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National recently attended the Personal Property Activity (PPA) Peak Season Industry Day on April 23, 2026, held near Scott AFB, IL. Attended by Tim Helenthal, Susan Staszewski, Michael Wilson and myself, the following is a summary of key takeaways relevant to our operations as agents and haulers. Overall, the tone from PPA leadership was positive and collaborative — they are clearly open to industry input and committed to continuous improvement. Click here to review the slides.
As a reminder, the Personal Property Activity (PPA) was established on January 23, 2023, as a permanent oversight entity within the Department of Defense for the DP3 program. The PPA is responsible for driving program reform, establishing centralized accountability, and serving as the single command authority—functions that were previously managed by USTRANSCOM.
General Overview
The meeting was chaired by MG Lance Curtis, Commanding General of the PPA. The focus of the day was on achieving a successful 2026 Peak Season through engagement, communication, and accountability. MG Curtis emphasized that PPA’s success depends on industry’s partnership, and he asked that every move be treated with the same care you would give your own household goods. Key messages from leadership:
- PPA is data-driven and will make decisions based on facts, not knee-jerk reactions.
- Industry feedback is actively sought and has already shaped program changes (e.g., expanding from 2 to 4 performance periods, early Traffic Distribution List release).
- The tone was constructive — PPA wants to work through difficult issues together with industry.
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They are awaiting the completion of a DLA study (market study) in June. The purpose was to determine and understand the costs and challenges in the moving industry. Various companies have been interviewed for the survey by the DLA.
Accountability & Enforcement
This was one of the most significant themes of the day. PPA is placing a strong emphasis on accountability at all levels — both industry and government.
- Letters of Warning (LOWs) and Letters of Suspension (LOSs) are being issued at a significantly higher rate. As of the meeting, the number of LOWs and LOSs issued in 2026 already exceeds the total from all of 2025.
- This trend will continue. Every indication is that enforcement actions will remain elevated through peak season and beyond.
- PPA is also working to standardize JPPSO operations to ensure consistent treatment across the enterprise — this means less variation in how different offices operate.
- JPPSO staff assistance visits have resumed, signaling an enterprise-wide accountability push, not just focus on industry.
Bottom line: Make sure your teams are operating to standard. Missed pickups, missed RDDs, and poor communication with service members will result in formal actions.
Peak Season Volume & Performance Data
Scott Matthews (J3 Operations Chief) presented current data on shipment performance:
- Missed pickups are down year-over-year — a positive trend.
- Missed Required Delivery Dates (RDDs) remain an area needing improvement. Notably, 39% of missed RDDs are attributed to Code J (government/AMC terminal delays), which is outside of TSP control.
- 2026 peak season shipment volume is expected to align with the 3-year average.
- Claims satisfaction has improved to 68.5%, up from 60.3% in 2025 and a 3-year average of 52.1% — but PPA wants continued improvement.
- PPA acknowledged that statistical validity of the claim’s satisfaction survey needs to be reviewed, particularly regarding fairness to new market entrants.
Storage Updates (NTS & SIT)
Mr. Matthew’s continued on the topic of storage:
- NTS Tender of Service becomes effective May 15, 2026. The 80% return rate on signed modifications has been noted.
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SIT applications will soon be accepted year-round (previously seasonal). Advisory 26-0078 SIT Warehouse Approvals was released May 4, 2026, confirming.
- Cyber Security Level 1 compliance for NTS stands at 92%. Level 2 Self-Certification will be required for Peak Season 2027.
- CONUS SIT has approximately 611 approved agent facilities. 62 SIT approval packages are currently in process.
Operations & Communication
LtCol Joe Dewson leads the PPA Operations Center and Call Center. A few highlights:
- The Call Center operates 8am–5pm CST now through May 14, then 24/7 from May 15 through September 15 for peak season.
- The Ops Center is staffed by uniformed service members who have personally experienced a military move.
- Proactive communication from TSPs remains a top priority. PPA wants service members kept informed at every step — pickup status, delivery updates, claim status. When TSPs are engaged, service members respond positively.
- A common theme in Ops Center calls: service members struggling to reach their TSP. Once connected, interactions are generally positive. Don’t let that call happen reach out first.
DPS System Updates
Danny Martinez (J3 Systems Integration) walked through several changes coming to the Defense Personal Property System (DPS):
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New: Document Upload for TSP Invoicing: A new “single stop” document upload capability is being added to DPS. TSPs will be able to upload all invoice supporting documents (GBLs, weight tickets, loss and damage forms, inventory sheets, etc.) directly in DPS. This is expected to be completed mid-to-late May. It is NOT mandatory at this time/
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Note: File size limit is 10MB per document.
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Preferred TSP capability has been enhanced — allowing matching of TSPs to service members without additional constraints.
- Manual Offer to All capability added, eliminates the need for external job boards during short-fuse shipments.
- Claims module updates extend the filing window from 9 to 12 months and add dependent inconvenience claim benefits.
- CUI markings are being added to key forms (DD1164, SF1200/1203, DD1252) to protect service member PII.
New PPA Website: PPA.mil
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The new PPA public website launched May 1, 2026, www.ppa.mil. Key features:
- Replaces multiple fragmented websites with a single hub for personal property information.
- Includes an Industry & Government Resource Center with searchable business rules and advisories.
- Military OneSource remains available throughout Peak Season 2026.
- The website is now controlled directly by PPA (not TRANSCOM), so updates should happen faster. If you notice gaps or areas for improvement on the site, PPA welcomes that feedback.
Miscellaneous
These are items the industry brought up and the PPA will review:
- The issue of statistical validity in the claims satisfaction survey.
- Lack of an international fuel surcharge. IAM has provided them with a proposal which they are reviewing.
- FSC baseline rate – unclear why it was changed to $3.50 from $2.50, while freight remains at $2.50. After market study is completed, they will advise.
- Peak season calls will be taken over by Col Mike Aston, who will make it a point to advise on business not addressed during the previous call.
- Dan Bradley of IAM suggested creating a working group to address Conversions from SIT. Too many shipments remain in warehouses but members can’t be located.
- Industry asked about refusal policy, non-DOD approved warehouses, and weekend overtime. COL Ashton mentioned that PPA has access to all the capacity levers of previous years and that they will continue to evaluate the need for those levers.
- Industry stressed the need to bring back the NDA temp warehouse approvals for the summer.
General remarks provided by PPA:
- PPA is putting a plan in place to standardize JPPSO operations to reduce the differences in how each of them operates.
- CMMC Level 2 will be a self-certification.
- Rate filing message will come out earlier: December of 2026 and actual rate filing will be earlier.
- The PPA will continue to grow; over the next 2.5 years, roughly 1500 people will be moving to Scott AFB to join that division.
Looking Ahead: Key Upcoming Dates
- May 2026: Weekly OPS calls with industry begin.
- May 15, 2026: NTS Tender of Service effective; Call Center goes 24/7.
- June–July 2026: IT Industry Day; Cyber Security Self-Certification Level II; Open Season (details on eligibility TBD).
- September 2026: Non-peak season industry engagement; preview of 2027 Business Rules.
- October 2026: Comment period on 2027 HHG & NTS Business Rules.
- November 2026: 2027 Business Rules published.
- December 2026: 45-day Rate Filing message issued.
- January–February 2027: HHG Rate Filing Rounds 1 & 2.
- March 2027: 2027 Traffic Distribution List published.
Closing Thoughts
The relationship between PPA and industry is in a better place than it has been in recent years. PPA leadership is listening, making data-informed decisions, and actively bringing industry into the conversation.
If you have questions about anything discussed in this memo or at the industry day, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us.
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