A member is entitled to ship one privately owned vehicle to or
from an overseas location at government expense. Since this can be
complicated, you need to contact the TMO as soon as you get
orders. Not all cars may be able to be shipped for a variety of
reasons. You must deliver the vehicle to the port or vehicle
processing center nearest your next duty station. After you get to your overseas
station, you must go to the receiving port or vehicle station to pick up your
vehicle. If you decide to buy a foreign-made car overseas, the car
cannot be shipped back to the US at full government expense.
The TMO does
not process in-bound shipment of POVs. It is the service member's
responsibility to contact the receiving port. If your vehicle arrives at the
destination port ahead of you, it will be held at the
terminal. Limited terminal space and prolonged storage may eventually
cause the terminal to move your POV to a commercial storage
facility. You must pay the cost of the commercial storage.
The
port personnel will unload your vehicle, connect the battery and provide enough
gasoline to get you to a gas station. They also unpack the
accessories and emergency tools packed at origin and reinstall accessories as
appropriate. Before the vehicle is released, the port personnel will conduct an
inspection of the vehicle with you to identify and acknowledge any damage that
occurred during shipment. The vehicle is released when you (or your
agent) and the terminal inspector sign the DD Form 788 initiated at the origin
port. Be sure you are given at least one copy of the signed form.
To
avoid problems, check with your transportation office before taking your POV to
a port. Ensure that the particular port you want to take your vehicle
to services your area. This information is designed for military and civilian
personnel authorized to ship POVs at government expense. It is based
on entitlements found in Joint Federal Travel Regulations (JFTR), Volume I, for
military members and Joint Travel Regulations (JTR), Volume II, for civilian
employees. In addition, it contains information generally found in
Department of Defense (DOD 4500.34R, Personal Property Traffic Management
Regulation.
One POV owned by you or your dependent may be shipped at
government expense. It must, however, be for you or your dependent's
personal use only. If you desire to make your own arrangements and
ship an additional POV, consult your transportation office for any restrictions
that may apply. You may be required to pay an import duty on a second
POV.
The POV should be delivered to the port prior to the departure of
the person on whose orders the shipment is to be made. This includes
dependent travel authorizations when no POV has been previously shipped on the
sponsor's orders. A POV will also be accepted for shipment if
delivered to the CONUS port within 90 days from the date of departure of the
member (or dependents) from CONUS, the POV may only be shipped upon written
approval from the overseas commander.
Make sure your POV is in safe and
operable condition when it is turned in at the port. Failure to do so
may cause for the terminal commander to refuse your POV for
shipment.
Make sure your POV meets any host nation emission control and
safety standards. The DOD POV Export Control Program (ECP) is an
important program which has been approved and authorized by the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) in conjunction with DOD to assist in protecting the
catalyst systems on POVs being shipped overseas to countries where unleaded gas
is not available. This is done by removing catalyst pellets,
converters, and oxygen sensors and by using fuel-line adapters or removing fuel
filler pipe constricting devices.
All DOD members, both military and
civilian, on PCS orders to or from overseas locations may participate in the
ECP. Program participation is voluntary, since all costs associated
with the removal and refit of a catalyst system are paid by you. The
ECP is limited to 1976 and newer vehicles with catalytic converters.
You
must acquire an EPA waiver letter from your local transportation
office before the emission control components are removed. You will
need copies of your PCS orders and vehicle registration, and you must know the
date you will turn your POV into the port for shipment. Any emission
control equipment which is removed from your POV must be retained in the POV and
not shipped or stored separately. The EPA waiver letter will allow
you to have your emission control components removed up to 10 working days (14
calendar days) prior to the turn-in of the vehicle to the terminal for
shipment Your POV may be exposed to freezing temperatures during
shipment or during storage at the destination terminal. For this
reason, you should safeguard the POVs cooling system with a permanent type
antifreeze solution. An antifreeze testing to minus 20 degrees F or
lower should be used.
You must ensure that your POV contains no more than
one-fourth tank of fuel when it is delivered to the loading
terminal. A POV with a diesel engine may be shipped with the fuel
tank 3/4 full.
All exterior surfaces, including the undercarriage, must
be clean and free of soil and other foreign matter before turn-in at the
terminal. You may also want to consider rust protection and
undercoating prior to shipment.
Discuss host nation requirements with
your local transportation office before departing your current duty
station. You may be able to do some of the modifications before you
depart. Some may have to be done overseas to prevent violations of US
emission of safety standards during your trip to the port. Also, you should have
a valid safety inspection sticker, if one is required, from the state in which
the POV is registered. If the state requires an emission control
inspection certification, make sure one is affixed to the vehicle.
You
must ensure that only authorized personal articles remain in your POV when it is
turned in for processing. The value of tools and tool boxes may not
exceed the value prescribed by the JTR. AM/FM, citizen band radios,
other radios, tape decks, and other accessories not permanently mounted must be
removed before turning in the vehicle for shipment. Also, shipment in
your POV of any flammables or hazardous substance, including flares, waxes,
oils, solvents, and polishes are prohibited. Only the following items
of personal property may remain in the vehicle: items considered as
normal vehicular tools, such as jacks, tire irons, tire chains, tire inflater,
first-aid kits, jumper cables, warning triangle, and basic hand tools; one spare
tire and two snow tires (mounted or unmounted); cribs and children's car seats
used for the movement of children to or from the port; luggage racks; and small
items, such as thermos bottles, bottle warmers, and seat cushions, used for your
comfort and convenience during motor trips to the port.
Naval Supply
Center-POV Processing Center Location: Bldg X17, Norfolk Naval Base
Telephone: 804-444-4505 / (DSN) 564-4505 Hours: 0800 -
1200 and 12:30 - 4:30
Military Ocean Terminal
Location: Oakland Army Base, Oakland, CA
Telephone: 415-466-3365/66/67 (DSN)856-3365
Hours: 8:00 - 3:30
MTMC, Southern California Outport
Location: 1520 S. Wilmington
Ave, Compton, CA 90220
Telephone: 310-604-1182 / (DSN) 833-3835 Hours: 8:00 -
4:00
MTMC, Gulf Outport Location: 4400 Dauphine St, New
Orleans, Louisiana
Telephone: 363-1218 Hours: 0800 - 1200 / 1300 -
1600
MTMC POV Processing Center Location: Charles Price
Support Ctr, Granite City, IL Telephone: 618-451-4654/4606 DSN:
892-4606 Hours: 8:00 - 4:30
MTMC Pacific NW Outport
Location: GSA HQ Bldg, Auburn, WA Telephone: 206-762-9200/833-5108
DSN: 744-3109 Hours: 0800 - 1530 M-F; 0900 - 1200 Sat
MTMCEA
South Atlantic Outport Location: Bldg 238, Naval Weapons Station,
North Charleston,
SC Telephone: 803-743-5470/5471 DSN:
563-5470 Hours: 0800 - 1630
Cape Canaveral Outport
Location: Bldg 1062, Cape Canaveral AF Station, FL
Telephone: 407-853-7711/7712, DSN: 467-7711 Hours: 0800 -
1100 and 1300 - 1430
MTMC Baltimore Outport Location: Dundalk
Marine Terminal, southeast corner of Baltimore,
MD
Telephone: 410-671-3701/2536
(DSN)584-2536
Hours: 0800 - 1130 and 1300 -
1600
Military Ocean Terminal Location: Foot of 32nd St.
Bayonne, NJ Telephone: 201-823-6611/6612 DSN:
247-6611
Hours: 0800 - 1130 and 1300 - 1600