Freight class is symbolized by a National Motor Freight Classification (NMFC) code and considers four characteristics of your shipment. You need freight class when requesting inland Transportation rates .
How to figure out freight class?
Multiply the height of the pallets X Width of Pallet X Length of Pallet then divide by 1728, then divide by the Weight of the pallet. The result is the density. Using the chart below , you can get the class. Do the same for multiple pallets. Add all the Volumes and divide by total weight.
- Density refers to the weight of the package relative to the amount of space it takes. High density items are in a lower class and are cheaper to transport.
- Ease of handling considers the size, shape, and fragility of the freight. Items that need special attention (e.g. hazardous or irregularly shaped) are in a higher class and are more expensive to ship.
- Stowability means how the shipment can be arranged with other freight in the transport vehicle. How the freight is packaged and whether it is safe to be shipped with other packages affect your shipping costs.
- Liability includes the perishability or possibility of freight theft of the item. Freight that can cause damage during transit fall into a higher class because of the greater risk.
Freight Class Chart
There are 18 freight classes numbered from 50 to 500. Starting from class 50, these are heavy yet compact items that are the least expensive to ship. Then as you go up, items are less dense and more prone to damage, making them more expensive to ship. See our Freight Class Density Chart below:
| Freight Class | Freight Density (lbs per cubic foot) |
| 60 | 30 or greater |
| 65 | 22.5 but less than 30 |
| 70 | 15 but less than 22.5 |
| 85 | 12 but less than 15 |
| 92.5 | 10 but less than 12 |
| 100 | 8 but less than 10 |
| 125 | 6 but less than 8 |
| 175 | 4 but less than 6 |
| 250 | 2 but less than 4 |
| 300 | 1 but less than 2 |
| 400 | less than 1 |
To standardize pricing so customers aren’t confused about wildly differing shipping fees, the National Motor Freight Traffic Association (NMFTA) created these freight classes for goods transported by LTL freight shipping