Relationships are Everything, It’s Time for a Seat at the Table

Recently, the Department of Defense has taken promising steps in the right direction — refocusing on military families, initiating a leadership change, and signaling a renewed commitment to getting this right. This moment provides an opportunity to rebuild partnerships and save peak season, while shaping a program for the future that truly serves the people at its core: service members and their families. 

Moving companies and professionals have been reliable partners for decades, even rising to the occasion to meet the unprecedented challenges of the pandemic, always adapting to meet the needs of those who serve our country. They have the experience, the expertise, and the motivation to help the DOD solve the problems of this peak season and build a better program – if that counsel is sought. 

After many months of GHC implementation characterized by a lack of transparency, unanswered questions, and a deaf ear to industry concerns, DOD’s recent changes may represent a turning point. Time will tell if the positive momentum continues. 

An open dialogue between TRANSCOM and the moving industry is the best path forward to build a sustainable and viable program that serves the interests of military families, taxpayers, and American businesses. 

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Another State Association Voices Concerns 

The Maryland Motor Truck Association has joined the chorus of voices expressing concerns about the GHC rollout. In a letter to their Congressional Delegation, the association called on officials to acknowledge these program failures and find a better path forward for military families: 

“On behalf of the Conference and the professional movers our organization represents across the state, we believe it is time to acknowledge the failure of the Global Household Goods Contract (GHC) rollout and embrace an alternative – possibly an enhanced Defense Personal Property Program (DP3).”

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President Trump’s Executive Order Aims to Promote Competition, in Contrast to GHC 

TRANSCOM recently directed transportation service providers (TSPs) to comply with Presidential Executive Orders. This includes President Trump’s April Executive Order that aims to eliminate anticompetitive barriers in America’s marketplace, stating that “competition lowers prices, speeds innovation, and increases options for consumers.” We agree, and we hope the new leadership of TRANSCOM will take a hard look at the GHC in light of this order, which requires identifying regulations that: 

• Create, or facilitate the creation of, de facto or de jure monopolies; 
• Limit competition between competing entities or have the effect of limiting competition between competing entities;
• Unnecessarily burden the procurement processes, thereby limiting companies’ ability to compete for procurements; or
• Otherwise impose anti-competitive restraints or distortions on the operation of the free market.

The GHC seems to check all those boxes, being a monopoly that limits competition, imposes new regulatory burdens, and unreasonably restrains the free market. An improved DP3 program that embraces free market competition is a better path forward, ensuring the highest level of service for military families at competitive rates. 

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