USMC concerned about summer PCS moves

RIP Moving Industry USMC concerned about summer PCS moves The U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) issued the following admin message April 29th regarding their command's concerns with the military's woefully inadaquate preparations for the rapidly approaching 2011 household goods peak moving season.

Like the other nine military services that fall under their jurisdiction, the Marines rely on the U.S. Transportation Command's (TRANSCOM) new Defense Personal Property System, DPS, to arrange relocations for ALL of their deployed personnel.

The timely message is directed at all U.S. marine corps leaders, service members, civilian marines and their families. It warns them of some of the challenges they should anticipate with the hundreds of thousands of domestic and international permanent change of station (PCS) and base closure moves being arranged by the military's Surface Deployment and Distribution Command (SDDC) for the period from May 15th through September 30th..

TRANSCOM owns the automated Defense Personal Property Program, DP3, and SDDC is their executive agent responsible for administration of the problem-ridden procurement process.

DPS was designed to counsel, select; manage and compensate transportation service providers responsible for relocating 600,000+ military service members and their families each year using SDDC's complicated new “Best Value Scoring Methodology”.

This MARADMIN was issued the same week that some of SDDC's largest transportation service providers announced their first round of peak season booking restrictions that begin May 16th.

What is more interesting than the urgency and critical scheduling of USMC's warning is the apparent lack of the internal trust that one the major military commands has about DP3's responsibility to manage it's own quality service initiatives. After all, for years TRANSCOM and SDDC's brass have promised Congress they will make 'moving easier' for America's service members and their families undertaking a PCS moves using DPS.

It should be significantly troubling to taxpayers, then, that such a large business segment of the full service moving industry's BIGGEST customer recognizes that the government's expensive 'new' internet based household goods procurement process is not 'intuitive'. In other words, its very hard to understand and even harder to use.

That's the very same feedback that members of the full service moving industry have been unsuccessfully trying to share with SDDC ever since TRANSCOM began developing their low cost procurement program in 2003! Back then the DP3 initiative was known as "Families First".

Taps USMC concerned about summer PCS moves The fact the the U.S. Marine Corps then suggests that all of it's enlisted and civilian service personnel, their spouses, and all of their trailing family members “consider performing a personally procured move (PPM, formerly known as a DITY [do-it-yourself] move)” is just another nail in the coffin of responsible movers everywhere.

Note: The highlighted areas included in the unclassified message below were added for emphasis.

2011 SUMMER HOUSEHOLD GOODS PEAK SEASON PREPARATION

Date Signed: 4/29/2011
MARADMIN Active Number: 270/11 2011
R 292044Z APR 11
UNCLASSIFIED//
MARADMIN 270/11
MSGID/GENADMIN,USMTF,2007/CMC WASHINGTON DC L LR //
SUBJ/2011 SUMMER HOUSEHOLD GOODS PEAK SEASON PREPARATION//
REF/A/MSGID:MARADMIN 353-10 /-/-//
NARR/REF A IDENTIFIED NUMEROUS ISSUES AND TEMPORARY RESOLUTIONS RELATED TO THE MOVEMENT OF HOUSEHOLD GOODS DURING THE 2010 SUMMER PEAK SEASON//
POC/F. D. HYDEN/CIV/UNIT:LPD-2/-/TEL:(703) 695-7765 /EMAIL:FREDERICK.HYDEN@USMC.MIL//
GENTEXT/REMARKS/

1. THE PURPOSE OF THIS MARADMIN IS TO REMIND U.S. MARINE CORPS LEADERS, SERVICE MEMBERS, CIVILIAN MARINES AND THEIR FAMILIES OF THE CHALLENGES ASSOCIATED WITH MOVING IN THE SUMMER AND PROVIDE RECOMMENDED ACTIONS THAT CAN BE TAKEN TO REDUCE THE POTENTIAL FOR HOUSEHOLD GOODS SHIPMENT DIFFICULTIES.

