How To Get Weight Tickets for a PPM
Here’s the quick answer: To get weight tickets for a PPM, weigh your empty vehicle at a certified scale, load it, then weigh it again full. The difference between the two certified tickets is the net weight your personally procured move (PPM) payment is based on. If you use a moving container company or hire movers, they weigh your shipment, but you have to request the tickets when you book.
This guide covers how to get your tickets for every PPM method, what a valid ticket shows, and what to do if one goes missing. New to PPMs? Start with our military PPM move guide.
Here’s who gets your weight tickets, depending on how you move:
| How you move | Who weighs it | What you do |
|---|---|---|
| Rental truck or trailer | You | Weigh empty, then full, at a certified scale |
| Your own vehicle | You | Weigh empty, then full, at a certified scale |
| Moving container | The container company | Request tickets when you book |
| Hired movers | The moving company | Put tickets in your contract before pickup |
| Mail or package carrier | The carrier | Keep receipts showing each package’s weight |
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Why do you need weight tickets for a PPM?
You need weight tickets because your PPM incentive is based on the exact weight you move. The Personal Property Activity (PPA) pays 100% of the Government Constructed Cost (GCC). It calculates the GCC from the actual weight on your certified tickets and the distance of your move, up to your weight allowance.
Without tickets, you lose the incentive. The Air Force PPA page says that if you don’t get weight tickets, you forfeit your claim to an incentive payment and receive only actual cost reimbursement, capped at the GCC for your weight allowance. Estimates and online weights aren’t accepted.
Your tickets are also one of four documents your claim needs, along with your DD Form 2278, your permanent change of station (PCS) orders, and receipts for your operating expenses. See how much a PPM pays for what that weight is worth.
Every pound you can prove counts toward your payment. Compare truck, container, and mover prices for your route.
How do you get weight tickets for a PPM?
You get weight tickets by weighing the same vehicle twice at a certified scale, once empty and once full. Here’s the process for a rental truck, trailer, or your own vehicle:
- Get approval first. Before you start, your transportation office has to authorize your PPM, which was formerly called a DITY move. It can tell you any branch-specific ticket requirements.
- Weigh it empty. Take the empty truck, trailer, or vehicle to a certified scale before you load anything. If you’re towing a trailer, weigh it attached for both tickets.
- Load your household goods. Pack everything you’re moving into that same vehicle.
- Weigh it full. Return to a certified scale with the loaded vehicle and get your full ticket.
- Repeat for every vehicle and trip. Each vehicle and each PPM segment, including TDY trips en route, needs its own empty and full tickets. If you make more than one trip, the Marine Corps PPM handout says to get a full ticket for each and number them, such as Trip 1 and Trip 2.
- Keep the originals. Submit copies with your claim, and keep the originals in one folder with your receipts.
Keep conditions the same for both weighs so your net weight is accurate. Army PPM weighing guidance says to weigh with a full gas tank both times, and U-Pack’s military weight ticket guide says drivers and passengers shouldn’t be weighed.
Can you skip the empty weigh if your vehicle registration lists a weight? Only in some branches. The Marine Corps handout requires empty and full tickets for your own vehicle or trailer when the registration doesn’t show its weight, while the Air Force PPA page says a full and empty ticket is required for each vehicle. Get both tickets unless your transportation office tells you otherwise in writing.
Pro tip: Size your truck before you book, since a truck that’s too small means a second trip and a second set of weight tickets. Check our moving truck size guide first.
A rental truck is usually the cheapest way to move your PPM, so more of your payment is left in your pocket. See what a rental truck costs for your move.
Where can you find a certified scale for PPM weight tickets?
Some installations have their own scales for PPMs. Ask your transportation office whether your installation has a scale before you pay for one off base.
The Department of War’s PPM quick reference guide says privately owned truck scales can also supply vehicle weight tickets. CAT Scale, a common truck stop chain, says all of its scales are certified in the state where they’re located, and lists a weigh at $15.25. A reweigh of the same vehicle at the same scale within 24 hours costs $5.25. Scale fees count as an operating expense, so keep the receipts. They lower the taxable part of your PPM payment.
You don’t have to weigh at both ends of your move. The Air Force PPA page says you can get tickets at origin, at destination, or anywhere in between, as long as the empty and full weights are of the same vehicle.
moveBuddha’s calculator factors in your distance, home size, and services, so you can see what a truck, container, or mover costs before you weigh anything:
What does a valid PPM weight ticket show?
A valid weight ticket is certified and signed by the weighmaster, and it shows the scale, the date, the weight, and who it belongs to. The Marine Corps PPM handout spells out what to get on each ticket:
- The weighmaster’s signature: Plus the date of the weigh.
- Your details: Your full name, rank, and DoD ID number (EDIPI).
- Empty or full: A label saying which weigh it is.
- What’s on the scale: The vehicle, such as a U-Haul truck with a trailer or a Ford F-150.
- A legible weight: A ticket the finance office can’t read can hold up your claim.
Requirements vary a little by branch, so confirm yours at counseling. CAT Scale’s guidance for military moves also says the weighmaster must sign the ticket, and it asks for your license plate, branch of service, and rank.
