Most service members assume one of two things about PCS car shipping: either the government pays for it, or it doesn’t at all. Neither is quite right. What the military covers depends entirely on whether your move crosses an ocean — and getting that distinction wrong is how people end up either overpaying out of pocket for something the government would have covered, or waiting on a Vehicle Processing Center slot for a move that was never going to qualify. Here’s how the entitlement actually works, and what your options are for the moves it doesn’t cover.
Quick Answer: Does the Military Pay to Ship Your Car?
| Move Type | Does the Government Ship Your POV? | What You’re Responsible For |
|---|---|---|
| OCONUS (to, from, or between overseas locations, including Alaska and Hawaii in most cases) | Yes — one privately owned vehicle (POV) at government expense, arranged through PCSmyPOV | Meeting vehicle requirements (no open recalls, ¼ tank or less of fuel) and any second vehicle |
| CONUS to CONUS (stateside to stateside) | No direct shipment — you’re reimbursed mileage (MALT) if you drive it yourself | The full cost of commercial shipping if you choose not to drive |
That second row is where most PCS orders actually fall, and it’s the one people get wrong most often — assuming a government-funded shipment that was never on the table for a stateside move.
OCONUS Moves: What PCSmyPOV Actually Covers
For a move to, from, or between overseas duty stations, the government will ship one privately owned vehicle at government expense, arranged through PCSmyPOV rather than a commercial broker. A few rules govern this entitlement:
- One vehicle only. If you’re shipping a second car, motorcycle, or your spouse’s vehicle, that one is on you — commercial shipping, not the government’s dime.
- Size limit. The vehicle must be 20 metric tons or less; oversized vehicles need a conversation with your local transportation office first.
- Condition requirements. No unresolved electrical or fire-related recalls, and roughly a quarter tank of fuel or less at turn-in — the same fuel guidance that applies to any commercial shipment.
- It’s a scheduled turn-in, not door-to-door. You’ll drop the vehicle at a Vehicle Processing Center and pick it up at one on the other end, on the government’s timeline — which can run weeks longer than commercial transport during peak PCS season.
CONUS-to-CONUS Moves: Where the Decision Is Actually Yours
For a stateside move, the government’s support is a mileage reimbursement — Monetary Allowance in Lieu of Transportation (MALT) — paid if you drive the vehicle yourself. If you’d rather not put 1,500 miles on a car (or you’re moving with two vehicles and can only drive one), shipping it commercially becomes your own expense, not something the government arranges or reimburses separately.
This is the scenario most PCS orders actually produce, and it’s where a commercial auto transport company earns its keep: no multi-day drive, no extra hotel nights or fuel receipts to track, and — with the right carrier — a faster and more flexible pickup window than a government-arranged shipment offers.
Booking a Commercial Shipment Around Report Dates
PCS orders come with a hard report date, which makes timing tighter than a typical move. Freedom Auto Transport’s military car shipping service doesn’t require a copy of your orders to apply the military discount — contact the team before booking and it’s applied directly. Beyond the discount, two things matter more for PCS timing than for a routine move:
- Book earlier than the standard 1-2 week window. Peak PCS season (late spring through summer) puts pressure on carrier availability along popular routes, so locking in a pickup window as soon as orders are in hand gives more scheduling flexibility than waiting until the week of your move.
- No upfront payment. Nothing is charged until your vehicle is actually assigned to a carrier, which matters when a PCS timeline shifts — a common enough occurrence that it’s worth not having money tied up in a shipment that hasn’t been dispatched yet.
Shipping to Alaska or Hawaii
Alaska and Hawaii moves sit in an odd middle ground — often treated like CONUS moves administratively, but physically requiring an ocean leg like an OCONUS shipment. A vehicle heading to either state travels by cargo ship for part of the route, which typically adds 14-21 days of transit time on top of the usual mainland pickup-to-port window. If a report date is firm, that timeline needs to be built in early rather than discovered a week before you’re due to check in. See the Alaska and Hawaii shipping pages for route-specific pickup areas and current estimates.
Open or Enclosed — Does It Matter for a PCS Move?
For most PCS shipments, open transport is the standard choice — it’s faster to schedule (more carrier availability) and less expensive, and it’s what the vast majority of daily-driver vehicles ship on without issue. Enclosed transport is worth the premium specifically for a classic, exotic, or low-mileage collector vehicle where weather and road debris exposure is a real concern — not something most service members need for a standard sedan or truck making a routine PCS move. If you’re weighing the two, the full open vs. enclosed comparison breaks down the cost difference and when each makes sense.
Whichever option fits, door-to-door pickup and delivery is available on both — useful when a report date doesn’t leave time for a terminal drop-off and pickup on top of everything else a PCS move requires.
What a Commercial PCS Shipment Actually Costs
Cost depends on distance, vehicle type, and time of year the same way it does for any shipment — PCS orders don’t come with a special pricing tier beyond the military discount itself. For a full breakdown of what drives the price up or down on a given route, the car shipping cost guide covers the factors in detail; the military discount applies on top of whatever that quote comes out to.
Documents to Have Ready Before Pickup
Whether your vehicle ships through the government program or a commercial carrier, have these ready before your scheduled pickup:
- PCS orders: required for government-funded shipping and often used to verify a military discount.
- Current vehicle registration for the vehicle being shipped.
- Valid military ID: active-duty CAC, dependent ID, or retired/veteran ID.
- Power of attorney if someone else will hand off or receive the vehicle for you.
- Proof of insurance for the vehicle.
- Two sets of keys: one for the driver, one you keep.
Keep copies of your quote, pickup and delivery dates, and the bill of lading in your PCS file. Your transportation office can tell you what’s reimbursable if you use a commercial carrier.
Related guides: international car shipping, shipping a car to Hawaii, and shipping a car to Alaska.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the military pay to ship your car during a PCS move?
Only for OCONUS moves — to, from, or between overseas duty stations — where the government ships one POV at its own expense through PCSmyPOV. For a CONUS-to-CONUS move, the government reimburses mileage if you drive the vehicle yourself; if you ship it commercially instead, that cost is yours.
What is PCSmyPOV?
It’s the official site service members use to schedule government-funded POV shipment for an OCONUS PCS move — booking a turn-in appointment, finding a Vehicle Processing Center, and checking documentation requirements. It doesn’t apply to CONUS-to-CONUS moves.
Do I need to show my PCS orders to get the military discount?
No. Freedom Auto Transport doesn’t require a copy of your orders to apply the military discount — just mention it when you contact the team to book.
How far in advance should I book auto transport for a PCS move?
Earlier than for a typical move. With a fixed report date and peak PCS season putting pressure on carrier availability, booking as soon as your orders are in hand gives more flexibility than waiting until the week you need to leave.
Can I ship a second vehicle during a PCS move?
Only one POV ships at government expense on an OCONUS move. A second vehicle — or any vehicle on a CONUS-to-CONUS move — ships commercially at your own cost, with the military discount still applying.
Have a question specific to your orders or route? Check the full auto transport FAQ or reach out directly — the team has shipped for service members on PCS orders to all 50 states and overseas.
Ready to Schedule Your PCS Shipment?
Once you know which part of the move is on the government and which part is on you, the only thing left is a real number for your route. Get a free instant estimate and mention your PCS timeline — no payment required until your vehicle is assigned to a carrier.