Tips for Your Next Military Move
March 19, 2018
Moving can be a stressful time for everybody, especially for military families, and Penske Truck Rental is here to help make your next military move a hassle-free mission.
<p>With Permanent Change of Station (PCS) season around the corner, some military families may be looking for guidance on their Personally Procured Moves (PPM), formerly known as “do-it-yourself” (DITY) moves. If you and your family are about to embark on this type of move, follow these tips to help make it a success:</p><p><strong>Keep your receipts.</strong> <a href="https://www.move.mil/faqs#travel-tips" rel="noopener">The U.S. Transportation Command</a> suggests that you hold on to any toll receipts, weight ticket receipts and packing materials. You can be <a href="http://www.militaryonesource.mil/web/mos/moving-benefits" rel="noopener">reimbursed</a> for some of your travel expenses.</p><p><strong>Weight can’t wait.</strong> Remember, if you plan a do-it-yourself move, you are required to weigh your vehicle before and after you load it. Weight limit reimbursements are set depending on a soldier’s rank and dependents, but the traditional weights are estimated at 1,000 pounds per room, excluding bathrooms and storage areas.</p><p>To help with weight certifications, Penske offers a <a href="http://www.publicscaleslocator.com/" rel="noopener">Certified Public Scale locator</a> tool online to help PPM movers find weight stations.</p><p><strong>Call for assistance.</strong> Penske has a dedicated <a href="https://www.pensketruckrental.com/discounts/military/" rel="noopener">military call center</a> ready to assist active and veteran members of the U.S. military and their families with PPM moves.</p><p>In addition to receiving specialized training to assist military members through this process, every call center associate has a military connection: as a veteran or with a family member who is active duty, reservist or a veteran. You can reach the call center via this toll-free number: <strong>1-844-4TROOPS (1-844-487-6677)</strong>.</p><p><strong>Choose the right size truck.</strong> If you plan to conduct a PPM, be sure to take advantage of the <a href="https://www.pensketruckrental.com/moving-trucks/truck-wizard/" rel="noopener">Penske Truck Wizard</a> to help you determine what size truck is best for your move.</p><p><strong>Save with discounts.</strong> Learn how you can get extra savings for your move. We offer a military discount on truck rentals at more than 2,300 convenient locations. Active military members and veterans can check out <a href="https://www.pensketruckrental.com/discounts/military/" rel="noopener">Penske’s discounts</a> of up to 20 percent.</p><p><em>By “Move Ahead” Staff</em></p></div>
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Penske’s Military Call Center a Valuable Resource
April 03, 2015
For those in the military, moving often becomes a way of life. While packing up everything and shipping off to new locations can be stressful, employees ofPenske Truck Rental’s specialized military call center are easing the anxiety of a do-it-yourself move. The Armed Services refers to these types of moves as a PCS (Permanent Change of Station).
<p>Since the call center was established last April, the team has helped service members make over 3,800 moves. According to Rebecca Sheehan, the center supervisor, military personnel feel an immediate connection with military call center associates because of shared life experiences.</p><p>“Things like knowing the lingo and being able to communicate through shared experiences really makes our military customers trust Penske,” said Sheehan. “They really build a connection on a personal and friendly level.”</p><p>The center is staffed by an experienced group of Penske associates who each have a military connection. Whether they served or have family in the military, each member knows exactly what goes into making these moves successful.</p><p>“We work hard to find solutions to their problems because we know these problems first hand,” said Joe Dezotell, a retired member of the U.S. Army. “We do everything we can to alleviate any stress for them.”</p><p>This level of familiarity, along with great customer service, has made the military call center a valuable resource for military personnel.</p><p>“If I get a call from someone who is stationed where my son is or has been stationed, then I can relate to them,” said Ellen Davis, a call center associate, whose son serves in the U.S. Army. “I make a connection with them and it puts them at ease.”</p><p>Sheehan feels that this connection to the military makes them go the extra mile for customers. She says associates build rapport with people who are going through a stressful and taxing process.</p><p>“Every person on the team takes pride in helping a fellow service member and goes above and beyond to make sure they feel comfortable making the journey to their new location,” Sheehan explained.</p><p>As the military call center enters its second year of operation, Sheehan thinks these personal connections will continue driving its success.</p><p>“The call center is staffed by a team of great people who take pride and pleasure in being able to help a fellow service member,” she said. “They all have great customer service skills and help each military customer feel as if they were family.”</p><p>If you are in the military and need assistance with a move, call Penske’s military call center at 1-844-4TROOPS (1-844-487-6677). <a href="http://www.pensketruckrental.com/discounts/military/">Click here</a> for more information and discounts.</p><p><em>Pictured, left to right: </em><em>Military Call Center associates Ellen Davis, Craig Robinson, Kathy Garrison, Laura Gwaltney, Susan Koskey and Joe Dezotell</em></p><p><em>By Tony Kozuch</em></p></div>
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Military family moves are unlike traditional relocations, with active duty service members being shuttled between myriad U.S. bases. As a military-friendly company Penske Truck Rental has created a specialized military call center to ease the stress of a do-it-yourself move, which the Armed Services also refers to as a PCS (Permanent Change of Station) and PPM (Personally Procured Moves).
