Freight class calculator.
Dimensions and weight in, density and class out. Freight class runs from 50 (dense and cheap to move) to 500 (light, bulky or fragile), and for most ordinary freight the density decides it. The chart below is the standard density scale; the notes underneath cover the exceptions.
| lb / ft³ | Class | Typical freight |
|---|---|---|
| 50 or more | 50 | Dense, durable: bricks, steel bars, canned goods |
| 35 to 50 | 55 | Bricks, cement, hardwood flooring |
| 30 to 35 | 60 | Car accessories, car parts |
| 22.5 to 30 | 65 | Bottled beverages, books in boxes |
| 15 to 22.5 | 70 | Food items, car engines, packaged dry goods |
| 13.5 to 15 | 77.5 | Tires, bathroom fixtures |
| 12 to 13.5 | 85 | Crated machinery, cast iron stoves |
| 10.5 to 12 | 92.5 | Computers, monitors, refrigerators |
| 9 to 10.5 | 100 | Boat covers, car covers, canvas, wine cases |
| 8 to 9 | 110 | Cabinets, framed art, table saws |
| 7 to 8 | 125 | Small household appliances |
| 6 to 7 | 150 | Auto sheet metal parts, bookcases |
| 5 to 6 | 175 | Clothing, couches, stuffed furniture |
| 4 to 5 | 200 | Auto sheet metal, aircraft parts, aluminum tables, packaged mattresses |
| 3 to 4 | 250 | Bamboo furniture, mattress and box spring, plasma TVs |
| 2 to 3 | 300 | Wood cabinets, tables, chairs, model boats |
| 1 to 2 | 400 | Deer antlers |
| Less than 1 | 500 | Bags of gold dust, ping pong balls |
When density is not the whole story
The chart maps density to class for freight the NMFC treats as density-rated, which after the 2025 changes is most ordinary commodities. Three things move a shipment off the chart:
- An NMFC item with a fixed class. Some commodities carry a class regardless of density, or a class that depends on packaging (crated versus loose, for example). The item number on the bill of lading governs; look it up in the NMFC before quoting.
- Handling, stowability and liability. Freight that cannot be stacked, needs special equipment, is hazardous, or is easily damaged or stolen is rated higher than its density suggests.
- The carrier's tariff. Some LTL carriers have moved to density-only pricing and ignore class; others apply an FAK (freight all kinds) class under a contract. The class on the BOL still has to be right, because it is what a reweigh and reclassification is measured against.
The practical rule for a broker quoting LTL: measure the pallet as it will ship, weigh it, compute the density here, check the commodity's NMFC item, and put the class and item number on the bill of lading. Most reclassification disputes come from a pallet measured before it was wrapped, or a weight copied from the product spec instead of the scale. More on the term in the glossary.
FAQ
Questions about freight class.
How is freight class calculated?
Start with density: total weight in pounds divided by total volume in cubic feet (length × width × height in inches ÷ 1,728, times the number of pieces). Look the density up in the class chart; 15 pounds per cubic foot lands at class 70, 8 at class 110, 4 at class 200. Then check whether the commodity has its own NMFC item that overrides density, and whether it is unusually fragile, awkward to stow or valuable, which raise the class.
What does freight class 70 mean?
Class 70 covers dense, easy-to-handle freight with a density of roughly 15 to 22.5 pounds per cubic foot: packaged food, car engines, many industrial goods on standard pallets. It sits toward the cheap end of the scale; class 50 is the cheapest, class 500 the most expensive per hundredweight.
What changed with NMFC classification in 2025?
The National Motor Freight Traffic Association moved a large number of commodities to density-based classification in a July 2025 docket, expanding the density scale to more tiers and reducing the number of items with a fixed class regardless of density. The direction is clear: for most ordinary freight, density decides, and accurate dimensions on the bill of lading matter more than ever. The carrier tariff and the current NMFC item still govern.
Why did the carrier change my freight class?
Carriers weigh and measure shipments at the terminal. If the density they measure maps to a higher class than the one on the BOL, they reclassify and rebill, usually with an inspection fee. The defense is accurate dimensions and weight on the BOL and, for palletized freight, measuring the pallet as loaded, overhang included.