What the Pentagon’s New Personal Property Activity Means for PCS Vehicle Shipping

Published: April 27, 2026

Military families are getting a lot of mixed information right now about changes to how PCS moves work. The Pentagon did make a big change — it replaced SDDC (Surface Deployment and Distribution Command) with a new organization called the Personal Property Activity (PPA). HomeSafe Alliance, the company that held the household goods contract, is out.

Here’s what actually changed, what didn’t, and what this means for your vehicle shipment.

What Changed: Household Goods, Not Vehicles

The restructuring at the Pentagon affects household goods — furniture, boxes, appliances, the contents of your home. That’s the part of a PCS move that went through SDDC and then through HomeSafe Alliance after the Global Household Goods Contract (GHC) went live in 2024.

HomeSafe had a rough rollout. Pickup delays, lost shipments, poor customer service, and a flood of complaints from service members pushed DoD to act. The Personal Property Activity (PPA) replaces SDDC as the military’s program manager for household goods moving forward.

This is a significant organizational change — but it applies to the household goods side of PCS moves.

Vehicle shipping operates under a completely separate contract. TGAL holds a GPC-5 contract (Government Purchase Card 5), which governs the international vehicle shipping program for military members on overseas orders. GPC-5 has nothing to do with HomeSafe Alliance, nothing to do with PPA oversight of household goods, and is not affected by the SDDC-to-PPA transition.

What Did NOT Change

Your vehicle shipping entitlement. If your orders entitle you to ship one vehicle internationally at government expense, that entitlement is the same as it was before. The PPA transition doesn’t alter that.

TGAL’s contract. Our GPC-5 authorization is current. We are actively booking shipments for military members on overseas orders today.

The process for booking vehicle shipping. You still contact your transportation office, they coordinate with authorized carriers like TGAL, and we handle the move. The PPA change doesn’t create a new portal, a new booking process, or new forms for vehicle shipping.

Why the Confusion Is Happening

PCS moves are stressful. When the Pentagon announces a major reorganization, service members understandably assume it affects everything — including their cars. Add in the fact that the HomeSafe Alliance problems were widely covered in military community Facebook groups and military news outlets, and a lot of families are worried their vehicle shipments are caught up in the same mess.

They’re not. But the confusion is understandable, and your transportation office may not have had time to clearly explain the distinction if you’ve already been briefed.

What Military Families Actually Need to Know Right Now

If you’re on orders to an overseas assignment: Contact your transportation office first, then call TGAL. We handle vehicle shipping under GPC-5. Our process hasn’t changed and our capacity is normal.

If you’re shipping a second vehicle on your own dime: The government covers one vehicle under your entitlement. TGAL handles additional vehicles at commercial rates. The PPA change doesn’t affect this — it’s a direct commercial arrangement between you and TGAL.

If you have questions about household goods: That’s where the PPA changes do apply. Talk to your transportation office about the new GHC process under PPA oversight. That’s a separate lane from your vehicle shipment.

If someone told you vehicle shipping is “on hold” due to the DoD changes: That’s incorrect information. We’re booking and moving vehicles on regular schedules right now. The only active disruption to overseas vehicle shipping is the Hormuz strait situation for Middle East posts — which is a separate issue (see our Hormuz update).

Timeline: When Is It a Problem to Contact Us Late?

Summer PCS season — June through August — is when military moves peak. Every year we see families who waited too long and are scrambling to get their vehicle on a vessel before their reporting date. The PPA confusion has already caused some families to delay contacting vehicle shipping providers because they thought everything was “frozen.”

It’s not. But summer vessel space fills up. If you have orders dated this spring or early summer:

• Contact your transportation office now
• Call TGAL to get your shipment scheduled
• Don’t wait for the household goods situation to resolve before starting the vehicle process — they’re independent

TGAL’s Role in Your PCS Move

We’ve been shipping military vehicles internationally for over 25 years. We understand PCS orders, government entitlements, and how to coordinate with transportation offices at installations worldwide. We also handle additional vehicles for families shipping on their own account.

If you’re unsure whether your vehicle shipping is covered under your orders, we can help you figure that out — we’ve had that conversation enough times to walk you through it in about five minutes.

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Questions about your PCS vehicle shipment?

📞 (817) 354-8313

Or reach out online: tgal.us/free-international-shipping-quotes/

Tell us your destination installation and orders date. We’ll tell you exactly what the process looks like and get you scheduled.