Accessorial (Additional) Services – services such as packing, unpacking, extra stop, or shuttle that you request to be performed (or are necessary because of landlord requirements or other special circumstances). Charges for these services are in addition to the transportation costs.

Agent – an affiliated moving company authorized to act on behalf of the TSP (Transportation Service Provider). The agent may handle the booking, origin, hauling and/or destination services.

Attempted Pickup and/or Delivery - The use of labor and/or vehicles to perform pickup or delivery of property at the member's residence when ordered by the Personal Property Shipping Officer and service cannot be performed.

Baggage - Personal effects of a traveler that are needed in connection with official travel and immediately upon arrival at the point of assignment. Material belonging to the Government may be included. (NOTE: Baggage may accompany a traveler or be transported separately.)

Bulky Article – to ensure safe transportation, some articles included in a shipment (i.e., big screen TVs, motorcycles, hot tubs, etc.) require extra handling and/or blocking.

Claim – statement of loss, damage, or delay to a household good shipment while in the care, custody or control of the TSP or its affiliated agent.

Continental United States (CONUS) - The 48 contiguous States and the District of Columbia. Excludes Hawaii and Alaska.

DPS-DPS (Defense Personal property System) IS the backbone of Families First. It  will automate and simplify the PCS move process. DPS is the one-stop source for managing personal property moves. It will provide 24-hour access to personal property shipment information throughout the entire moving process.

Freight Forwarder-A firm other than a railroad, motor, water, or air carrier which represents itself as a common carrier, and undertakes to assemble and consolidate shipments, or provide for assembling and consolidating, and performing or providing for the performance of breakbulk and distributing; assumes responsibility for the transportation of such property from point of receipt to point of destination; and uses the services of carriers subject to the governing bodies. 

Government Bill of Lading/Bill of Lading- A government document used to procure transportation and related services from commercial carriers. The carrier should give you a copy of the GBL/BL at time of pickup. A copy of the GBL/BL is required when filing a claim. 

Gross Weight- The aggregate weight of all articles plus necessary packing materials and shipping containers.

The Interim Customer Satisfaction Survey - (ICSS) is the primary source of data that will be used in determining the performance portion of each TSP’s Best Value Score. Each customer moving under the DOD program will be counseled on the importance of completing the CSS on the web upon delivery of each shipment moved.

Inventory – a detailed descriptive list of the items in the shipment and their condition before the van is loaded.

Line-haul- Transportation of cargo over carrier routes from point of origin to destination, excluding local pickup, delivery, local drayage, and switching services. 

Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command (SDDC) - A major command of the United States Army and the United States Transportation Command’s component command responsible for designated continental United States land transportation as well as common-user water terminal and traffic management service to deploy, employ, sustain, and redeploy United States forces on a global basis. 

Mobile Home -A mobile dwelling constructed or converted and intended for use as a permanent residence and designed to be moved, either self-propelled or towed. It includes a house trailer, a privately-owned railcar converted for use as a residence (51 Comp. Gen. 806 (1972)), and a boat a member uses as the place of principal residence (62 Comp. Gen. 292 (1983)), as well as all HHG and PBP&E contained in the mobile home and owned or intended for use by the member or the members' dependents. 

Net Weight-The net weight of shipments transported in containers will be the difference between the tare weight of the empty container and the gross weight of the packed container. 

Non-Temporary Storage (NTS)- Long-term HHG storage in lieu of transportation. NTS includes necessary packing, crating, unpacking, uncrating, transportation to and from the storage location(s), storage, and other directly related necessary services. Also referred to as Extended Storage. 

Overflow – when articles to be shipped are left behind due to insufficient space on the primary van. An additional van(s) is then utilized for transportation and delivery.

Overseas (OCONUS) -All locations, including Alaska and Hawaii, outside the continental United States. Note: Alaska is considered domestic for household goods and overseas for unaccompanied baggage.

Pre-Move Survey – performed by an agent to examine the customer's belongings in order to develop an estimate of move weight.

Privately Owned (Motor) Vehicle (POV) -

1. Any motor vehicle owned by, or on a long-term lease (12 or more months) to, a member or a dependent of the member for the primary purpose of providing personal transportation that:
   
   • is self-propelled;
   • is licensed to travel on the public highways;
   • is designed to carry passengers or HHG; and
   • has four or more wheels; or at a member's option, is a motorcycle or moped, if the member doesn't ship a vehicle with four or more wheels on the same orders.
2. As used in Chapter 6, a POV is a motor vehicle that is owned by the member (or a dependent of the member) and is for the personal use of the member or the member's dependents.

NOTE 1: In the case of a leased vehicle, the member must provide written authority from the leasing company to have the vehicle transported to the new PDS, designated place, or other authorized destination. All requirements stated in the lease are the responsibility of the member.

NOTE 2: A trailer, airplane, or any vehicle intended for commercial use is not a POV.

Professional Books, Papers, and Equipment -(Also called PRO or PRO-Gear.) Articles of HHG in a member's possession needed for the performance of official duties at the next or a later destination.

Prohibited Items – the TSP will not accept shipment property that will contaminate or damage (i.e., bug infestations, chemicals, propane tanks, etc.) the carrier's property or the property of other customers, nor will it remove items that would damage the article or the premises (i.e., furniture that will not fit through doorways). Further, the carrier will not accept liability for items of a perishable nature (food, wine collections, plants, etc.).

Required Delivery Date - A specified calendar date on or before which the carrier agrees to offer the entire shipment of personal property for delivery to the member/employee or member’s/employee’s carrier’s agent at destination. If the Required Delivery Date (RDD) falls on a Saturday, Sunday, Foreign National, United States National, or state holiday, the RDD will be the following working day.

Reweigh –a reweigh can be made through the transportation office either at origin or at destination prior to delivery of the shipment. If a reweigh is performed the actual charges will be based upon the lowest weight, regardless of whether the reweigh weight is higher or lower than the first weight of the shipment.

Shuttle Service – used if the assigned over-the-road van is unable to make a normal pickup or delivery because of physical constraints (extremely narrow road, inadequate parking area for the truck, weak bridge, etc.). A shuttle service is the use of a secondary, smaller vehicle to complete the pickup or delivery.

Storage-in-Transit (SIT) – the temporary storage of your household goods in the warehouse of the TSP’s agent, pending further transportation at a later date.

Third-Party Services – performed by someone other than the TSP or its agents at your request or required by federal, state or local law (e.g., appliance servicing, crating).

Transit Time -The established time for the movement of a shipment from origin to destination. This time is determined by counting the day after pickup as the first day. Saturdays and Sundays are counted as part of the transit time.

Transportation Service Provider (TSP): Any individual, company, or corporation commercially engaged in transporting household goods. TSP’s are being surveyed with the Customer Satisfaction Survey.

Unpacking – removing the customer's goods from containers and placing them on a flat surface, as well as the disposal of such containers and packing materials. If ordered, unpacking service must be performed at the time of delivery unless requested otherwise.

Verify Accuracy of Excess Cost – To avoid excess weight charges, stay within your authorized weight allowance by estimating early and disposing of unnecessary possessions. When you receive a notification for exceeding your weight allowance, check it carefully. Often you may not have received credit for professional books, papers, and equipment or some other entitlement. If you have any question concerning your excess weight contact your Transportation Office.