Military families meet two storage terms that sound alike. One covers short storage while a shipment is in transit. The other, NTS, is its own shipment type with its own booking steps.
NTS in the booking system
Military OneSource lists non-temporary storage among the shipment types a member creates in DPS after uploading orders, next to household goods, unaccompanied baggage and a personally procured move. First-time movers, separating members and retirees must contact the local transportation office before scheduling. The office is the starting point for any NTS question, since entitlements depend on orders.
How it differs from storage in transit
Storage in transit, or SIT, is short storage tied to a shipment already moving, such as when delivery cannot happen on arrival. Military OneSource notes that the seven-day pickup spread rule used for most government shipments does not apply to non-temporary storage shipments, and that containerization is generally used when a shipment is going into NTS. Those are the two details that show NTS runs on its own rules.
The civilian counterpart is covered under storage in transit.
Storage with O'Brien's
O'Brien's stores household goods in wooden vaults in its 30,000 square foot Sparks warehouse, and it is DOD approved to move and store military household goods. How a military shipment is assigned and booked comes from the transportation office, so the first call is there. The details of the military side are at NTS for military households and storage for military households.
Questions for the transportation office
- Is my shipment type NTS or a household goods move with storage in transit?
- How do I schedule delivery out of storage later?
- Who is my contact once the goods are stored?
- What do my orders authorize?
Military OneSource adds that a request to deliver items out of storage is filed in DPS and can take a few days or weeks depending on the time of year, so build in time.
Reading the terms correctly
Because the terms are close, the safest habit is to name the shipment type in every conversation. Say NTS when you mean the storage shipment, say SIT when you mean short storage during delivery, and say household goods move when you mean the full pack, ship and unpack service. The people who answer at the transportation office will then know exactly what you are asking about.