<p>U.S. Army veteran Joe Dezotell (pictured right) comprehends how a dedicated call center can aid transplanted military families. He was stationed at Fort Campbell (Kentucky), Fort Stewart (Georgia) Fort Gordon (Georgia) and Hanscom Air Force Base (Massachusetts).</p><p>While stationed abroad, Dezotell logged time in Panama, Germany and South Korea, where he met his wife (they have one child). He also recruited for the Army, served in the military police and at one time had 100 soldiers under his command. Dezotell served on numerous deployments during his career including combat operations and peacekeeping missions.</p><p>Today he is a retired Sgt. 1st Class of 24 years (20 years active duty and four years active reserve) and a member of the team of customer service representatives receiving toll-free calls from 1-844-4TROOPS.</p><p>“We are able to help these families find the best way to spend their <a href="http://www.pensketruckrental.com/discounts/military/">military move </a>budget,” Dezotell explained. “We help them utilize the proper discounts.”</p><p>Each Penske associate manning this center possesses a military connection: they either have a family member who has or is currently in active or reserve duty, or are veterans themselves.</p><p>“Our military call center employees have been specially trained to aid military members and their families navigate the unique requirements for each branch,” said Penske’s Don Mikes, senior vice president of rental. “We want to ensure that each family’s transition to a new base is conducted as smoothly as possible.”</p><p><img class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="40a9d77dd403884ed843c68321121906" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="04f33" type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xOTEyNzM2NC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2MTU2Mjc4NH0.oDaHb2RZWoJTGuxFUwg_ZuIiLNzZPF8aCRMCd_imZGs/img.jpg?width=980"/>By visiting <a href="http://www.pensketruckrental.com/discounts/military/">PenskeTruckRental.com/military</a>, active military members and veterans can learn about Penske’s discounts, which can add up to 20 percent, and related services like a certified public scale locator. These locators are needed to fulfill military rules requiring that soldiers and their families certify the weight of their rental trucks when moving.</p><p>Penske promises to match any competitive offer on one on one-way truck rentals for active military personnel or veterans (see the website for specific parameters).</p><p><a href="http://blog.gopenske.com/?s=military">Click here</a> to read more about Penske’s place as a military-friendly corporation: attending military themed career fairs to hire veterans and their spouses; committing to the 10,000 Jobs Challenge; earning regular placement on the G.I. Jobs magazine Top 100 Military-Friendly Employers® list; being recognized by the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR); fundraising for the Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA); and working with Support Military Spouses.</p><p><em>By Alen Beljin</em></p></div>
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One Man’s Moving Journey to Help Cure Cancer
September 17, 2012
For Douglas McBroom, 24, a Sgt. in the U.S. Army, this move in the yellow Penske truck is unlike any other he has made. The veteran, who has served in Iraq, is heading home with a purpose.
<p>His mother, Michelle, is terminally ill with triple negative breast cancer; Douglas wants to spend her remaining days with “Mommy McBroom” and to raise awareness of the disease.</p><p>The Army was kind enough to train him as a recruiter (he recently completed courses at Fort Jackson in South Carolina) and allow him to return and work in his hometown of Corpus Christi, Texas. He was stationed at Joint Base Langley-Eustis in Virginia.</p><p>Douglas picked up his 26-foot truck in Newport News, Va., and with the help of a friend, is driving the truck back to Texas.</p><p>There awaiting him is his wife Ashley and their two young daughters, Kiersten and Payton, and many family members, including McBroom’s parents.</p><p><img class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="120c770c5b41c49746fb41b0f2db96b8" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="7465c" type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xOTEyNzE1Ny9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyMjI3MDAwM30.1oVYy15lTtVRx-BXyY7wSVe6dUZ2hDDvDDCmyT70I98/img.jpg?width=980"/>McBroom is using part of the trip to raise awareness for triple negative breast cancer, as he intends to bicycle from Mobile, Ala., to Corpus Christi, starting today, as part of a fundraising effort to benefit the <a href="http://www.tnbcfoundation.org/">Triple Negative Breast Cancer Foundation</a>.</p><p>“We’re not taking any interstates, and we’re riding through small towns on back roads,” he said.</p><p>McBroom has established a Facebook page to chronicle the trip, where donations can also be made, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/#!/MyRideForACureForMommyMcBroom">My Ride for a Cure for Mommy McBroom.</a></p><p>He said that his fundraising efforts have been going well, from those he knows and those he has just met. “I’ve received a lot of support from Penske Truck Rental and other companies,” he stated.</p><p>When asked why he chose riding a bicycle, he responded: “I’m very athletic and I have been involved with sports…I thought this was the best way to raise awareness.”</p><p><img class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="2133ba8d5c54949727a6a8e5421821e0" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="5db9e" type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xOTEyNzE1OC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxNzA1NjU3OH0.HLm3LJI_lNSxgQai-l1e43H0HcLSKU-pSFiDSeddTAc/img.jpg?width=980"/>Michelle is touched by her son’s efforts.</p><p>“It’s kind of hard to put it into words,” she said. “Douglas has always done tremendous and I always knew that when he set a goal, he would achieve it. Douglas and I have a very special relationship – I am tremendously proud of my son.”</p><p>Douglas described their warm and unique bond.</p><p>“My mother and I are more friends than mother and son,” he said. “I’ve never hesitated to ask her for advice and she has helped me grow from a boy to a man –she has been my best cheerleader and biggest supporter.</p><p>“She might not have much time left, so I wanted to do something for my mom and other cancer patients.”</p><p>The McBroom family is looking forward to more family time around the table, sharing and caring.</p><p align="right"><em>By Alen Beljin</em></p><p><em>Penske provided Douglas McBroom with a complimentary truck rental for one week to support his efforts.</em></p><p></p><div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="WC2AF61571657544" id="ccf63"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="247752833020092417"><div style="margin:1em 0">A feature story on the Penske blog: one man’s moving journey to help cure cancer
http://t.co/mvH8tDjG</div> — Penske Truck Rental (@Penske Truck Rental)<a href="https://twitter.com/PenskeMoving/statuses/247752833020092417">1347903853.0</a></blockquote></div><p></p></div>
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