Tips to improve summer moving Published June 28, 2012 Submitted by 341st Logistics Readiness Squadron Traffic Management Office MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, Mont. -- The peak summer move season is in full swing. The Department of Defense expects the largest volume of requests for property movement to occur from May 1 to July 31. Much like last season, the entire DoD is competing with the private sector to secure Transportation Service Providers to pack and pick up personal property shipments. Currently, it is under the 21-day rule with some areas under the 30-day rule, which means Airmen should plan to give 21 to 30 days advance notice for a carrier to move their shipment. To offset the impact to families, the Air Force Joint Personal Property Shipping Offices are using all available tools and options to manage shipment volume and move property in accordance with customers' requested pickup dates. To that end, they are working closely with the Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command as well as commercial industries to identify carriers who are available to service shipments. The JPPSOs are also placing some shipments into temporary storage at origin locations. Furthermore, the military services have been working with industries to add flexibility to business rules with a goal of securing maximum carrier capacity. Because there are so many competing pressures for personal property movements this summer, it's important to focus on a few things Airmen can do to offset the impact. First, Airmen should review their moving schedules and work with the assignments team to determine if they can postpone their move by changing the report-no-later-than date until after the summer season when carriers are better able to pack and pick up property. This may be asking a lot, especially for those who absolutely cannot afford to make any adjustments (pending home sales, expiration of lease agreements, mission requirements, etc.); however, flexibility in a departure plan affords the JPPSOs an expanded opportunity to move property. Another very important thing Airmen can do is elect the option to perform a Personally Procured Move - formerly Do It Yourself, or DITY. This option allows Airmen to control move dates and ensures ready access to their property upon arrival at their new location. There are several PPM options including one that reimburses up to what the government would have paid for the move and another where Airmen could receive a financial incentive if their move costs less than 95 percent of the government's constructed cost. Factors such as weight limit, actual weight of property moved, and distance between origin and destination determine the amount of money involved. In addition to the old "rent-a-truck" PPM option, members now have access to new modes within the commercial industry called Portable Moving and Storage Containers. These come in the form of containers dropped at the Airmen's door that they pack and the company picks up, transports, stores and then delivers at their destination. Some companies also offer a menu of associated services including full or partial packing. The Traffic Management Office thanks everyone in advance for their patience and flexibility as they work to move everyone as efficiently as possible. For more information on moving, contact the TMO at 731-6280, 731-6281 or 731-6282, or stop by their office in building 1191, room 18.