A partial PPM move works like this: government-contracted movers pack and ship the bulk of your household goods, and you move a portion yourself, in your own car or a rental truck. You get paid for whatever weight you move. The payment follows the same rule as a full PPM: DoD reimburses 100 percent of what it would have cost the government to move that weight, called the Government Constructive Cost, plus a 3 percent incentive, for 103 percent total.
The math on a partial is smaller than a full PPM, but so is the work. Say you move 2,000 pounds yourself out of a 7,000-pound shipment, and the government's cost for that weight would have been $4,000. Your reimbursement is $4,120, and your actual cost to move 2,000 pounds in your own SUV, gas, maybe one night in a hotel, is a fraction of that. The furniture, the heavy lifting, and the liability for damage all ride with the government mover.
Partial PPM example: 2,000 of 7,000 lbs self-moved
Can you do a partial PPM move? The decision rules
Do a partial PPM when you want the payout without the full-time moving job. It is the right call if you have valuables, firearms, important documents, or kid and pet essentials you refuse to hand to a crew, because the partial gives you a paid reason to keep them with you. It is also the right call when the government move is scheduled but you need basics at the new house before the main shipment arrives; the stuff in your car tides you over.
Do a full PPM when the money is the mission and you have the time and hands to pack, load, drive, and unload everything. The payout scales with weight, so the full move is where the real profit lives, but it is a multi-day physical project, not a side errand.
Skip the PPM entirely when your life cannot absorb the logistics: a newborn, a deployment, a move with four small kids and no help. The reimbursement is never worth a move that breaks you. The government move exists for exactly these seasons.
The part that makes or breaks it: weigh tickets
A partial PPM lives or dies on the same paperwork as a full one. You need an empty weight ticket and a full weight ticket for each vehicle or trailer, from a certified scale, showing the vehicle identification, date, and location. Weigh empty before you load, weigh full after. PCS counselors repeat this because it is the number one way people lose money they already earned: no valid tickets, no payment for the weight.
Before any of it, visit your transportation office for an estimate. The reimbursement is based on weight and mileage within your allowance, not on what you spent, and the office can tell you what your weight will actually pay before you commit. That estimate is the difference between a profitable partial and a surprise.
Frequently asked questions
Can you do a partial PPM move and still use government movers?
Yes. That is exactly what a partial PPM is: government movers handle most of your goods, and you move a portion yourself for reimbursement based on the weight you move.
How much do you get paid for a partial PPM?
103 percent of the Government Constructive Cost for the weight you move, the 100 percent base plus the 3 percent incentive. It is based on weight and distance, not on your receipts.
Is the partial PPM money taxable?
Yes. Expect an additional W-2 at year end. Keep receipts for everything, because your expenses offset the taxable income.
What weight tickets do I need?
Empty and full tickets per vehicle or trailer from a certified scale, with vehicle ID, date, and location. See how weight tickets work for the full requirements.
Partial or full PPM, which pays more?
Full, because you move more weight. Partial pays less but asks far less of you. Most families choose the partial for the balance of control and effort.