The decision to use a portable container for a PCS move to Camp Lejeune starts with one question: are you completing a Personally Procured Move, and how will you document the shipment weight? A container can work well for a PPM, formerly called a DITY move, but it isn’t treated the same as a government-arranged shipment.
Before reserving a container, complete the required move counseling and plan the weighing process around your orders, housing access and travel dates. Taking those steps early can prevent paperwork problems later.
Confirm Your PPM Path Through PCS Counseling
A Personally Procured Move puts you in charge of arranging how your belongings are packed, transported and unpacked. You can manage the move yourself or use a commercial option, including a portable moving container. A government-arranged move follows a different process through the military’s transportation system.
Your authorized weight allowance, permitted items and reimbursement requirements are addressed during individual counseling with the Transportation Office. The Defense Personal Property System, often called DPS, is used to schedule military moves and generate required PPM paperwork.
At Camp Lejeune, the required PCS Workshop also covers installation-specific information, shipment weight allowances, entitlements and travel allowances. Use the workshop and your individual counseling appointment to confirm the right move path before committing to dates.
Plan Weight Tickets Before the Container Arrives
For a PPM using a portable container, weight tickets require advance planning. Military OneSource states that the empty container must be weighed before drop-off and that a PPM submission requires both empty and full weight tickets. Failing to arrange that sequence before loading could create a documentation problem for your claim.
When discussing availability and delivery timing, explain that the container will be used for a PCS. Confirm the empty and loaded weighing logistics with us and your Transportation Office before reserving it. The process and accepted documentation should follow your counseling instructions, not assumptions based on another family’s move.
During DPS counseling, the required PPM documents, including DD Form 2278 and DD Form 3166, are generated for your move. Keep your orders, receipts, certified weight records and forms together from the start. Confirm current claim-submission requirements with your local Transportation Office because procedures can change.
Choose a Container Size Based on What Will Travel
Container size depends on more than the number of bedrooms in your home. Large furniture, seasonal belongings, items traveling in your vehicle and possessions staying behind all affect the space you need. Start with what will go to the next duty station, then allow enough room to load safely and secure the furniture.
Our ground-level containers sit 8 inches above the ground, reducing the need to carry heavy belongings up a steep ramp. Built-in tie-down rings help secure furnishings during transport, while ventilation and pressure-treated flooring help protect stored belongings. Padded wheels are intended to protect driveways during placement.
Use these options as a starting point:
- 12-Foot Container: Measures 8 by 8 by 12 feet and provides 768 cubic feet of space, generally suited to about two to three rooms.
- 16-Foot Container: Measures 8 by 8 by 16 feet and provides 1,024 cubic feet of space, generally suited to about three to four rooms.
- 20-Foot Container: Measures 8 by 8 by 20 feet and provides 1,280 cubic feet of space, generally suited to about four to six rooms.
You control access to the container and provide your own padlock. As you sort, set aside prohibited or separately regulated items to discuss during PCS counseling. Firearms, for example, have inspection requirements and shouldn’t be placed in a locked container or safe for shipment or storage without following the applicable rules.
Separate PPM Containers from Government Shipment Options
A container arranged for a PPM is separate from government-arranged containerization. For a government shipment, containerization means placing the entire personal property shipment into large external containers for transportation. Crating uses smaller crates for specific items that need added protection.
Containerization isn’t automatic. It must be requested and discussed during Transportation Office counseling, and the service member may be responsible for the difference if it costs more than a standard loose-load shipment. Arranging a PPM container doesn’t replace that conversation.
Storage options are also separate. Storage in transit generally covers a temporary period connected to a shipment. Non-temporary storage is long-term storage for belongings that won’t go to the new duty station and often remain near the origin for the duration of the tour. Ask the Transportation Office which entitlement, if any, applies before deciding what stays behind.
Plan for the Gap Before Your Belongings Arrive
Account for more than the container’s pickup date. Consider when you can access your new home, how long you need to load, your travel dates and whether there will be a gap before you need your belongings. Self-paced loading works best when it reflects the actual availability of both homes.
Camp Lejeune offers resources for this transition, including PCS planning consultations, workshops, predeparture briefings and the Plan My Move online checklist tool. Families awaiting household goods delivery can also use the Military and Family Support Center Loan Locker in Building 84, which provides basic household items free for up to 30 days.
Our process is straightforward: we deliver and place the container, and you load it on your schedule. We then move the loaded container to your new location or a secure off-site storage facility and redeliver it when you’re ready.
Follow the PPM Steps in Order
Begin with Transportation Office counseling, confirm your documentation and weighing requirements, choose a container based on what will travel, and then schedule delivery around your loading and PCS dates. This order keeps the reservation aligned with the military requirements supporting your claim.
For families comparing moving storage containers in Maysville, North Carolina, Go Mini's of Eastern North Carolina provides delivery, pickup, secure off-site storage and redelivery for the self-paced portion of a move. Call (910) 773-4438 to discuss container availability and timing.
