allows a car to be shipped within the lower 48 at government expense, when authorized, only if your orders are for one of these:
- An authorized change in your ship’s home port
- A PCS from a construction site to a newly built ship, when the ship’s first home port is somewhere else
- A PCS between two lower 48 duty stations when you are physically unable to drive, or do not have enough time to drive and still report as ordered. A dependent being unable to drive does not count.
Get the authorization in writing before you book. If none of these applies, shipping a car between two lower 48 bases is at your own cost, apart from the second-car rule below.
Will the Military Ship a Second Car?
Overseas, no. The OCONUS allowance is one car per service member. You can still send a second car at your own cost. For Hawaii, ABC trucks it to a West Coast port and connects you with an ocean carrier for the crossing.
Within the lower 48, not directly, but you may get money toward it. Under JTR Table 5-63, a service member with dependents can be reimbursed for shipping one car when all three of these are true:
- Your dependents are eligible for government-paid travel and are moving with you.
- You or your dependents own more than one car that has to move.
- You and all your dependents travel together, at one time, in one car.
The payment is capped at what the government would have paid for driving the second car, which is the rest of the MALT Plus for two cars. You pay anything above that. Service members with no dependents, or whose dependents are not moving, do not qualify. If you use this rule, you cannot also get government-paid airline tickets, or mileage to drop off or collect the shipped car. Keep your paid invoice and ask your transportation office what it needs for the claim.
This is a summary for general information. The JTR is updated every month, and your orders and transportation office decide what you are entitled to.
How Long Does It Take to Ship a Car During a PCS?
With a private carrier in the lower 48, the total time is the pickup window plus the time on the road.
| Step | Typical time with ABC |
|---|---|
| Book ahead | 7 to 30 days before your first available date |
| Pickup window | 4 to 5 days (minimum 3 to 4), narrowed to 1 to 2 days once a carrier is secured |
| Transit to a neighboring state | 1 to 3 days |
| Transit a few states away | 3 to 5 days |
| Transit coast to coast | 7 to 10 days |
| Expedited pickup | 24 to 72 hours, at a higher price than standard service |
For a coast-to-coast PCS, allow about two weeks from your first available pickup date to delivery. PCS season, May through August, is the busiest time for carriers, so book toward the early end of the 7 to 30 day range if you move in summer. Our car shipping transit time guide has times for more distances.
A government shipment overseas runs on a different clock. The car goes by sea, and timing depends on the route and the sailing schedule, so ask your VPC for the estimate for your destination and plan how you will get around until the car arrives.
Can You Ship Your Car Before Your PCS Date?
With a private carrier, yes. You choose the first available date, and the car can leave before you do, as long as someone can hand it over and someone can receive it. That person must be 18 or older. At ABC, your spouse, a friend or your unit point of contact can do it with photo ID and sign the bill of lading for you, so you do not need to be there.
Shipping early has a trade-off: you need another way to get around in your last days at the old base, and someone has to receive the car at the new one. Give us your report date and we aim to deliver before your in-processing day, not on it.
With a government shipment, you can ship any time your PCS orders are in effect, but before you receive another set of orders (JTR Table 5-65). Shipping before your orders are issued is possible only in narrow cases: your authorizing official must state in writing that the orders are coming soon, and you must agree in writing to repay the full cost if the orders do not come or do not authorize a car.
Drive, Ship or Sell: Which Makes Sense?
- Drive. On a lower 48 PCS, driving is often the cheapest choice for you, because the government pays MALT Plus for the trip. The cost is time and fatigue: a long drive with family against a report date is hard going, and every mile adds wear to the car. See drive or ship: the cheapest way to move a car for the full cost comparison.
- Ship. Shipping costs you money on most lower 48 moves, but it lets you fly, keeps miles off the car and is the only practical way to move a second car when no one is free to drive it.
- Sell and buy again. Selling on a deadline can mean taking less than the car is worth, and buying again means shopping in a place you do not know, often without a car. It can make sense if the car was due for replacement anyway. If your new overseas post does not allow POVs, ask about government storage before you sell.
Typical prices to ship a car on an open carrier, from our car shipping cost guide:
| Distance | Open carrier |
|---|---|
| Under 500 miles | $400 to $700 |
| 500 to 1,000 miles | $550 to $900 |
| 1,000 to 1,500 miles | $700 to $1,100 |
| 1,500 to 2,000 miles | $850 to $1,300 |
| Over 2,000 miles | $1,000 to $1,700 |
These are typical ranges before discounts. Your military discount is applied to your quote before you accept it, and ABC quotes are flat-rate: the quote you accept is the price you pay.
