Army PCS Weight Allowance — How to Get Every Pound

You are 200 pounds over your weight allowance and the TMO office just told you the overage comes out of your pocket. That conversation happens to thousands of service members every PCS cycle, and most of the time the overage was avoidable. The weight allowance table, DLA maximization, and common weigh-in mistakes are all things you can control — if you know the rules before the movers show up.

Weight Allowance by Rank — The Full Table

Your authorized weight allowance is determined by paygrade and dependency status. These are the JTR-authorized maximum weights for household goods (HHG) shipment:

Without dependents: E-1 through E-4: 8,000 lbs. E-5: 9,000 lbs. E-6: 11,000 lbs. E-7: 13,000 lbs. E-8: 14,000 lbs. E-9: 15,000 lbs. W-1: 10,000 lbs. W-2: 10,500 lbs. W-3: 12,500 lbs. W-4: 13,000 lbs. W-5: 14,500 lbs. O-1/O-2: 10,000 lbs. O-3: 13,000 lbs. O-4: 14,000 lbs. O-5: 16,000 lbs. O-6: 18,000 lbs. O-7 and above: 18,000 lbs.

With dependents: E-1 through E-4: 8,000 lbs. E-5: 9,000 lbs. E-6: 11,000 lbs. E-7: 14,500 lbs. E-8: 16,000 lbs. E-9: 17,000 lbs. W-1: 12,000 lbs. W-2: 13,500 lbs. W-3: 14,500 lbs. W-4: 17,000 lbs. W-5: 17,500 lbs. O-1/O-2: 12,000 lbs. O-3: 14,500 lbs. O-4: 17,000 lbs. O-5: 17,500 lbs. O-6: 18,000 lbs. O-7 and above: 18,000 lbs.

Pro-gear (professional books, papers, and equipment related to your MOS) is excluded from the weight allowance up to 2,000 lbs for the member and 500 lbs for a dependent spouse. This is free weight — use it. Identify and tag your pro-gear before the movers arrive. If it is not tagged and documented, it counts against your HHG allowance.

How DLA Is Calculated and How to Maximize It

Dislocation Allowance (DLA) is a flat-rate payment to offset the costs of relocating — deposits, temporary housing, initial setup expenses. The amount is based on paygrade and dependency status, not distance traveled.

Current DLA rates for an E-6 with dependents: approximately $3,700–4,100 depending on the current year schedule. Without dependents: approximately $2,700–3,100. These amounts are published in the JTR and updated annually.

What counts toward DLA eligibility: you must execute the PCS move, physically relocate, and occupy new housing. What does not trigger DLA: local moves within the same duty station area, TDY/TAD orders, or deployments without a permanent change of station.

Maximization tip: DLA is paid regardless of your actual expenses. Whether you spend $800 or $4,000 on deposits and setup, the DLA amount is the same. Smart PCS planning — securing housing before arrival, minimizing hotel nights during transition, negotiating waived deposits — lets you pocket more of the DLA as net savings rather than expense reimbursement.

Common Mistakes That Cost You Weight at Weigh-In

Not separating pro-gear. Your professional books, tools of the trade, uniforms, and MOS-related equipment should be packed and weighed separately from household goods. Up to 2,000 lbs of pro-gear does not count against your HHG allowance. If the movers pack your pro-gear mixed in with household goods, you lose that exemption and the weight counts against your total. Tag pro-gear before moving day.

Confusing HHG and unaccompanied baggage. Unaccompanied baggage (UB) is a separate weight category with its own limits. HHG and UB weights are combined for the total against your allowance. Some service members ship UB and forget that it reduces the remaining weight available for the full HHG shipment. Know your UB weight before the HHG truck arrives.

Not weighing before the move. The movers weigh the truck empty, load your household, then weigh the truck full. The difference is your shipment weight. If you do not verify the empty weight or the full weight, you have no recourse if the numbers seem wrong. Be present for both weigh-ins when possible, or request copies of the weight tickets immediately.

Keeping items you should have sold or donated. That third couch, the broken treadmill in the garage, and the box of college textbooks from 2012 all have weight. Every PCS is an opportunity to shed items that cost more to move than they are worth. An E-5 at 9,000 lbs does not have room for sentiment. Sell, donate, or dump anything you would not buy again at the next duty station.

Requesting a Reweigh — Your Rights Under JTR

If the weigh-in results seem wrong — the weight is significantly higher than you expected — you have the right to request a reweigh. The JTR authorizes a reweigh when there is reasonable doubt about the accuracy of the original weight tickets.

The timeline matters. Request the reweigh before the shipment is unloaded at your destination. Once the truck is unloaded, a reweigh requires reloading the shipment, which the transportation office may not approve without strong justification.

Contact your TMO (Transportation Management Office) at the destination to initiate a reweigh request. Provide the original weight tickets and explain why you believe the weight is inaccurate. Common valid reasons: the empty truck weight seems too low (which inflates the net weight), or the total weight is dramatically higher than your estimated household goods inventory.

If the reweigh confirms the original weight was accurate, you are responsible for the overage. If the reweigh shows a lower number, the corrected weight becomes the official record. Either way, requesting a reweigh when the numbers do not add up is your right — use it before accepting an overage charge that could cost you thousands.