Summer Moving Tips

JOINT BASE CHARLESTON, S.C. –

With the busy summer moving season soon arriving, here are some moving tips for the community.

The Defense Personal Property Program is a DOD program designed to improve quality of life for our service members, civilian employees and their families through improved household goods moves. DPS provides direct and empowered communications between the service member and the Transportation Service Provider and is available 24/7 365 days a year from any location with internet access. If you don’t have Internet access, after you complete your initial move requirements the DPS interactive voice response system will provide you with access to your shipment information as you transition to your new home. You must establish a DPS account to process/manage your shipment, request delivery, file a claim, and complete your Customer Satisfaction Survey. On the http://www.move.mil website DOD Customer tab to create your account. Also contained on this site is valuable move information.

Not all personal property shipments can be moved in this new system. Please review the list of those who cannot self counsel in DPS or contact your local Transportation office to see if you qualify. Members are encouraged to self-counsel. However, contact your local counseling office for availability if you desire a one-on-one counseling appointment.

All personnel moving during the summer should be aware of the high volume of moves during the peak moving months of May, June, July and August. Plan to be flexible when selecting a pickup date. Never schedule a pickup on the closing date of the residence, on the last day of residency in an apartment or the day of termination of a lease, or the day a cleaning crew is to start cleaning the residence/quarters. Scheduling the pickup on these days leaves no room to adjust for unforeseen problems. It’s a good idea to leave the telephone and other utilities connected until all property has been picked up. Limited capability during peak season means that not everyone can move on the last day of the month. The moving industry has suggested that, when possible, schedule a two-day pickup date which provides some flexibility in the event something goes wrong.

The Transportation Service Provider is required to perform a pre-move survey at least seven days prior to the requested pickup date. In most cases, the actual pack, pickup, and delivery dates will be negotiated directly between you and TSP during the Pre-move survey. You should expect one pack day for every 4,000 pounds of estimated weight.

A good move depends largely on how much you get involved and prepared before the movers arrive. Here are some suggestions to assist in the preparation:

Empty, defrost, wash and dry the inside of the refrigerator and/or freezer and leave open for a day or two to thoroughly dry. Disconnect washers and allow time for the tub to dry.
Disconnect and prepare all components such as stereos, compact disc players, computers, printers, televisions and DVDs.
Drain all water from hot tubs and waterbeds and allow enough drying time. TSPs may refuse to take waterbeds that are not dry since they pose a risk to other household goods on board the van for water damage, mold or mildew.
Disconnect all appliances such as dryers, cooking stoves or televisions. TVs mounted on the wall must be removed from the wall. If plumbing, electrical or carpentry work is needed in disconnecting these appliances, the owner must arrange for the work and pay any charges. The TSP is not required to perform these services.
Ensure the residence is clean and organized. All dirty laundry and dishes must be cleaned prior to packing. Ensure your home is free from any insect infestation. TSP's can refuse to pack and pickup items if the household goods and home are not clean and organized. You are ultimately responsible for all costs associated with an attempted pickup.
Dispose of worn out and unneeded items before the move to avoid wasteful packing, moving or storage expenses, and most important, excess weight. Discard all unauthorized items.
Remove personal property from the attic, crawl spaces, or similar storage areas within the residence.
If there are other shipments scheduled for pick up (baggage, non-temporary storage) ensure those items are separated and are not co-mingled within other shipments.
Drain all gasoline, oil, water, and remove the battery from power–driven equipment such as a moped, motorcycle, or lawn mowers. Gas tanks need to be left open for a minimum of 24 hours prior to pick up.

Expensive and valuable items such as artwork, collectibles, and heirlooms should be appraised prior to the move. The government will not pay for the appraisals, but consider this part of the investment in the event of loss or damage.

Use a video recording device or take close-up pictures to record the condition of the furniture and to show what the expensive and valuable items look like. Also, secure, and don’t ship small, extremely valuable items such as stocks, bonds, jewelry, coins, coin collections, passports, birth certificates, airline tickets, medications and items of great sentimental value such as photo albums. Pack those in suitcases and hand carry, as well as purchase receipts, pictures, personal property videotape, and appraisals.

Now the pack day! Ready? The movers are on the way. Let’s begin with some personal responsibilities:

Get up early and be ready for the movers.
Get pets under control before movers arrive; perhaps have a neighbor keep pets until the movers are through.
You or your representative designated in writing must be home, and stay home, when the movers arrive to pack and remove the belongings between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. During peak movement months May-August moves tend to go long therefore, please plan accordingly.
Lastly, while packing of the household goods is in progress, monitor the wrapping and packing. Make sure everything is wrapped individually and adequately.