How to Ship Your Car on PCS Orders With a Private Carrier
- Check your entitlement first. Ask your transportation office whether any part of the shipment is covered, under the exceptions or the second-car rule, and what paperwork it needs.
- Get a quote and mention your status. ABC gives 8% off to active-duty and retired service members and 10% to disabled veterans, and your coordinator verifies your status before applying it. Shipping two or more cars together on the same carrier adds a multi-car discount; see our discounts.
- Book 7 to 30 days ahead. There is no deposit. You pay once a carrier is secured, and carrier matching starts the next business day. Because there is no deposit, there is nothing to lose if your move is canceled outright.
- Plan the base pickup. Many carriers can get on base with a gate pass. If your installation requires one, you or your spouse arrange it through your unit or the visitor center, and your coordinator gives you what the gate needs: the driver’s name, truck and trailer plates, MC number and arrival time. For bases that restrict commercial trucks, meet at the gate or an approved spot nearby. Car carriers run 75 to 80 feet long, so pick a place a big truck can stop.
- Prepare the car using the checklist below.
- Hand it over. You or your representative walk around the car with the driver, agree on its condition and sign the bill of lading.
- Check it at delivery. Compare the car with the pickup report and your photos before you sign. Write any new damage on the bill of lading and have the driver acknowledge it, because claims are not honored if damage is not noted at delivery. Our guide to inspecting your car at pickup and delivery walks through it.
How to Prepare Your Car for Shipping
- Wash the car so marks are easy to see, then take dated photos of every side, the roof and the wheels.
- Leave about a quarter tank of fuel.
- Remove valuables. ABC allows up to 100 pounds of personal items as a courtesy, ideally closer to 70, but they are not insured. See what you can pack in your car.
- Take out toll tags and parking passes, and turn off or disconnect any alarm.
- Check tire pressure and the battery, and fix any leaks.
- Keep your registration and insurance documents where you can find them.
Turning the car in at a VPC for a government shipment? Follow the VPC’s own checklist instead. Its rules on fuel, cleaning and what can stay in the car are different from a truck carrier’s.
Shipping a Car to Hawaii or Alaska on PCS Orders
Hawaii and Alaska count as overseas for POV shipping, so a PCS there usually includes one government-shipped car through a VPC. For a second car to Hawaii, ABC trucks it from anywhere in the lower 48 to a West Coast port, such as Long Beach or Oakland, and connects you with an ocean carrier for the crossing to the islands. Allow a few days for the truck, then around one to two weeks for the ocean crossing. See Hawaii car shipping for ports and timing. ABC does not currently offer Alaska transport.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the military pay to ship your car?
For a PCS move to, from or between overseas duty stations, usually yes: the government ships one car when your orders authorize it. For a move between two bases in the lower 48, usually no. You get a mileage allowance and per diem to drive, apart from a few exceptions.
Does the Army pay to ship your car?
The Army follows the same Joint Travel Regulations as the other services. It ships one car on an overseas PCS when your orders authorize it, but on a move between two stateside posts it normally pays you to drive instead. Check your orders and ask your transportation office.
Will the military ship a second car?
Not overseas, where the allowance is one car per service member, though dual-military couples can ship two. Within the lower 48, a service member with dependents may be reimbursed for shipping one car if the family travels together in the other, up to what driving the second car would have paid.
How long does it take to ship a car during a PCS?
With a private carrier in the lower 48, allow a 4 to 5 day pickup window, then 1 to 3 days in transit for nearby states, 3 to 5 days for a few states away and 7 to 10 days coast to coast. Government shipments overseas go by sea and take longer; your VPC gives the estimate.
Can I ship my car before my PCS date?
Yes with a private carrier, as long as an adult can hand it over and receive it. A government shipment can go any time your PCS orders are in effect. Shipping before orders are issued needs a written statement from your authorizing official and your written agreement to repay if the orders do not come.
Is there a military discount on car shipping?
At ABC Auto Shipping, active-duty and retired service members get 8% off and disabled veterans get 10%. Mention your status when you ask for a quote so it is applied before you accept the price.
Can my spouse release the car if I am deployed?
Yes. Your spouse, a friend or your unit point of contact can hand the car over, as long as they are 18 or older and show photo ID to sign the bill of lading.
What if my orders change after I book?
Tell your coordinator as soon as your dates or destination change. ABC can reschedule pickup or reroute the carrier, and because there is no deposit, there is no deposit to lose if the move is canceled.
Get a Military Car Shipping Quote
ABC Auto Shipping is a licensed auto transport broker (USDOT 2340626, MC-797279) with over 20 years of experience and an A+ rating as a BBB Accredited Business. Quotes are flat-rate, there is no deposit, and you pay only once your carrier is secured. Tell us your report date and your status, and get a free quote or call 877-686-5611.
