DITY Moving for Military

The acronym 'DITY' stands for "Do-it-Yourself" but is most commonly used by military personnel in reference to an upcoming self-move. The U.S. Government will provide military personnel with relocation services at no cost to the service member through two service options:

1. Complete a full service move through Schedule 48 which the government coordinates and pays for
2. Allows the service member to complete a DITY move where they are responsible for their own relocation but the cost is still paid for by the government. Because the service member can keep the difference between the amount of the Government Constructed Cost (GCC) and the actual price of the move the DITY move option is extremely popular.

Why Choose A DITY Move?

Although a Personally Procured Move (PPM) requires much more time and coordination on your part, it does offer numerous benefits that may be appealing to you. The most obvious of these benefits is the ability to keep the monetary difference between the actual cost of the move and the GCC. The GCC rate is based on a variety of factors including the duty station, distance between bases, rank and the authorized weight limit.

Another major benefit of DITY moving is control. While it may be easier to simply turn over your household goods and not think twice until you have them delivered, you also lack the oversight and physical possession of the goods. Moving yourself also allows you to know exactly when you are arriving at your new duty station as opposed to dealing with delivery date ranges that may be inconvenient.

A DITY move also allows you to accomplish multiple tasks at once. Since you are already transporting your goods to the new duty station (and being paid to do so), you can make side trips to visit family, friends or explore.

Planning a DITY Move

Similar to our residential moving services, a DITY move requires the coordination of a transportation method and labor. There are three common types of transportation methods for DIY moves: truck rentals, portable storage and freight. Each option has pro's and con's which primarily depend on your unique situation; for a more in depth review of long distance transportation options check out our long distance moving overview.

Once you have determined which transportation method is right for your needs you will need to decide on labor. The cheapest way to load and unload your truck or trailer is to "hire" your friends and family. Assuming you can get them to show up it likely will not cost you more than the typical compensation of pizza and beer. However if you require reliable service and experience to maximize your usable space and reduce the risk of damage you will want to hire moving labor.

Elite Moving Labor provides insured and professional movers that know how to correctly load and unload moving trucks and containers. We also coordinate with you to ensure our movers arrive when you need us, both at your current and new duty station. Not only is our moving labor service affordable it is also available at most U.S. military bases across the country. We also provide military personnel with electronic receipts for easy reimbursement.