Anyone used the military moving service to relocate?

Niffa2003

I have some questions...we currently live in southeastern PA and my H just started a job at Ft. Meade.  We just got our closing date on the house we're buying and we used the website to schedule the movers.  My questions are:

Why is it taking five days for our stuff to get to Maryland when it's only a two hour drive?  They're supposed to come and start packing on the 24th and our stuff isn't going to arrive at our house until the 29th.  Are they taking extra time for packing?

Will someone be contacting me?  All it says is someone will show up at our place sometime between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. to start packing. 

TIA!

Amaristella

Technically someone is supposed to contact you prior to the packing people showing up, but sometimes things don't go as they should.

The arrival date for your household goods isn't carved in stone. I think that they'd rather overestimate than underestimate. You shipment may arrive sooner than planned. Plus, you don't actually know what else is going on with that truck. They may be using a large truck that has other shipments in it as well although for such a short distance it should be less likely that that would be the case.

Feel free to check the FAQ link in my signature for information on military moves.

Niffa2003

Thanks so much!  I feel so disconnected from everything because my H has been doing all this and it doesn't help that he's in MD all week while I'm still at home.  I feel like I'm not getting the whole story.  I'll definitely check the link in your sig.

Audette

They have probably estimated a 3 day pack & load - they'll start packing up your household goods on the 24th, take the weekend off, continue on the 27, and on the 28th, finish packing up and get the truck loaded (or maybe, depending on the estimate, loading the truck will wait until the 29th).

Smudges*Mom

Niffa2003:

I feel like I'm not getting the whole story.

Welcome to life as a military dependent (or, as it seems dependent of a civilian employee)! LOL! I'm only kind of kidding. I completely trust my DH, but I feel like I never know all of what's going on. I think, for us/me. It's the disconnect between military and civilian life. There are aspects of DH's military career/experience that I will never understand. In civilian life, the same can be said, but, most civilian careers don't impact one's family as significantly as the military, so the disconnect is magnified. Anyway, I've just learned to ask my questions, be prepared and trust that my DH has things under control. As a civilian employee (which it sounds like your DH is), there will be elements of this for you as well, perhaps. It just takes some getting used to.

As for the move, they guesstimate how long it will take to pack your belongings and also to load them. Sometimes, they are off. They scheduled us for two packing days next week, but when the dude who came to survey our household goods saw what we have, he said it would take only one day. As for the delivery date. . . The truck could be making drop-offs before yours or, they are under-promising. We did a "short" (for us move) from Richmond, VA to Nashville, TN, and it was a little truck and we had our stuff almost immediately. But, better to be prepared, just in case. Best of luck with the move!