Shipping a vehicle on orders
A PCS move comes with a date that doesn't move, a lot of other logistics and often a second vehicle that someone has to get across the country. Shipping it is usually the right call: it costs less than the fuel, hotels and leave days of a two-car convoy, and it arrives while you are dealing with housing, schools and check-in. Big Bear's coordinators handle military moves every week from the major California installations and from bases across the country.
What we do differently for military customers
- Report-date planning. Tell us when the car needs to be at the new duty station. We set the pickup window backward from that date, with a cushion for weather and traffic on a long run.
- Off-base pickup and delivery. Commercial carriers cannot enter most installations or base housing. We arrange pickup at your off-base address or just outside the gate, and delivery the same way at the other end.
- Reimbursement paperwork. An itemized invoice, a written pickup window, the carrier's insurance certificate on request and a bill of lading with condition reports at both ends.
- Deployment handoffs. If you ship out before the car does, name a spouse, friend or family member to release it and sign the bill of lading.
- Military rate. A discount on every quote for active duty, reservists, National Guard and veterans. Mention your status when you book.
Common military lanes
From California: San Diego, Camp Pendleton, Miramar, Twentynine Palms, Edwards, Lemoore, Vandenberg, Travis and Beale to Norfolk, Jacksonville, Pensacola, San Antonio, Fort Liberty, Camp Lejeune, Fort Cavazos, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Colorado Springs and the DC area, and the reverse. Transit times run three to five days to Texas and Colorado and seven to nine days to the East Coast, after a pickup window of one to five days. Get an exact price with your ZIP codes above.
OCONUS and Hawaii
Our carriers operate in the lower 48 states. For a move to Hawaii, we handle the overland leg to the Port of Long Beach and coordinate with the ocean carrier for the sailing. For overseas assignments, the government's vehicle processing centers handle shipment; we can move the car to and from the VPC.
Preparing a vehicle for a PCS shipment
Wash it, keep fuel to a quarter tank, remove base decals and toll transponders if they are tied to the old duty station, empty it of personal items, and take photos of every side. Have a key ready. If someone else is releasing the car, give your coordinator their name and number. Keep your copy of the bill of lading with your PCS paperwork; it is the document the finance office and any claim will reference.