How to Organize a DITY Move Step by Step

Table of Contents

• What a DITY Move Actually Requires Before You Commit
  • Eligibility and Your Transportation Office Appointment
• PPM Move Weight Tickets: The Step Most Families Get Wrong
  • Empty Weight, Loaded Weight, and Certified Scales
  • What a Valid Weight Ticket Must Contain
  • Weighing Station Strategy: The Sequence That Saves Claims
  • Common Weight Ticket Errors That Delay Payment
• Packing, Loading, and Vehicle Logistics for Your Move
  • Rental Truck Insurance and Mileage Allowance
• DITY Move Packing Tips That Protect Your Weight Allowance
• Using a Military DITY Move Incentive Calculator Before You Haul
• Partial vs Full PPM Move: Which One Fits Your Orders
• Filing Your Reimbursement Claim and Surviving the Audit
  • Assembling the Claim Package
  • Operating Expenses (OPE): What Counts and What Doesn’t
  • The Tax Piece: Incentive vs. Reimbursement
  • Post-Move Audit Preparation: A Checklist
• Conclusion
• Frequently Asked Questions

Last Updated: October 2, 2026

What a DITY Move Actually Requires Before You Commit

A DITY move, now officially called a Personally Procured Move (PPM), is a relocation where you pack, load, and transport your own household goods instead of using government-contracted carriers, then get reimbursed by the military. You take on the labor and logistics, and in return you can keep the difference between what the government would have paid a carrier and what you actually spend.

Eligibility and Your Transportation Office Appointment

Not every service member qualifies for a PPM, and the rules vary by branch, rank, and type of order. Your first task is a counseling session at your transportation office, where a counselor confirms your eligibility, explains your entitlement, and issues the authorizing paperwork.

Bring your orders, your dependent documentation, and a rough inventory. Ask three questions before you leave the office:

• What is my authorized weight allowance?
• Is this a full PPM or partial PPM?
• What documentation do I need to submit for reimbursement?

PPM Move Weight Tickets: The Step Most Families Get Wrong

Weight tickets are the backbone of your reimbursement, and where most claims fall apart. You need a certified empty weight and a certified loaded weight from a commercial scale; the difference is the weight the government pays you for. No tickets, no payment, and no partial credit for a ticket missing a field.

Empty Weight, Loaded Weight, and Certified Scales

An empty weight ticket records your vehicle or trailer before loading; a loaded weight ticket records the same vehicle after. Both must come from a certified scale and show the same vehicle identification.

Where to find a certified scale:

• Truck stops along interstate corridors (the most common option, and usually open 24 hours).
• Commercial moving companies that operate their own certified scales.
• Landfills and recycling centers that weigh commercial vehicles.
• Grain elevators and feed mills in rural areas.

What a Valid Weight Ticket Must Contain

A ticket that’s missing any of these fields can be rejected:

• The date and time of the weighing.
• The full name and address of the scale operator.
• The scale’s certification or license number.
• Your vehicle’s license plate or VIN.
• The recorded weight, in pounds.
• The signature or stamp of the scale operator.

Weighing Station Strategy: The Sequence That Saves Claims

The order of operations matters:

1. Weigh empty immediately before you load. Not days earlier, not after a partial load, fuel, cargo, and passengers change the number.
2. Keep the vehicle configuration identical between weighings. Same truck, same trailer, same hitch setup, same fuel level. If you add a cargo carrier between weighings, the comparison is invalid.
3. Weigh loaded as close to departure as possible. If you unload anything at a friend’s house en route, that weight shouldn’t be in your claim.
4. If you’re hauling a trailer, weigh the towing vehicle and trailer together both times. Mixing configurations, weighing the truck alone empty and the truck-plus-trailer loaded, invalidates the comparison and can void the claim.

Weighing empty at the origin and loaded on arrival works only if nothing changes in between. If you plan to unpack anything before the loaded weigh-in, do the loaded weigh-in first.

Common Weight Ticket Errors That Delay Payment

• Weighing the empty vehicle with a full tank and the loaded vehicle with a partial tank (or vice versa).
• Using two different scales that aren’t calibrated to the same standard.
• Losing the original ticket and submitting only a photograph.
• Forgetting to weigh a second vehicle if you’re towing with one and hauling overflow in another.
• Submitting tickets where the vehicle identification doesn’t match the vehicle on your authorization.

Catch an error before you file and re-weigh; catch it after and contact your transportation office immediately, a corrected ticket beats a disputed one.

Packing, Loading, and Vehicle Logistics for Your Move

The logistics phase is where a PPM becomes physical work. You’re responsible for packing materials, loading strategy, and the vehicle, and each decision affects your weight allowance and reimbursement.

Rental Truck Insurance and Mileage Allowance

Rental companies sell damage protection at the counter, and your decision matters: personal auto policies often exclude commercial rental trucks, so confirm coverage before you drive off the lot. If you’re using a government travel card, check whether it carries its own coverage.

DITY Move Packing Tips That Protect Your Weight Allowance

Weight efficiency is the whole game in a PPM: every pound you don’t haul is a pound you don’t load, and packing well protects both your belongings and your bottom line.

