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MALT and PCS Travel Days Calculator
Driving to your next duty station? You are owed mileage on the official distance, plus per diem for each authorized travel day. Most people guess at the travel-day count and get it wrong. Here is the actual math.
Use the Defense Table of Official Distances (DTOD) figure, not your odometer.
A second POV needs dependents traveling, both vehicles actually driven, and authorization.
- MALT (880 mi × $0.205)
- $180.40
- Authorized travel days
- 3
- Member per diem (3 × $178)
- $534.00
Travel days follow the JTR rule: one day for the first 400 miles, then divide the distance by 350 and add a day if the remainder is 51 miles or more. Per diem uses the standard CONUS rate; dependents 12 and over are figured at 75% of the member rate and those under 12 at 50%. High-cost localities pay more, so treat per diem as an estimate.
Mileage is one piece. Your playbook computes the whole move.
The travel-day rule people get wrong
It is not simply distance divided by 350. The Joint Travel Regulations give you one travel day for the first 400 miles. Only past 400 miles do you divide by 350, and you pick up one more day only if the remainder is 51 miles or more.
Worked examples
- 400 miles: 1 travel day. Not 2, even though 400 divided by 350 is more than one.
- 401 miles: 2 travel days. Past 400, and the remainder after dividing by 350 is 51.
- 1,573 miles: 5 travel days. 1,573 divided by 350 is 4, remainder 173, which is 51 or more, so add a day.
Mileage and travel day questions
What is MALT?
Monetary Allowance in Lieu of Transportation is the per-mile payment you receive for driving your own vehicle on a PCS. It is paid on the official distance between your authorized points, not the miles on your odometer.
How many travel days do I get for a PCS?
One travel day is authorized for the first 400 miles. For a distance greater than 400 miles, divide the official distance by 350; if the remainder is 51 miles or more, one additional day is authorized. A 1,573 mile move, for example, authorizes 5 travel days.
What distance does the military use for mileage?
The Defense Table of Official Distances (DTOD) figure between your authorized points. Your odometer reading, detours, and scenic routes do not change the payment.
Can I claim mileage for two vehicles?
Up to two vehicles can be authorized when dependents travel with you and both vehicles are actually driven to the new duty station. It requires authorization, so confirm before you plan around it.
How is per diem calculated for dependents?
Dependents age 12 and over are figured at 75% of the member's rate, and dependents under 12 at 50%. The standard CONUS rate applies in most places, but high-cost localities pay more, so verify with your finance office.
Estimates only. Mileage and per diem rates update, and locality rates vary, so verify with your servicing finance office before you count on a figure. PCS Copilot is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Department of Defense or any branch of the armed forces.