How to File a PPM/DITY Claim: DD Form 2278, Weight Tickets

Step 1: Get Your Move Authorized Before You Start

A PPM is not something you do and then claim after the fact. You must get official authorization through your Transportation Management Office before moving a single box. Schedule your TMO appointment early — during peak PCS season, wait times can be a week or more. Bring your orders to the appointment.

At your TMO appointment, you'll receive:

• A Government Constructed Cost (GCC) estimate — what the government would have paid a moving company for your move. Your PPM reimbursement is calculated as a percentage of this number.
• DD Form 2278 (Application For Personally Procured Move (PPM) and Counseling Checklist) — the official authorization document
• Instructions for the weight ticket process

Keep the DD Form 2278. You'll need it when you file your reimbursement claim.

Step 2: Get Your Empty Weight Ticket

Before you load anything into your rental truck or personal vehicle, you must weigh it empty at a certified scale. This is your tare weight — the baseline from which your net shipment weight will be calculated. Certified scales are typically found at truck stops, grain elevators, and moving truck rental locations.

The scale must be certified and the ticket must include: the date, the vehicle license plate or identification number, the scale location, and the weight. Keep the original. Take a photo backup.

Step 3: Load Your Vehicle and Get Your Loaded Weight Ticket

After your belongings are fully loaded, go to the same or a comparable certified scale and get your loaded weight ticket. The difference between the loaded and empty weights is your net shipment weight — the official weight of your move.

Your net weight must not exceed your authorized weight allowance. If it does, you're responsible for the excess weight charges, which reduces or eliminates your profit. If you're close to your limit, get a rough weight estimate before your final loading day.

Step 4: Keep All Receipts

Keep receipts for everything you spend on the move:

• Truck rental fees (daily rate, mileage charges, fuel)
• Fuel for both the rental truck and your personal vehicle
• Packing supplies (boxes, tape, padding, mattress bags)
• Moving equipment rental (dollies, moving blankets)
• Labor if you hire helpers to load or unload
• Tolls and lodging during the move

Note: These receipts matter for more than your own bookkeeping — they directly affect how much of your payment gets taxed. Submit them with your claim.

Step 5: Understand the Reimbursement Calculation

Your total PPM payment is 100% of the GCC — the government-constructed cost, based on your certified weight (up to your authorized allowance) and the official distance. But how that payment breaks down for tax purposes depends on your documented expenses: your substantiated moving costs (truck rental, fuel, packing supplies, tolls) are reimbursed without withholding, and only the remaining amount — your profit above documented expenses — is treated as taxable supplemental wages, with 22% withheld for federal taxes at payment. That 22% withholding appears on your LES; it reduces your net payment but is not an additional penalty, it's pre-paid tax on the taxable portion of the income. This is why keeping thorough receipts matters: the more of your GCC you can document as expenses, the less of your payment is subject to the 22% withholding.

Example: If your GCC is $5,000 and you document $1,500 in actual move costs, your taxable profit is $3,500. Withholding 22% of that ($770) leaves you with $2,730 in after-tax profit, on top of the $1,500 in tax-free expense reimbursement — a total payment of $4,230, with a net profit (after tax) of approximately $2,730.

Step 6: File Your Claim Within the Required Timeframe

After your move is complete, file your reimbursement claim through your finance office or through the Defense Personal Property System. You'll need:

• DD Form 2278 (your authorized PPM and Counseling Checklist form from the TMO)
• Empty and loaded weight tickets
• Copies of your PCS orders
• Rental truck agreement or evidence of the move vehicle used

Most Transportation Offices apply a turn-in window of 45 days from the date the move is complete. That figure comes from Service PPM turn-in guidance, not from the JTR or the DTR — neither sets a government-wide filing deadline — so confirm the window your service and installation actually use. Filing late delays payment, and if you drew an advance operating allowance, the unfiled advance can be recouped from your pay. File as soon as your weight tickets are in hand — don't wait until you're settled in.

Partial PPM

A Partial PPM means you move some of your household goods yourself and let the government move the rest. You receive reimbursement proportional to the weight you moved yourself. The same weight ticket and documentation requirements apply to the self-moved portion. Partial PPMs are useful when you want to move high-value or fragile items personally while sending the bulk of your belongings through the government system.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long do I have to file a PPM claim?

Plan on 45 days from the date your move is complete — the turn-in window most Transportation Offices apply. It is Service guidance rather than a JTR or DTR deadline, so confirm the exact window with your TO. Filing late delays payment, and an advance operating allowance you drew can be recouped from your pay, so submit your weight tickets and receipts as soon as the move is complete.

What weight tickets do I need for a PPM?

You need two certified weight tickets per vehicle: an empty (tare) weight ticket taken before loading, and a loaded (gross) weight ticket taken after loading. Both must come from a certified public scale and include the date, location, and scale operator's signature. Missing either ticket can void your entire reimbursement claim.

Can I do a partial PPM instead of a full self-move?

Yes. A partial PPM lets you move some belongings yourself for the incentive while the government ships the rest. The weight you self-move is deducted from your total weight allowance. This is a good option for high-value or fragile items you want to move personally.

Is PPM authorization required before I start moving?

Yes. You must have written pre-approval from your Transportation Office before moving a single item. Moving without prior authorization means you cannot file a PPM claim and will receive no reimbursement for self-moved goods.

Related Articles

• DITY Move vs. Government Move — Should you do a PPM at all? Run the numbers first.
• Weight allowances by rank, and what going over costs — Your authorized weight determines your GCC and incentive payment
• Adding a Trailer to Your PCS Weight — One-time-only trailer weight, and the tickets that have to back it
• PCS Taxes: What Is and Isn't Taxable — What to expect on your W-2 after a PPM
• 2026 PCS Reimbursements Guide — PPM in context with all other PCS entitlements