TSPs and Agents also have certain responsibilities during the move, such as:

During the packing:

Use new, clean packing materials for linen, clothing and bedding.
Pack mirrors, pictures, and glass tabletops in specially designed cartons.
Properly roll and protect rug and rug pads at residence. Only small throw rugs may be folded.
Mark each carton to show general contents.
Pack professional books, papers, and equipment in separate cartons identified as "Professional Books, Papers and Equipment (PBP&E). Each carton must be weighed separately and annotated on the inventory as PBP&E along with the weight of that carton.

During the pick up:

Protect appliances against damage while in transit; this means the TSP will secure moving parts that, if allowed to move in transit, could damage the appliance.
Wrap and protect all finished surfaces from marring or scratching.
All nuts, bolts, screws, small hardware, and other fasteners removed by the TSP will be properly affixed/packaged to allow for reassembly at destination. If packaged separately, items must be properly inventoried and cross-referenced to the associated inventory item in which the hardware belongs, for example, “nuts, bolts, screws for Inventory #55-Baby Crib.
Prepare an accurate and legible inventory.
Finally, all excess packing material must be removed from the residence.

The property owner’s role on the pickup date is to ensure:

Each carton and loose items such as a ladder or rake has an inventory tag and appears on the inventory.
Next, carefully read the inventory prepared by the TSP's personnel before signing. Make sure all boxes and loose items are listed. Make sure descriptions of major items are completed and accurate. Ensure you receive a copy of the inventory, signed by both you and the driver.
Ensure all overseas shipments have seals applied to the container and are recorded on the descriptive inventory prior to removal residence.
Walk through the house, checking each room, closet, basement, etc. to ensure all items were placed on the truck by the TSP prior to departure.

Upon shipment delivery, you and the TSP will record loss/damage on a “Notification of Loss/Damage AT Delivery” form. Loss/Damage discovered after delivery shall be listed on the “Notification of Loss/Damage AFTER Delivery” form or entered into DPS by you. All loss/damage must be declared and filed within 75 days of delivery. (Hardcopy or in DPS) Neither the TSP nor the Government will pay for items not identified on the loss/damage report within 75 days.

To have your claim paid on the basis of Full Replacement Value (FRV), you MUST file directly with the TSP within 9 months of delivery. You can file a claim by logging into DPS and selecting the “CLAIMS” tab. For FRV, the TSP is

REQUIRED to replace any item that is lost or destroyed with a new item, or pay the cost of a new item of the same kind and quality, without deducting for depreciation. The TSP is not required to replace items which can be repaired for less than the FRV of the item. Repair will be to the extent necessary to restore the item to its condition when it was received by the TSP. An item is considered destroyed if it cannot be repaired, or if the cost of repair would exceed the cost of a new item.

Claims Critical Timeline

Within five days after delivery– The TSP may provide a “Quick Claim” settlement if total claim is less than $500
Within 75 days after delivery– You must file your Notice of Loss/Damage form or complete the action in DPS. If you opt for filing with the military claims office, you must file within 70 DAYS AFTER DELIVERY
Within nine months after delivery – File your claim directly with the TSP for FRV protection
No later than two years after delivery (but after nine months) – File your claim with the TSP or your Military Claims Office for other than a FRV settlement

The Customer Satisfaction Survey is the cornerstone of the Defense Personal Property Program. The CSS is a web-based survey that allows you or your spouse to rate the service and performance provided by the TSP. The goal of the survey is to help improve the overall move experience and ensure that only quality moving companies are used to move personal property.

TSPs are selected based on their “Best Value Score”. The CSS accounts for a significant portion of the BVS. Filed rates and claims processing also determine a TSPs BVS. You will receive a reminder e-mail to complete the survey 7 calendar days after final delivery of a shipment. Your evaluation by completing the survey is critical to the program. The survey can be easily completed through DPS by selecting the “Customer Satisfaction Survey” tab. It is extremely important to keep your e-mail address and contact information contained within DPS up to date.

If you have any further questions, call :Joint Base Charleston Traffic Management Office 843-963-2253, or contact JPPSO-NE at 800-235-7776, 781-225-3700 or DSN: 845-3700.