Ask around a barracks parking lot, and you'll get two confident answers: the military always ships your car, or it never does. Both are wrong. The military pays to ship your car (POV or privately owned vehicle) in specific, narrow circumstances, nearly all of which involve crossing an ocean.

Service member preparing a vehicle for military car shipping

The Main One: OCONUS Orders

The JTR (Joint Travel Regulations) authorize a service member on PCS orders to or from an OCONUS permanent duty station to ship one POV at government expense. That single provision accounts for most situations in which the military pays to ship your car.

Car transport booking may run through specific platforms and drop-off happens at a Vehicle Processing Center where the vehicle:

Goes through a joint inspection documenting pre-existing damage
Must have one quarter-tank fuel maximum
Must be thoroughly cleaned due to customs and agricultural inspection
Has documentation that every open safety recall has been addressed
Have a document stack that includes orders, photo ID, title or registration, lienholder authorization if financed, and a notarized power of attorney if someone else drops it off.

One caveat that can be a surprise is that the destination country's agreement with the United States governs whether restrictions apply based on vehicle age, emissions, or the categories of personnel who can import a vehicle. Confirm your situation with the transportation office, and don't make assumptions.

Also note that a motorcycle registered for road use counts as a POV. You only get one vehicle total, not one of each.

A less widely known situation in which the military ships your car for free is for a service member already stationed overseas gaining approved for a replacement POV shipment when:

The original deteriorates due to severe climatic conditions
Was lost to fire or theft
Wore out through age and normal deterioration during consecutive overseas tours

Approval runs through the Secretarial Process, and the wear-out route is limited to one replacement per four-year period.

The Narrow CONUS Exceptions

Within the continental U.S., there is no shipment entitlement because you are expected to drive your vehicle and collect MALT plus per diem. However, there are several exceptions:

Physically unable to drive. A documented medical condition preventing the member from driving to the new duty station.
Insufficient time. Short-fused orders in which the report date can't be met by driving.
A ship's home port changes. Sailors whose vessel relocates.
Death of the service member. Transportation support for the family's vehicle.

Two key points about the exceptions. First, the orders must include the written authorization for vehicle transportation. A transportation office cannot retroactively fund a shipment you already booked yourself. Second, some installations apply a cost-comparison test, approving shipment when it costs the government less than the alternative. Either way, raise the issue during transportation counseling, not after.

Auto transport carrier shipping vehicles for a military relocation

Free Storage, No Free Shipping

Sometimes the benefit isn't shipment but storage at government expense. That’s another way to benefit from situations where the answer is “no” to does the military ship your car for free. That's authorized when:

A service member is ordered to a location where POV entry isn't permitted under host-country or U.S. law.
The member is sent TDY for more than 30 days in support of a contingency operation.
A unit deploys for 31 or more days en route to a new duty station or when a ship's home port change leaves 31 or more days between departure and arrival.

Storage durations are also defined as up to:

90 days on return from an OCONUS station
180 days on separation
One year on retirement or placement on the Temporary Disability Retired List.

Members shipping overseas generally get roughly 60 days of storage at the destination once the vehicle arrives and notification goes out.

Partial Payment, Not Free

Two-car families moving within the continental U.S. should ask about "drive one, ship one." It's a reimbursement, not free shipping. The payment is capped at the difference between driving two vehicles and driving one. As with everything else, you must be counseled and authorized to drive one, ship one in advance.

Separately, MALT is payable for up to two POVs when you drive both to your new station.

The Takeaway

When moving overseas, the government pays for one vehicle. If you arrange to ship a second vehicle commercially, you pay out of pocket. When staying stateside, the government assumes you will drive your vehicle or vehicles unless your orders document a medical restriction or a compressed report date before you move. However, paying to transport a vehicle is often smarter than driving, especially for cross-country moves.

Entitlements change annually and sometimes mid-year, so confirm the current rules with your installation Personal Property Office or the Defense Travel Management Office before making costly decisions.

We Can Help When the Military Doesn’t Pay to Ship Your Car

Does the military pay to ship your car? It depends. That’s why having a trusted provider fill in those missing support gaps is so important.

Nexus Auto Transport is proud to be a trusted military moving company for vehicles owned by active and retired service members. As a leading broker, Nexus Auto Transport has a nationwide network of vetted carriers experienced in all aspects of vehicle transfers. Contact us for a quote and see how our 3-step process makes it easy for you from start to finish.

Military Car Shipping Coverage and Private Transport Options

Situation	Military/Government Coverage Available?	Common Limitation	When Private Auto Transport May Be Needed
PCS move within continental U.S.	Rarely. There is no general POV shipment entitlement for CONUS moves	Shipment is funded under narrow exceptions, and the authorization must appear in the orders. Nothing is funded retroactively.	Whenever no exception applies and 1) the member flies to the new station, 2) the household has more vehicles than available drivers, or 3) you have a high-mileage or non-running vehicle
Overseas PCS move	Yes. One POV per service member on orders to, from, or between OCONUS duty stations, booked through PCSmyPOV.com and processed at a Vehicle Processing Center	One vehicle only, not to exceed 20 measurement ton; based on host-country agreements. Requires specific vehicle preparation steps	When moving a vehicle to a relative, storage facility, or the port city the government shipment does not originate from
Second personal vehicle	No. The JTR “drive one, ship one” provision reimburses part of the cost	Must be counseled and authorized in advance by the Personal Property Office.	Frequently. Examples include a deployed spouse, a single licensed driver, young children who cannot be split between two cars, or for a motorcycle
Privately arranged move	No. PPM reimbursement is based on household goods weight. Vehicles are not household goods	Towed vehicles, RVs, campers, and fifth wheels are excluded from the household goods definition under the JTR	Necessary when the truck and the family car cannot both be driven.
Retired military or veteran relocation	Limited and time constrained. Final move entitlements can include returning a POV from an OCONUS station; up to 180 days on separation and up to a year on retirement or placement on the TDRL	Entitlements must be used within the service’s authorized window after separation or retirement, generally one year.	Move after the entitlement window closes; all stateside retirement relocations, and second vehicles
Short-notice relocation	Possible. “Insufficient time to drive and report to the PDS as ordered” is a recognized CONUS exception; must be documented in orders and approved in advance	The government does not expedite POV shipment within CONUS; TLE covers lodging at either end and per diem covers authorized travel days	When exception is not granted, or when the approval process cannot move faster than the report date

FAQs

Does the army pay to ship your car during a PCS move?

No. Driving with MALT is the default within the continental U.S., so the Army rarely pays to ship your car in the U.S. The military will pay for OCONUS orders (one POV), isolated CONUS exceptions, approved replacement vehicles overseas, and certain storage situations. Everything else is out of pocket by the service member.

How do I know if my POV shipment is covered by military relocation benefits?

The authorization must be in the orders because nothing gets funded retroactively. Confirm the authorization during transportation counseling with the Personal Property Office and make sure it is in writing.

Will the military ship my car? Can I use a private auto transport company instead?

Yes, and for most CONUS moves it's the only option. When hiring a private auto transport company, go to https://safer.fmcsa.dot.gov/ to verify their:

Active USDOT and MC/MC-FF authority
$75,000 BMC-84 broker bond
Safety rating

Also request a copy of their cargo insurance certificate from the insurer, not the carrier.

Delivery dates are estimates, not guarantees, and demanding full payment before assigning a carrier is a red flag indicating you should not work with that carrier or broker.