Time for your next military move or PCS? A military move can be fun and exciting. It's a chance for an adventure in a new town or an opportunity to revisit a familiar place with old friends. Unfortunately, all that excitement can get dampened if a cherished item is lost or damaged during the move.
Learn the steps you can take to avoid the loss of a treasured belonging.
Take inventory.
You can approach a military move in one of three ways: a full military move, a personally procured move or a combination of the two. (To learn more, watch our video, personally procured versus fully military moves.)
- In a full military move, the military's transportation office hires movers to pack and transport all your belongings to your next duty station. Then the movers unpack everything in your new home.
- In a personally procured move, also known as a do-it-yourself move, you're responsible for all the loading, transporting, unloading and unpacking.
- Your third option is a partial personally procured move, which just means that movers move the majority of your items and you move a few things too.
For many people, partial personally procured moves make the most sense. Even if you use movers, there are some personal items you'd probably prefer to transport yourself, like special family heirlooms or one-of-a-kind items. You might want to keep baby books, wedding albums and official documents like medical or vaccination records with you. Plus, having these records on hand can be necessary if you need to register children for school when you arrive at your next duty station.
You may also opt to pack your own cleaning supplies. Not only are they nice to have when you arrive at your new home, some movers won't transport them because they can be flammable.
No matter which moving method you choose, make an itemized list of your personal property.
For valuable items, include the serial number, make, model, and purchase price and date. If you have any receipts, keep them in an envelope with your list. You might need them to help get the full value if you file a claim. You can also photograph or video high-value items to show their value.
Have the appropriate insurance in place.
In full military moves, your belongings are covered through the insurance provided by your movers. Any insurance claims for damaged items go through the military.
In a personally procured move, on the other hand, your belongings may not be covered. You're responsible for the safety of your belongings. Before you move, call your insurance company to make sure your items are covered if they're lost or damaged in transit. If you don't have insurance, consider getting a policy to cover your items. This can save you lots of money in the long run.
Verify the mover's inventory.
While full military moves are less work for you, they still require you to confirm the moving company's inventory list that tracks all your belongings. This is called a manifest. Make sure every item or box that goes into the moving truck is on the list and has a manifest sticker on it. These stickers make sure your items are tracked.
If something gets broken or lost in transit, you'll have a window of time to file a claim and submit evidence of its value. A complete manifest will make it easier to prove that your belongings were lost in transit and file a claim.
On their inventory list, movers will generally account for items with some descriptions — one 37-inch TV, one queen mattress, one cedar chest, etc. Boxes will be labeled like "kitchen supplies" or "office supplies." You'll need to make sure that valuable items are accounted for. A printer, for example, should be on the list with its own manifest sticker. It shouldn't end up in a box labeled “office supplies.”
For more advice from veteran movers, watch our video on 14 PCS tips from veteran military spouses.
Make sure all your items are loaded.
As the movers load each of your boxes on the truck, make sure they're on the manifest and have a manifest sticker. If a box was overlooked during the packing stage, the movers will add it to the bottom of the list and give it a sticker.
After you're confident that all of your belongings are accounted for, both you and the movers will sign the manifest.
Preparing for a PCS can be exciting, but it's also stressful. You have a lot on your mind and a seemingly endless list of tasks for a successful move. Following this PCS moving checklist will help you stay organized and protect your property as you journey to your new home.
Visit USAA's PCS page for resources to support you during your next military move.