For a hired interstate mover, federal rules set the standard. Under 49 CFR 375.519, each ticket must be signed by the weighmaster and show the scale’s name and location, the date, tare, gross, and net weights, the truck’s identification, and your name and bill of lading number. See how to hire movers for a PPM.
Don’t let a scale attendant hand you an unsigned printout. Check every ticket before you drive away.
How do weight tickets work with a moving container or hired movers?
If you use a moving container or hire movers, the company weighs your shipment, but it’s on you to get the tickets. The Air Force PPA page says to make sure weight tickets are in your contract and provided at delivery. Here’s how the major container companies handle them:
- PODS: Gets PPM weight tickets for you on request. Ask through PODS Customer Care when you book.
- U-Pack: Gets your weight tickets for a $150 fee if you request them when you reserve.
- U-Box: Tell U-Haul in advance so it can get weight tickets for your U-Box at your origin.
- 1-800-PACK-RAT: Mails or emails your weight tickets after your move is complete.
- Hired movers: Safeway Senior Certified Moving Consultant James Coleman says tickets must be requested before pickup, and Safeway provides them at delivery.
Skipping this step could cost you. A 2023 Army.mil article quotes an Army personal property director warning that some container companies charge by space rather than weight. Without weight tickets, you’re eligible only for actual cost reimbursement.
Federal rules back you up with an interstate mover that charges by weight. Under 49 CFR 375.519, the mover must get a separate signed ticket for each weighing and include copies with your freight bill. Since tickets belong in the contract, ask about them while you collect quotes.
Mailing some of your goods? The Department of War guide says small package moves through USPS, FedEx, or UPS need receipts showing each package’s weight, mailing date, origin, destination, contents, and charges.
Tickets can still be the hardest part to pin down. Hassan, who moved from Pennsylvania to Washington on Navy PCS orders in April 2022, paid his container company for weight tickets as part of his PPM. Even so, he still told moveBuddha’s Better Moves Project that the weight ticket was the hardest document to produce. When you book, get the company’s ticket process in writing, including who weighs the container, when, and how you receive the tickets. Read Hassan’s full story.
Want the weight tickets handled for you? PODS drives your container and gets your PPM weight tickets on request:
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What if you lose a PPM weight ticket?
If you lose a ticket, submit a written justification with your claim, such as an accident report, according to the Department of War’s PPM quick reference guide. Contact your transportation office right away, since a missing ticket can cost you the incentive.
The best fix is prevention. Photograph each ticket at the scale. Photograph your loaded truck too, since the Marine Corps handout says photos can help verify your loads. Keep the originals in one folder with your receipts, and don’t wait until after the move to ask a container company or mover for theirs.
Can’t get to a scale yourself? A full-service mover handles the weighing for you. Get free estimates from vetted movers.
More about military PPM moves
- Military PPM move guide: Learn how a PPM works, from counseling to filing your claim.
- How much a PPM pays: See how to calculate your PPM payment, what lowers it, and what you keep after taxes.
- PPM with a moving container or rental truck: Compare containers and trucks for a PPM, including weight tickets, storage, and military discounts.
- Hire movers for a PPM: Find out how to hire and vet movers for your PPM, from full-service crews to labor-only help.
- Partial PPM move: Move part of your household goods yourself and let the government ship the rest.
- Military weight allowance: See your PCS weight allowance by rank, pro gear limits, and what happens if you go over.
- Military moving expense deduction: See whether PPM payments are taxable and how to claim moving expenses on Form 3903.
FAQ
How do you get weight tickets for a PPM?
You get weight tickets for a PPM by weighing your empty vehicle at a certified scale, loading it, and weighing it again full. If you use a moving container or hired movers, request the tickets when you book and put them in your contract.
Can you use a CAT Scale for PPM weight tickets?
Yes, you can use a CAT Scale for PPM weight tickets. CAT says all of its scales are certified, its FAQ lists a weigh at $15.25, and the weighmaster must sign tickets for military moves.
Do you need weight tickets for a PPM?
Yes, you need weight tickets to get the PPM incentive. The Air Force PPA page says that without them, you forfeit the incentive and receive only actual cost reimbursement.
Can you use your vehicle registration instead of an empty weight ticket?
Only in some branches. The Marine Corps allows it for your own vehicle or trailer when the registration shows its weight, but the Air Force requires empty and full tickets for each vehicle. Get both unless your transportation office says otherwise.
Who provides weight tickets for a moving container PPM?
The container company weighs your container and provides the tickets, but you have to request them. Ask when you book, since some companies charge a fee or need advance notice.
Do weight ticket fees count as a PPM expense?
Yes, weight ticket fees count as an operating expense on a PPM. They aren’t paid back separately, but keeping the receipts lowers the taxable part of your payment.
What happens if you lose a PPM weight ticket?
If you lose a PPM weight ticket, submit a written justification, such as an accident report, with your claim. Contact your transportation office right away, since a missing ticket can cost you the incentive.
Ready to plan your PPM? Compare truck, container, and mover costs for your route before you book:
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