A PCS move looks simple from the outside: you get orders, you pack up, you move. The reality is more complicated. Between the date you have to be out of your current quarters and the date housing is ready at the gaining installation, there’s almost always a gap. Sometimes it’s a week. Sometimes it’s a month. Occasionally it’s longer.
During that gap, your household goods may be in transit. You’re in temporary lodging. And a collection of personal items — things that didn’t fit the official shipment, things you wanted accessible, boxes you’re managing yourself — needs somewhere to go.
Ship2Storage is built for that gap. Per-box storage, no long-term contract, nationwide delivery to your new address when housing is confirmed.
The PCS Gap No One Plans For
Every military family that has done a PCS move has experienced some version of this: the out-processing timeline at the losing installation doesn’t align with the in-processing timeline at the gaining one. You have to be out before you have anywhere to be in.
The official military move system — TMO, DPS, household goods shipments — is designed around the move itself, not around what happens during the in-between period. That’s the gap. Personal items, boxes you’re handling yourself, and anything that needs to be accessible but doesn’t have a permanent address yet — that’s what Ship2Storage manages.
When Your Out Date and In Date Don’t Match
The most common PCS gap scenario: your final out date at the losing installation is set. Your housing at the gaining installation won’t be available for two to four weeks after your report date. You’re in TLE (Temporary Lodging Expense) or a hotel.
Temporary lodging doesn’t accommodate boxes. You can’t stack five moving boxes in a hotel room and function. So those boxes need somewhere to go — somewhere you can retrieve them from quickly once your new housing is ready.
Ship2Storage handles exactly that. Ship before your final out date, store during TLE, get delivery to your new address when you’re settled.
How Military Families Get Stuck Paying for Two Places
During the PCS transit period, many military families find themselves in a financial squeeze: BAH may not have transitioned to the new duty station’s rate yet, TLE is partially reimbursed but not always fully, and rent or mortgage obligations at the losing installation may still be running.
Adding a self-storage unit to that cost stack — a unit you’ll use for three to six weeks during the transition — is an expense that’s easy to avoid with Ship2Storage. Per-box pricing means you pay for what you actually store, not for a unit-sized commitment.
Using Ship2Storage to Bridge the PCS Housing Gap
- Before final out at the losing installation, pack personal items into standard moving boxes.
- Generate prepaid shipping labels from your Ship2Storage account.
- Ship from any carrier location near your current installation.
- Your boxes are stored in our climate-controlled facility during the gap period.
- When your new housing is confirmed at the gaining installation, enter your address. We deliver within a few days.
No truck rental. No self-storage unit at the losing installation. No boxes in a hotel room. Your personal property has a clean holding place through the transition.ress in the country. There’s no long-term contract. Your family doesn’t have to go anywhere.
What to Store vs. What to Move with TMO
The official household goods shipment through the Transportation Management Office handles the bulk of your move: furniture, appliances, and items within your authorized weight allowance. What Ship2Storage handles is the category that falls outside:
- Items you want accessible during the transit period
- Boxes that didn’t make the official shipment weight limit
- Personal property you’re moving independently
- Seasonal items or gear you won’t need until you’re settled
- Children’s items and family keepsakes you want tracked separately
Think of Ship2Storage as handling your personal move independently from the official military move — with full flexibility around your specific timeline.
Temporary Lodging Plus Ship2Storage: The Full Plan
Here’s the clean version of the PCS transition plan using Ship2Storage:
Your household goods arrive through TMO. Your personal boxes arrive through Ship2Storage. You’re set up.
Schedule your TMO household goods pickup as normal.
Pack personal items into Ship2Storage boxes and ship before final out.
Report to new duty station. Check into TLE or temporary lodging.
Complete in-processing. Get your housing assignment.
Log into Ship2Storage and enter your new address. Schedule delivery.
Getting Your Boxes to Your New Duty Station When Housing Is Ready
Update your delivery address in your Ship2Storage account as soon as your new housing is confirmed. We recommend giving a few days of lead time between your delivery request and when you want boxes to arrive. We ship to on-base housing, off-base addresses, and any location nationwide.
If your housing situation is still uncertain at the gaining installation — if you’re on a wait list for on-post housing or still searching for an off-base rental — your boxes stay in storage until you’re ready. Nothing ships until you confirm.
FAQ
How is Ship2Storage different from TMO?
TMO manages your official household goods shipment — furniture, appliances, and items within your authorized weight allowance. Ship2Storage handles personal items you’re moving independently, outside the official system. The two work in parallel, not as a replacement for each other.
Can I store items that aren’t covered by my military move allowance?
Yes. Ship2Storage is a civilian storage service with no connection to your official move entitlements. You can store any personal items that fit our standard size and content guidelines.
What if my orders change while my boxes are in storage?
Update your delivery address in your account. Your boxes stay in storage until you confirm a destination, and you can change that destination as many times as needed before shipment.
Do you deliver to base housing and on-post addresses?
Yes. We deliver to any U.S. address, including on-post family housing, off-base rentals, and any other address at or near your new duty station.
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