2. INFORMATION. ALMOST 65 PERCENT OF ALL DOD HOUSEHOLD GOODS MOVES ARE PERFORMED DURING THE SUMMER PEAK SEASON PERIOD OF 15 MAY THROUGH 30 SEPTEMBER. LAST SUMMER, DUE TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF NEW FUNCTIONALITY IN THE DEFENSE PERSONAL PROPERTY SYSTEM (DPS) AND A REDUCTION IN HOUSEHOLD GOODS CARRIER CAPACITY, TOO MANY MARINES, CIVILIAN MARINES AND THEIR FAMILIES EXPERIENCED DIFFICULTIES WITH THEIR HOUSEHOLD GOODS MOVES. SINCE THEN, THE U.S. TRANSPORTATION COMMAND (TRANSCOM), OWNER OF THE DEFENSE PERSONAL PROPERTY PROGRAM AND DPS, HAS IMPLEMENTED SEVERAL CORRECTIVE ACTIONS DESIGNED TO MITIGATE LAST SUMMER'S DIFFICULTIES AND IMPROVE SERVICE DURING THE UPCOMING PEAK SEASON; HOWEVER, SOME IMPROVEMENTS TO DPS ARE STILL INCOMPLETE. FURTHERMORE, ECONOMIC CONDITIONS ARE STILL NEGATIVELY IMPACTING INDUSTRY CAPACITY, SO SIGNIFICANT RISK REMAINS. PROPER PLANNING, CAREFUL PREPARATION OF HOUSEHOLD GOODS AND FLEXIBILITY IN MOVEMENT DATES CAN REDUCE THE POTENTIAL FOR SHIPMENT DIFFICULTIES.

3. THE USMC, ALONG WITH THE OTHER SERVICES, HAS REGISTERED WITH TRANSCOM ITS DISSATISFACTION WITH SEVERAL ELEMENTS OF DPS, ONE IN PARTICULAR BEING THE CLAIMS MODULE. THE CLAIMS MODULE IN DPS IS NOT INTUITIVE, NOT USER FRIENDLY AND IS VERY CUMBERSOME TO MANIPULATE WHEN FILING A CLAIM. TRANSCOM HAS ASSURED ALL THE SERVICES THAT SHORT-TERM IMPROVEMENTS ARE COMING IN TIME FOR LATE SUMMER CLAIMS FILING, WITH LONG-TERM SOLUTIONS BEYOND THIS SUMMER TO ADDRESS ALL THE SYSTEM'S WEAKNESSES.

4. ACTION. MARINES AND CIVILIAN MARINES ANTICIPATING A PCS MOVE FROM 15 MAY THROUGH 30 SEPTEMBER 2011 ARE ENCOURAGED TO TAKE THE FOLLOWING ACTIONS:

4.A. PLAN YOUR MOVE. ATTEND A "PCS SMOOTH MOVE" OR OTHER COMMAND-SPONSORED PCS WORKSHOP.

4.B. ESTABLISH A DPS ACCOUNT AT WWW.MOVE.MIL AND PROCEED WITH SELF COUNSELING. FIRST-TIME MOVERS, SEPARATEES AND RETIREES MUST BE COUNSELED AT THE LOCAL PERSONAL PROPERTY OFFICE, BUT ALSO REQUIRE A DPS ACCOUNT TO TRACK AND MANAGE THEIR SHIPMENTS AND FILE THEIR CLAIMS WHEN REQUIRED. ALL PERSONNEL ARE ENCOURAGED TO CONSULT THE LOCAL PERSONAL PROPERTY OFFICE FOR ADDITIONAL COUNSELING ASSISTANCE WHEN NECESSARY AND TO PROVIDE CONCRETE FEEDBACK THAT CAN BE RELAYED THROUGH THIS HEADQUARTERS TO TRANSCOM, DRIVING CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT.

4.C. TAKE THE TIME TO REVIEW THE MOVING TIPS, "IT'S YOUR MOVE" PAMPHLETS, FRONT LOAD WASHER SERVICING AND FLAT SCREEN TV REQUIREMENTS AND OTHER USEFUL TRAINING AND INFORMATION TOOLS PRESENTED ON THE DPS WEBSITE AT WWW.MOVE.MIL.

