Getting Paid to Drive: MALT and Per Diem on a PCS
When you drive your own car to a new duty station, the military pays you per mile plus a daily allowance for the trip. Here is exactly how the 2026 numbers work so you can check that finance paid you right.
The bottom line up front
- 1.MALT pays $0.205 per mile (CY2026) per authorized POV, based on the official Defense Table of Official Distances, not your odometer.
- 2.Travel days come from a formula: 1 day if 400 miles or less; over 400, divide by 350 and add a day if the remainder is 51 or more.
- 3.Per diem is $110 lodging and $68 M&IE per travel day for 2026, but the first and last day pay only 75% of M&IE ($51).
- 4.MALT and per diem are commonly miscalculated by finance, so run your own numbers and check the voucher.
When you PCS and drive your own vehicle instead of flying, the military pays you for the trip in two pieces: a mileage allowance for the driving itself, and a per diem for the days you are on the road. Together they can add up to real money on a long move, and finance does not always get the math right, so it pays to know how the numbers are built.
MALT: the mileage piece
MALT stands for Monetary Allowance in Lieu of Transportation. It is mileage reimbursement for driving your privately owned vehicle to the new duty station. For CY2026 the rate is $0.205 per mile, paid per authorized POV. The mileage is the official distance from the Defense Table of Official Distances, not your odometer or what a maps app shows, so the number finance uses is fixed.
Worked example
Example
One authorized POV. A second authorized POV is paid at the same per-mile rate.
How travel days are counted
Per diem is paid by travel day, and the number of authorized travel days is set by a formula, not by how fast you actually drive. The rule:
- If the official distance is 400 miles or less, you get 1 travel day.
- If it is more than 400 miles, divide the distance by 350. That whole number is your travel days, and you add one more day if the remainder is 51 miles or more.
Worked example
Example: 1,200 miles
The formula sets the days. Driving faster does not reduce your authorized per diem; it is based on the official distance.
Per diem: the daily piece
For each authorized travel day, you get a per diem to cover lodging and meals. The standard CONUS rates for 2026 are $110 a night for lodging and $68 a day for meals and incidentals (M&IE). There is one catch on the meal side: the first and last day of travel pay only 75% of M&IE, which works out to $51 on those days.
Per diem on a PCS is also affected by how many people travel and is handled a bit differently than a TDY trip, so the family math is not just one flat rate times days. The MALT and Per Diem Calculator puts the mileage and the day count together and applies the first-and-last-day rule for you.
Check this against your voucher
When your travel voucher settles, MALT plus per diem is exactly the kind of thing finance gets wrong, usually by using the wrong distance or miscounting travel days. Run your own numbers first, keep your settlement, and if it is short, go back to finance with the official distance and the day formula in hand.
The bottom line
Driving your own car to the new base pays you $0.205 a mile (per authorized POV) for the official distance, plus a per diem for each authorized travel day at $110 lodging and $68 M&IE, with the first and last day dropping to $51 of M&IE. The travel days come from a formula, not your speed. Know the inputs and you can check finance's math instead of trusting it.
Run your exact trip through the MALT and Per Diem Calculator, and fit it into the whole move with the PCS timeline.
Sources
- Joint Travel Regulations (JTR): MALT and PCS per diem
- DTMO: CY2026 MALT rate ($0.205/mile) and Defense Table of Official Distances
- DTMO: 2026 standard CONUS per diem ($110 lodging, $68 M&IE)
Figures reflect 2026 rates and regulations. This guide is general information, not personalized financial or tax advice. Always verify with your finance office or a tax professional before making a decision. How we research and source: our methodology.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
- What is the 2026 MALT rate?
- For CY2026, MALT (Monetary Allowance in Lieu of Transportation) is $0.205 per mile, paid per authorized privately owned vehicle. It is based on the official distance from the Defense Table of Official Distances, not your odometer reading or a maps app.
- How many travel days do I get on a PCS drive?
- If the official distance is 400 miles or less, you get 1 travel day. If it is more than 400 miles, divide the distance by 350; that whole number is your travel days, and you add one more day if the remainder is 51 miles or more. For example, 1,200 miles is 3 with a remainder of 150, so you get 4 days.
- How much is PCS per diem in 2026?
- The standard CONUS rates for 2026 are $110 per night for lodging and $68 per day for meals and incidentals (M&IE). The first and last travel day pay only 75% of M&IE, which is $51. Per diem for a family on a PCS is handled differently than a single TDY traveler, so use a calculator that applies the PCS rules.
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Run your own numbers
REF: Military Toolkit Guides, effective 2026
Official 2026 DoD, DFAS, DTMO, IRS, and VA sources. See each guide’s Sources list
Results are estimates. Always verify with your finance office.