Claim for Transportation of Household Goods

The Chief of the Accounting and Finance Division of the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) requested an advance decision on an employee's claim for the difference between the actual expense of shipping his household effects by commercial bill of lading and the amount he was reimbursed on a commuted basis. Upon being transferred to a new duty station, the employee's travel orders authorized transportation of his household goods, but did not specify the method of shipment or indicate the applicable weight limitation. The employee alleged that DLA advised him that his goods would be shipped under a Government bill of lading (GBL) and furnished him with the names of approved commercial carriers. He made his own shipping arrangements and obtained a letter from DLA which stated that the Government would be responsible for the moving expenses. After the employee shipped nearly 15,000 pounds of household goods, DLA issued amended travel orders limiting the authorized weight of the shipment to 11,000 pounds. In settling the employee's claim for relocation expenses, DLA limited his reimbursement for household goods transportation to the applicable commuted rate determined under a General Services Administration Bulletin. DLA believed that the employee was not entitled to actual expenses, because no administrative determination was made to ship the goods under a GBL. GAO found nothing in the record to show that authorized DLA officials made a determination to ship the employee's goods by the actual expense method. In the absence of such predetermination and, in view of the fact that the move was not accomplished by GBL, no authority exists to compensate the employee for the difference between the commuted rate and the charges he was required to pay the commercial carrier. Accordingly, the employee's entitlement was properly determined under the commuted rate system, and his claim for actual expenses in excess of the commuted rate may not be allowed.