4.D. ENSURE FLEXIBILITY IN PACKING, PICK-UP AND DELIVERY DATES. MORE THAN 65 PERCENT OF ALL ANNUAL PCS MOVES ARE CONDUCTED BETWEEN15 MAY AND 30 SEPTEMBER, WITH THE MOST POPULAR PICK-UP DATES SCHEDULED BETWEEN MEMORIAL DAY AND THE FOURTH OF JULY. MOVING DURING THE SUMMER SEASON PRESENTS UNIQUE CHALLENGES WHEN SHIPMENT VOLUMES STRETCH THE LIMITS OF INDUSTRY CAPACITY, ESPECIALLY FROM MEMORIAL DAY TO FOURTH OF JULY. HOUSEHOLD GOODS INDUSTRY MANPOWER AND TRUCK CAPACITIES ARE ALWAYS STRAINED DURING THIS "PEAK OF THE PEAK" SEASON AND THIS YEAR MAY BE PARTICULARLY CONSTRAINED DUE TO LIMITED CAPACITY OF PACKING CREWS, TRUCKS AND DRIVERS AS A RESULT OF LOCAL AND NATIONAL ECONOMIC CONDITIONS. PICK-UP DATES MUST NOT BE SO TIGHT THAT AN ADDITIONAL FEW DAYS BETWEEN REQUESTED AND ACTUAL PICK-UP DATES NEGATIVELY IMPACT PLANS TO VACATE HOUSING, COMMENCE TRAVEL AND OTHER PCS RELATED EVENTS. AS A REMINDER, FINAL PACK AND PICK-UP DATES ARE NOT CONFIRMED UNTIL THE CONCLUSION OF THE PRE-MOVE SURVEY, SO BE SURE TO OBTAIN CONFIRMATION OF PACK AND PICK-UP DATES BEFORE MAKING FINAL TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS.

4.E. STAY IN CONTACT WITH THE HOUSEHOLD GOODS MOVING COMPANY, NOW KNOWN AS THE TRANSPORTATION SERVICE PROVIDER (TSP). DPS PROVIDES POINT OF CONTACT NUMBERS FOR THE TSP FOR EACH MOVE.

4.F. IMMEDIATELY NOTIFY THE LOCAL PERSONAL PROPERTY OFFICE SHOULD ANY UNFORESEEN ISSUES ARISE DURING THE MOVE.

4.G. CONSIDER PERFORMING A PERSONALLY PROCURED MOVE (PPM, FORMERLY KNOWN AS A DITY MOVE). ELIGIBLE MARINES MAY BE PAID UP TO 95 PERCENT OF THE GOVERNMENT'S COST FOR PERFORMING A SIMILAR MOVE. A PPM OFFERS THE GREATEST FLEXIBILITY WHEN PERFORMING AN ELIGIBLE MOVE. MARINES MUST CONFIRM PPM COUNSELING AND DOCUMENTATION REQUIREMENTS WITH THE LOCAL PERSONAL PROPERTY OFFICE TO ENSURE EACH REIMBURSEMENT CLAIM IS COMPLETE, INCLUDING FULL AND EMPTY WEIGHT TICKET REQUIREMENTS.

4.H. IN THE EVENT YOU HAVE TO FILE A CLAIM FOR DAMAGES, ENSURE YOU NOTIFY THE TSP OF YOUR INTENT TO FILE A CLAIM IN THE DPS CLAIMS MODULE WITHIN 75 DAYS OF DELIVERY. YOUR CLAIM MUST BE COMPLETED AND FILED WITH THE TSP WITHIN NINE (9) MONTHS OF THE DELIVERY DATE TO RECEIVE FULL REPLACEMENT VALUE. AGAIN, THE CURRENT CLAIMS MODULE IS NOT USER FRIENDLY, BUT TRANSCOM, THE OWNER OF DPS, HAS COMMITTED TO ALL THE SERVICES THAT SEVERAL SHORT-TERM AND LONG-TERM IMPROVEMENTS TO THE SYSTEM ARE COMING. REVIEWING THE "HOW TO FILE A CLAIM IN DPS" VIDEO BEFORE BEGINNING TO PREPARE A CLAIM IMPROVES THE USER EXPERIENCE WITH THIS DIFFICULT MODULE. THE VIDEO CAN BE REVIEWED AT WWW.MOVE.MIL.

5. PLANNING, PREPARATION AND FLEXIBILITY ARE THE KEYS TO EXECUTING A SUCCESSFUL HOUSEHOLD GOODS MOVE. CONTACT YOUR LOCAL PERSONAL PROPERTY OFFICE FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, TRAINING AND SUPPORT.

6. RELEASE AUTHORIZED BY LTGEN PANTER, DEPUTY COMMANDANT, INSTALLATIONS AND LOGISTICS.//

SOURCE: U.S. Marine Corps MARADMIN 270/11

Movers begin issuing blackout notices – RELO Roundtable

‘Defense Personal Property Procurement Program (DP3)’ Category – RELO Roundtable

is a mutually supportive but commercially neutral learning environment that deals with the trials and tribulations of movin’.

Have questions or need professional assistance with an upcoming moving and storage issue, or help choosing a domestic or international relocation product or service supplier?

Join the forum discussion on this post

Thanks for dropping by! If you want to stay current on what's happening in the movin' industry, take a minute and subscribe to get personal email updates or grab the RSS feed for the latest consumer tips and business news.