Start with these habits:

• Use sturdy double-wall boxes for heavy items and keep each box under a manageable weight.
• Pack books and tools in small boxes; distribute weight evenly across the load.
• Disassemble furniture and bag hardware in labeled zip bags taped to the frame.
• Fill empty spaces with soft goods rather than air.
• Label every box by room and contents on two sides.

Using a Military DITY Move Incentive Calculator Before You Haul

A DITY move incentive calculator estimates what the government would have paid a commercial carrier, then shows the portion you can keep, based on your authorized weight, distance, and your transportation office’s current rate structure.

Partial vs Full PPM Move: Which One Fits Your Orders

The choice comes down to how much you’re willing to move yourself. In a full PPM, you handle everything and receive the full incentive. In a partial PPM, the government moves part of your household goods and you move the rest, useful for small shipments or tight timelines.

Move Type	What You Handle	Best For
Full PPM	All packing, loading, transport	Families with time and a full truckload
Partial PPM	Only the items you choose	Small shipments, tight timelines
Government-arranged	Nothing	Families who want zero logistics work

Filing Your Reimbursement Claim and Surviving the Audit

Reimbursement is not automatic, and the audit is where unprepared claims stall. You submit weight tickets, receipts, and a travel voucher through your transportation office, and a reviewer checks each item against your authorization. The families who get paid fastest treat documentation as part of the move itself.

Assembling the Claim Package

Before you file, confirm which forms your branch requires and whether submission is in person, by mail, or online. Most packages include:

• Your orders and any amendments.
• The PPM authorization from your counseling session.
• Original weight tickets (empty and loaded).
• A travel voucher for the mileage portion of the move.
• Receipts for operating expenses.
• Rental agreements and fuel receipts if you rented a truck.

Operating Expenses (OPE): What Counts and What Doesn’t

Operating expenses (OPE) cover costs directly tied to operating your vehicle during the move. Commonly reimbursable categories include:

• Fuel.
• Tolls.
• Rental truck or trailer fees.
• Packing materials (boxes, tape, padding).
• Scale fees for weight tickets.
• Required insurance on a rental truck, when it’s a condition of the rental.

The Tax Piece: Incentive vs. Reimbursement

The tax treatment of a PPM payment catches people off guard. Your incentive payment, the portion you keep above actual costs, can be treated as taxable income, while moving expense reimbursements may be handled differently. Rules depend on your orders, branch, and filing situation, so confirm with a tax professional and set aside a portion of the incentive until you know your liability.

Post-Move Audit Preparation: A Checklist

An audit is routine, not an accusation: reviewers check that claimed weight matches your tickets and expenses fall within authorized categories. Build your file so the answers are obvious:

• Weight tickets: originals in one envelope, in chronological order, with the empty ticket on top.
• Receipts: grouped by OPE category, with a one-page summary sheet listing each expense and its amount.
• Authorization paperwork: the counseling session documents, stapled together.
• Travel voucher: with odometer readings and fuel receipts matched to the mileage claim.
• A cover sheet: your name, rank, branch, order number, and a phone number where you can be reached.

Conclusion

A PPM rewards preparation and punishes improvisation. The families who profit confirm their authorization early, weigh carefully, and keep every receipt. The packing itself is where many moves go sideways, and it’s the one part you can hand off entirely. WePackYou provides insured, white-glove packing with professional-grade materials and custom wooden crating for fragile and oversized items, plus flexible evening and weekend scheduling for families on a PCS timeline.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much money can you make doing a DITY move?

Your payout depends on the difference between what the government would pay a commercial carrier and your actual costs. The incentive payment is based on your authorized weight allowance, the distance moved, and current per-pound rates. After subtracting rental truck fees, fuel, packing supplies, and any labor you hire, many families keep a portion of the difference. Use the official DITY move incentive calculator on the Defense Personal Property System to get a real estimate before you commit. Keep every receipt, because the government travel card and reimbursement claim process will require them.

How do I handle PPM move weight tickets?

You need certified weight tickets from a commercial scale for both your empty weight and your loaded weight. Get the empty weight first, before you load anything, at a certified scale near your origin. After loading, weigh again at a certified scale. Both tickets must show the same vehicle, the date, time, location, and the printed weight. Keep the originals and make digital copies. Your transportation office will reject handwritten or uncertified tickets, and without them your reimbursement claim cannot be processed.

What is the difference between a partial vs full PPM move?

A full PPM move means you handle everything yourself, from packing to driving the rental truck, and you receive the full incentive payment. A partial PPM move lets the government ship part of your household goods while you move the rest, which reduces your payout but also reduces your workload. Partial moves suit families with tight timelines or those who want professionals to handle fragile items. Your transportation office can help you calculate which option nets more after operating expenses.

What should I include on my PPM move checklist?

Start with your orders, transportation office appointment, and weight allowance confirmation. Add rental truck reservation, certified scale locations, packing supplies, and a labeled box inventory. Include receipts for every operating expense, your government travel card if issued, and a folder for certified weight tickets. Before the audit, add a final review of your travel voucher and reimbursement claim. A moving checklist that covers both the physical move and the paperwork prevents the two most common reasons claims get delayed.