Reimbursement for Shipping Vehicle within the US?

[WillH]

Quick question! Is there any way to get reimbursement for shipping a POV within the US.? I'm currently on OHARP in CA, will be PCSing to Pensacola soon. I just got off the phone with my local transportation office and they seemed to think there is a way to ship a POV within the US and get at least partially reimbursed for it. I haven't been able to get any more info on that. Trying to avoid driving her cross country. Any ideas/experience with this? Thanks!

 

[webmaster]

Generally speaking government reimbursed shipment of POVs in the continental US (CONUS) is not covered except during deployed homeport change, insufficient time, or multiple vehicles with dependents (you and your dependents travel together in one vehicle, gov't ships the other). Below is the excerpt from the Joint Travel Regulations (JTR) that covers this. Use the link to read more indepth , and look at the cost example tables. I have shipped cars cross country and OCONUS at my own expense, and recently shipped a car from the east to west coast for $850.

As for trying to "avoid driving cross country", why? I have taken full advantage of the all expenses paid trip across country I think 6 times in my career. Great opportunity to tour the sites, visit friends, and have the entire trip (hotels, meals, mileage) reimbursed. The required distance each day to travel is quite low, so you have plenty of time to site see. Plus since you are OHARP, I doubt that you have any timing issues on when to report. YMMV.

Good luck in Pcola.

John

5322 GENERAL


A. POV Transported by the Gov’t

1. POV transportation within CONUS may be authorized for member/dependent(s) use when:

*a. A change in a ship’s home port is authorized, or

b. An eligible member ordered on a PCS between CONUS PDSs:

(1) Is physically unable to drive (a dependent’s inability to drive does not satisfy this criteria), or

(2) There is insufficient time (par. 5012) for the member to drive and report to the PDS as ordered.

2. The remaining provisions in this section do not apply to these circumstances.

*3. See Ch 5, Part A6b for allowances for a POV transported by the Gov’t for a home port change and the

member is unable to drive.

B. POV Transported by Member

1. An eligible member with dependents who are also relocating incident to the PCS, ordered on a PCS between

CONUS PDSs, may be authorized transportation for one POV from the old CONUS PDS to the new CONUS

PDS provided that the:

a. Member and/or eligible dependent(s) possess more than one POV to be relocated to the new PDS,

b. Member and dependents then travel at one time in one POC, and

c. Gov’t’s transportation cost for the POV to be shipped does not exceed the remainder of the MALT Plus

for driving two POCs to the new PDS (see example, par. 5328).

2. The member is financially responsible for all excess costs/additional expenses associated with POV

transportation (par. 1015-C2h, 2000-C and 2125). If the POV transportation cost exceeds the reimbursement

limitation the member is financially responsible for the cost difference to transport the POV.

3. MALT and cost reimbursement are separately authorized for driving the second vehicle.

Reference:
Go to Chapter 5 (5322-B)
http://www.defensetravel.dod.mil/Docs/perdiem/JTR.pdf

http://www.defensetravel.dod.mil/site/faqpovconus.cfm

 

[DanMa1156]

? I'm currently on OHARP in CA, will be PCSing to Pensacola soon.

#1. Are you sure you are PCSing? Most people going to Pensacola for API do not get PCS orders.

As for trying to "avoid driving cross country", why? I have taken full advantage of the all expenses paid trip across country I think 6 times in my career. Great opportunity to tour the sites, visit friends, and have the entire trip (hotels, meals, mileage) reimbursed. The required distance each day to travel is quite low, so you have plenty of time to site see.

This. I've had a blast on all my trips and even helped a friend do a PCS from Pensacola to San Diego and did it again myself 2 weeks later with a different route. I wouldn't be afraid of driving XC - it can really be neat. As a result of these moves, I've seen the Clinton and George W. Presidential Libraries, The Arkansas Travelers minor league team, the Kansas City Royals, hiked a 14,000 ft. mountain in Rocky Mountain National Park, spent a few days in Vegas, been to the Aircraft Boneyard at Davis Montham, hiked a bit at Saguaro National Park, been to the Ft. Worth Stockyards and Billy Bob's, had some awesome food all over... I really have enjoyed moving each time.

 

[webmaster]

I would imagine he still has a home of record, commissioning move entitlement to flight school. There are quite a few threads covering that in all the various iterations.

 

[WillH]

Okay, plot twist! As far as driving then, one would be required to drive the most direct/ efficient route possible, right? How does that work? Like if I'm driving past the Grand Canyon one day but it is, say, 50 miles north of the driving route could I take a detour to go?

Also, can you still have the Navy do a household goods shipment to your destination if you are driving your POV? Thank you for the references.

 

[webmaster]

No. You don't have to drive the direct route. It should be 350 miles per day. I didn't look up the exact figure for pcs but found this on the faq:

"The authorized travel days are calculated using 350 miles/day (based on the DTOD distance between the authorized points) for an employee or member. 1 travel day is allowed for each 350 miles of official distance of ordered travel. If the excess distance is 51 or more miles after dividing the total official distance by 350, one additional travel day is allowed."

Yes to the HHG shipment. You need to think of them as separate entities and entitlements. You cane even break your HHG shipment up as long as it doesn't go over your entitled weight limit. Plus in some situations you can utilize non temp storage. Honestly the entitlements are pretty amazing and most of the support personnel are either unaware or poorly versed. So JTR is your friend and is written fairly plainly so you can use that to esure you aren't missing out.