DITY / PPM Move Payout: How the Government Calculates Your Money (2026)

September 13, 2026 | 8 min read | By Military Life Tools

A DITY move, officially called a Personally Procured Move (PPM), is one of the few times the military hands you a pile of cash and says "figure it out." Done well, you pocket thousands. Done sloppy, you lose it to missing weight tickets and rental trucks. Here is exactly how the payout is built.

The payout formula

The government pays you 100% of what it would have paid a contracted mover for the same shipment. In practice that comes down to two numbers:

Payout ≈ your authorized weight ÷ 100 × the rate per hundredweight (CWT) for your move's distance

• Your weight: proven by certified weight tickets, capped at your rank-based entitlement (roughly 5,000 to 18,000 lbs depending on rank and dependents).
• The CWT rate: set each year, based on the mileage between duty stations. Longer moves pay more per pound.

You also keep the travel allowances (per diem, MALT mileage for your vehicle) that any PCS traveler gets, separate from the PPM incentive itself.

Worked example: E-5, 8,000 lbs, ~900 miles

The incentive itself is fixed; your profit is whatever you keep. Every dollar you do not spend on the truck, the fuel, or the pizza is a dollar earned. This is why the members who profit most either already own tow-capable vehicles or move small households.

Weight tickets: where DITY moves are won and lost

• Weigh empty, then loaded, at both ends. Four tickets is the gold standard: empty + loaded at origin, loaded + empty at destination. The net weight is what you are paid on.
• Use certified scales. CAT scales at truck stops, landfill scales, and grain elevators all issue certified tickets. A handwritten number from a buddy's scale will be rejected.
• Include the trailer in both weights. The trailer's weight cancels out in the net math, but only if it appears on both tickets.
• Photograph everything. Tickets get lost in TMO paperwork constantly. A phone photo of every ticket has saved more than one payout.

Partial PPM: the underrated option

You do not have to choose all-or-nothing. Many families let government movers take the heavy furniture and PPM the boxes, electronics, and valuables they do not want strangers handling. You are paid the incentive only on the weight you prove you moved yourself, so a partial PPM still nets real money with far less risk than hauling an entire household.

Is a DITY move worth it in 2026?

Worth it when: your household is light, you can use your own vehicle or a cheap rental, the route is straightforward, and you can complete the move fast. Not worth it when: you have a fully furnished large household, a cross-country route with mountain grades, or no time buffer (PPM moves run on your schedule, but delays are your problem). Run the weight and distance through the current CWT rates before committing, and remember the payout is the same whether your move is smooth or miserable.

Bottom line

The PPM incentive is fixed by two numbers, weight and distance. Your profit is the gap between that number and what you spend. Get four certified weight tickets, keep expenses lean, and a DITY move is one of the best-paying weeks the military will ever hand you.

Frequently asked questions