1st Lt. Kathryn Bailey watches movers unload her household goods in this file photo. (Photo by Karen A. Iwamoto, Oahu Publications)

Fort Belvoir Begins Local Moves Under the New Global Household Goods Contract

Process improvement is never-ending, and the Department of Defense is rolling out a more efficient, centralized process for DOD and Coast Guard Family moves, according to U.S. Transportation Command’s (USTRANSCOM) Defense Personal Property Management Office (DPMO), using the new Global Household Goods Contract (GHC).

Robert Dawson, DPMO Director, said in an October release that the initial local moves have been positive experiences.

“GHC transition activities continue as planned. Over the summer months, I've had the opportunity to travel and meet multiple Families and shipping office personnel who have scheduled a move under GHC with positive feedback about their experiences,” Dawson said.

If you are a Fort Belvoir Family planning an upcoming move, you might have the opportunity to be among the first to experience a new and improved process. Beginning November 4th, select personal property shipments moving locally within the National Capital Region and to other CONUS destinations will now be moved under the new Global Household Goods Contract. The purpose of GHC is to provide an improved relocation experience for Defense Department and Coast Guard personnel and their families.  

Virginia and Maryland are both states where installations will launch GHC by year’s end. GHC offers numerous benefits for customers, including:

ENHANCED COMMUNICATION

·        A HomeSafe customer care representative will be assigned to your account to serve as a single point-of-contact for any questions or concerns throughout your moving experience.

·        You can also expect increased support hours (24 hours, seven days per week) and decreased wait times when calling (4 minutes or less).

MODERN, DIGITAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

·        You will find easy to use, secure, mobile-device friendly systems to coordinate all phases of your move right from a cell phone or tablet.

·        You can expect in-transit information about your shipments, which includes real-time location tracking once the moving truck is within 10 miles of your residence.

SIMPLIFIED CLAIMS PROCESS

·        Thanks to online, easy-to-read, electronic inventories with photos of your belongings, you will have a much easier and quicker time identifying and sharing information about any loss or damage to your belongings.

·        In instances of late pickups or missed delivery dates, you can work directly with HomeSafe for a streamlined process for inconvenience claims compensation based on all individuals on your relocation order.

GREATER UTILIZATION OF RESOURCES

·        The single-move-manager model means HomeSafe will be able to utilize trucks, storage and routes more effectively resulting in:

o   More options for scheduling your pack out, pickup and delivery

o   Shorter transit times with increased on-time pickups and deliveries

INCREASED PROVIDER STANDARDS

·        Moving providers operating under the HomeSafe network are required to adhere to the Service Contract Act (SCA), which requires workers to be paid the prevailing local wage and benefits. This will help ensure that higher quality employees are hired.

·        Know that that those moving, packing and unpacking your belongings have received full training, pass background checks, and are easily identifiable as company personnel both in person and on the HomeSafe Connect app so you’ll always know who is in your home.

Dawson noted that initial feedback has been promising, with more than 97 percent of customers rated their overall move experience as satisfied or better, and he hopes to hear from more service Families on how they can improve the process.

Learn more about the new GHC process for Defense Department and Coast Guard Families at Military OneSource

Paul Lara, Fort Belvoir Public Affairs