Complete PCS Move Guide: How MilMove Works From Setup to Delivery
Ready to submit your PCS request in MilMove? Before you hit submit, here's the full playbook — how to set up your account, protect your weight allowance, sequence multiple shipments correctly, and avoid the mistakes that leave people without their stuff for weeks at destination. This is one piece of a much bigger picture — see the full Military Relocation Guide for PCSing to Robins AFB for everything else that goes into the move.
Watch: Complete PCS Move Guide Using the MilMove System
I'm Chris Tillman, a real estate agent and investor in Middle Georgia — Robins Air Force Base, Warner Robins, Bonaire, Kathleen, and Perry. I also spent 8 years in the TMO office as a QA inspector helping household goods shipments move in and out of the middle Georgia area, so this comes from firsthand experience, not just research.
Setting Up Your MilMove Account
Once you have PCS orders, your first stop is the transportation office to request a household goods move, an unaccompanied baggage move, or non-temp storage. Before any of that, you need an account. The most reliable way in is through Military OneSource, which routes you to DPS to register as a customer.
If you're separating or retiring, set this account up while you still have your CAC card — you'll need it. Fill out your registration, answer the qualifying questions, and you'll get an access code. Write it down and keep it; you'll need it later to log back in. Those same questions determine whether you land in MilMove (used for CONUS moves and PPMs) or stay in DPS (still used for overseas shipments) — that split can change, so confirm which system applies at move.mil when you register.
Timing Your Move Request
Get to the transportation office and request your shipment at least 3 weeks before your preferred leave date during peak season (June–August, and November–December around the holidays). Outside peak season, 2 weeks is usually enough — but if you're headed overseas, earlier is better so your shipment has time to arrive ahead of you. If your family is flying in or out around the move, it's worth knowing your options — see Airports Near Warner Robins, Georgia for the commercial and private options nearby.
Understanding Your Shipment Options
Your orders dictate your weight allowance based on rank and dependency status. For a CONUS move, you're choosing between a Personally Procured Move (PPM), a traditional household goods move, or a mix of both. Once household goods is scheduled, you'll get a move coordinator and a HomeSafe connection to track the process. While you're sorting out the move itself, it's also worth starting your search for where you'll land — see Best Neighborhoods Near Robins AFB for Military PCS to get a head start, and if you're still deciding between the two closest cities, Macon vs. Warner Robins breaks down the tradeoffs.
If you're headed overseas, you may also be working with unaccompanied baggage (UB) and non-temporary storage (NTS) in addition to household goods (HHG).
The Pre-Move Inspection: What to Show the Movers
A moving company representative will do a pre-inspection — in person or by video walkthrough — to estimate your weight and flag whether you're at risk of going over your allowance. During this inspection, point out:
Antiques — get them appraised and certified, or the mover will only reimburse based on the cost of a similar new item, not antique value.
Heavy items — gun safes, pianos, large appliances.
Bulky or fragile items — large pictures, mirrors, oversized furniture; get exact dimensions to them ahead of time.
Items needing third-party handling — grandfather clocks, taxidermy mounts, and similar specialty items.
Before packing day, photograph everything — especially anything already damaged — so you have proof of condition beforehand.
The Do-Not-Pack Room
Once movers start, they pack everything within reach — including things you didn't mean for them to take. (Ask me how I know about the passports.) Set up a do-not-pack room to keep anything you're personally transporting out of the shipment entirely. If you have multiple shipments going overseas, separate items by shipment type too — NTS items in the garage, UB items in their own room — so movers don't mix them up. For the house-prep side of all this — cleaning, disconnecting, and getting ready for pickup day — see How to Prep Your House for PCS Movers.
How Movers Pack and Label Everything
Make sure the house is clean and dry before movers arrive — wet items packed into a hot truck or container can grow mold. Take anything you want packed off the walls, disconnect electronics, coil cords, and pull batteries (especially lithium) out of remotes and electronics, since temperature swings in transit can cause them to leak or corrode.
Every box gets a description and your last name on the outside, since your shipment may share a truck with other families. Every item — boxed or not — gets an inventory sticker that corresponds to a number on your inventory sheet. No sticker and no inventory entry means no proof it was ever there if it's lost.
What Movers Can't Take
Hazardous items are off-limits: bleach, ammonia, gasoline, aerosol cans, candles, and soft plastics that could melt. If you have gas-powered equipment (grills, mowers), drain and clean it before movers arrive. Unopened, sealed household items like shampoo or cooking oil are fine; anything already opened, you'll need to transport yourself.
Sequencing Multiple Shipments
If you have household goods, unaccompanied baggage, and non-temp storage going at once (typical for an overseas move), don't schedule them within a day or two of each other. Movers typically pack about 4,000 lbs per day, so back-calculate your pickup dates accordingly, and put unaccompanied baggage first, then household goods, then non-temp storage. Different shipments are often handled by different crews — overlapping them can cause a crew to cancel on you.
Delivery and Inspecting Your Shipment
At destination, you're entitled to a 90-day window of temporary storage if your goods arrive before you're ready, plus a one-time placement and unpacking once delivery is scheduled. When your shipment arrives, keep your inventory sheet in hand and check off each numbered item as movers call it out. Anything unmarked goes into a holding pile to match up at the end — what's left over after that is likely lost, and you'll want to identify it immediately, before the crew leaves.
Photograph anything that arrives damaged, whether or not you plan to file a claim.
Filing a Claim
You have a set window after delivery to inspect everything and note any damage on your inventory sheet, with photos. You can file a claim either directly with the moving company or through your move profile at move.mil — the transportation office can help you find and use either path.
Shipping Weapons
If you want firearms included in your government shipment, your move request will have a section asking whether guns are included, along with serial numbers, make, model, and purchase details. Have cases ready, make sure everything is empty and unloaded, and expect a separate chain-of-custody form that both you and the mover sign. Get a copy of that form, same as your inventory sheet.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I set up a MilMove account for my PCS move?
Start through Military OneSource, which routes you into DPS to register as a customer. Complete your registration, answer the qualifying questions, and save the access code you're given — you'll need it to log back in later.
How far in advance should I schedule my PCS household goods shipment?
At least 3 weeks ahead during peak season (June–August and November–December), or about 2 weeks ahead during the off-season. If you're going overseas, schedule even earlier.
What items are movers not allowed to pack?
Hazardous materials like bleach, ammonia, gasoline, aerosol cans, candles, and soft plastics that could melt. Opened household products also have to travel with you rather than in the shipment.
What is a do-not-pack room and why do I need one?
It's a designated room or area for anything you don't want the movers to pack — important documents, passports, valuables you're transporting yourself. Without one, movers will pack anything left out in the open.
How do I file a claim if my household goods are damaged or lost?
You can file directly with the moving company or through your move profile online. Document everything with photos and your marked-up inventory sheet first — the transportation office can help you get set up either way.
Related Reading
How to Prep Your House for PCS Movers (MilMove HHG, UB, NTS)
BAH Isn't "Rent Money" — It's a VA Loan Superpower in Warner Robins
If you're PCSing to Robins Air Force Base, chances are house-hunting is next on your list — start with everything you need to know about living in Warner Robins, and if you've got kids coming with you, this private school tour near Robins AFB is worth a look too. Reach out and I'll help you find the right fit, from right outside the gate to the other side of town in Perry.
