Post Transportation Office offers moving tips

With the busy summer moving season upon us, the Fort Monroe Transportation Office would like to pass on some key moving suggestions to the community.

The Defense Personal Property Program (DP3) is a new DoD program designed to improve quality of life for our service members, civilian employees and their families through improved household goods moves. DPS provides direct and empowered communications between the service member and the Transportation Service Provider (TSP) – DPS is available 24/7, 365 days a year from any location with Internet access.

Don’t have Internet access? After you complete your initial move requirements, the DPS Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system will provide you with access to your shipment information as you transition to your new home. You must establish a DPS account to process or manage your shipment, request delivery, file a claim, and complete your Customer Satisfaction Survey.

Go to the http://www.move.mil Web site and select the DoD Customer tab to create your account. Also contained on this site is valuable move information.

Not all personal property shipments can be moved in this new system. You should contact your local Transportation office to see if you qualify.

All personnel moving during the summer should be aware of the high volume of moves during the peak moving months of June, July and August. Plan to be flexible when selecting a pickup date.

Its best to never schedule a pickup on the closing date of the residence; the last day of residency in an apartment, the day of lease termination, or the day a cleaning crew is to clean the residence or quarters.

Scheduling the pickup on these days leaves no room to adjust for unforeseen issues. Additionally, it’s a good idea to leave the telephone and other utilities connected until all property has been picked up.

Limited capability during peak season means that not everyone can move on the last day of the month. The moving industry has suggested that, when possible, schedule a two-day pickup window, which provides some flexibility in the event something goes wrong.

The TSP is required to perform a pre-move survey at least seven days prior to the requested pickup date. In most cases, the actual pack, pickup, and delivery dates will be negotiated directly between you and TSP during the pre-move survey. You should expect one pack day for every 4,000 pounds of estimated weight.

A good move depends largely on how much you get involved and if you are well prepared when the movers arrive.

The 12 question Customer Satisfaction Survey (CSS) is the cornerstone of the Defense Personal Property Program. The CSS is a web-based survey that allows you or your spouse to rate the service and performance provided by the TSP. The goal of the survey is to help improve the overall move experience and ensure that only quality moving companies are used to move personal property.

TSPs are selected based on their “Best Value Score” (BVS). The CSS accounts for a significant portion of the BVS.

Filed rates and claims processing also determine a TSPs BVS. You will receive a reminder e-mail to complete the survey seven calendar days after final delivery of a shipment. Your evaluation by completing the survey is critical to the program. The survey can be easily completed through DPS by selecting the “Customer Satisfaction Survey (CSS)” tab. It is extremely important to keep your e-mail address and contact information on DPS up to date.

If you have any further questions, please call: 788-2704, or contact JPPSO-NE at (800) 235-7776, (781) 377-7627 or DSN 478-7627.