Freight Class Calculator
Find your LTL freight class from pallet dimensions and weight: cubic feet, pounds per cubic foot and the 2025 NMFC 13-tier density scale, classes 50–400.
Freight Class Calculator: with the default inputs, density-based freight class is 100.
Greatest dimension including the pallet and any overhang.
Floor to the highest point, pallet included.
As tendered: product, packaging and pallet.
Density is figured per handling unit; this only scales the shipment totals.
- Density (pounds per cubic foot)
- 9.38
- Cubic feet per handling unit
- 53.33 ft³
- NMFC density sub-provision
- 6
- Extra weight per unit for the next lower class
Denser freight gets a lower class and usually a lower rate. Blank at class 50.
- 33 lb
- Shipment cubic feet
- 53.3 ft³
- Shipment weight
- 500 lb
Assumptions
- Uses the current NMFC standard 13-subprovision density scale from Docket 2025-1 (effective July 19, 2025), not the older 11-sub guideline.
- Density per handling unit from the greatest length × width × height including projections, ÷ 1,728, per NMFC Item 110 Sec. 8; dimensions are used exactly as entered (many carriers round each up to the next inch).
- Identical handling units: the class is the same for each, and the count only scales the shipment cube and weight.
- Density-based class only; commodity-specific NMFC items, carrier tariffs, linear-foot rules and cubic-capacity minimums can override it.
| Sub | Density (lb/ft³) | Class | Minimum weight per unit(lb) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Under 1 | 400 | 0 lb | |
| 2 | 1 to under 2 | 300 | 53 lb | |
| 3 | 2 to under 4 | 250 | 107 lb | |
| 4 | 4 to under 6 | 175 | 213 lb | |
| 5 | 6 to under 8 | 125 | 320 lb | |
| 6 | 8 to under 10 | 100 | 427 lb | ← you |
| 7 | 10 to under 12 | 92.5 | 533 lb | |
| 8 | 12 to under 15 | 85 | 640 lb | |
| 9 | 15 to under 22.5 | 70 | 800 lb | |
| 10 | 22.5 to under 30 | 65 | 1,200 lb | |
| 11 | 30 to under 35 | 60 | 1,600 lb | |
| 12 | 35 to under 50 | 55 | 1,867 lb | |
| 13 | 50 or more | 50 | 2,667 lb |
Minimum weight is the lightest a handling unit of your dimensions can be and still reach that class.
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How this is worked out
The formula
Cubic feet = length × width × height (inches) ÷ 1,728 Density (pcf) = weight (lb) ÷ cubic feet — per handling unit Class from the NMFC 13-sub scale (pcf → class): <1 → 400 · 1–2 → 300 · 2–4 → 250 · 4–6 → 175 · 6–8 → 125 · 8–10 → 100 · 10–12 → 92.5 12–15 → 85 · 15–22.5 → 70 · 22.5–30 → 65 · 30–35 → 60 · 35–50 → 55 · 50+ → 50 (each band is "at least the lower figure, less than the upper")
Open How it’s calculated above to see this worked through with your own numbers.
What you enter
- Length
- Greatest dimension including the pallet and any overhang.in in, ft, cm, m · 0 or more · defaults to 48
- Width
- A number.in in, ft, cm, m · 0 or more · defaults to 40
- Height
- Floor to the highest point, pallet included.in in, ft, cm, m · 0 or more · defaults to 48
- Weight per handling unit
- As tendered: product, packaging and pallet.in lb, kg · 0 or more · defaults to 500
- Identical handling units
- Density is figured per handling unit; this only scales the shipment totals.from 1 to 100 · whole numbers only · defaults to 1
What you get back
- Density-based freight classmain answer
- Density (pounds per cubic foot)
- Cubic feet per handling unit
- NMFC density sub-provision
- Extra weight per unit for the next lower class
- Denser freight gets a lower class and usually a lower rate. Blank at class 50.
- Shipment cubic feet
- Shipment weight
What this assumes
- Uses the current NMFC standard 13-subprovision density scale from Docket 2025-1 (effective July 19, 2025), not the older 11-sub guideline.
- Density per handling unit from the greatest length × width × height including projections, ÷ 1,728, per NMFC Item 110 Sec. 8; dimensions are used exactly as entered (many carriers round each up to the next inch).
- Identical handling units: the class is the same for each, and the count only scales the shipment cube and weight.
- Density-based class only; commodity-specific NMFC items, carrier tariffs, linear-foot rules and cubic-capacity minimums can override it.
About this calculator
Less-than-truckload (LTL) carriers price freight by class, from 50 (dense, cheap to haul) to 400 (light and bulky, expensive). For most general freight the class now comes straight from density — pounds per cubic foot — after the National Motor Freight Traffic Association moved hundreds of commodity listings onto a single density scale in July 2025. This calculator measures your handling unit, works out its density, and places it on that 13-tier scale.
How to use it
Enter the length, width and height of one handling unit — a pallet, crate or loose piece — including the pallet and anything that sticks out, and its weight as tendered. Inches and pounds are the default; switch to centimetres or kilograms if that's what you have. If you're shipping several identical pallets, enter how many to get shipment totals; the class is still figured per unit, which is the NMFC rule. Solve for can answer "how heavy does this pallet need to be for class 70?"
How to read the results
- Cubic feet is length × width × height in inches ÷ 1,728. A standard 48 × 40 × 48 in pallet is 53.33 ft³.
- Density is weight ÷ cubic feet. At 500 lb that pallet is 9.38 lb/ft³.
- Freight class comes from the band that density falls in — 9.38 is in "8 but less than 10", class 100.
- Extra weight for the next lower class shows how close you are to a cheaper class. Consolidating or reducing empty space in a pallet often moves it a class or two.
The chart plots your pallet against the class bands for every size, and the table lists all 13 tiers with the minimum weight your dimensions need to reach each one.
What changed in 2025
Docket 2025-1, effective July 19, 2025, expanded the old 11-tier density guideline (which stopped at 30 lb/ft³ and class 60) to 13 tiers, adding class 55 for 35–50 lb/ft³ and class 50 for 50 lb/ft³ and up, and converted many commodity-specific items to this scale. Density is measured on the greatest dimensions including projections, per handling unit.
Caveats
Density is not the whole story. Many NMFC items still carry their own class, or their own density breaks, because of handling difficulty, stowability or liability — hazardous materials, fragile goods, and items that can't be stacked are common examples. The carrier's tariff and the commodity's NMFC item number decide the billed class, and carriers re-measure freight and reclassify it when dimensions are understated. Use this to plan and check quotes, then confirm the item number before you book.
Frequently asked questions
▸How do I calculate freight class?
Multiply length × width × height in inches, divide by 1,728 to get cubic feet, then divide the weight in pounds by that. Look up the density on the NMFC scale: for example 9.38 lb/ft³ is class 100, and 15–22.5 lb/ft³ is class 70.
▸What changed with freight classes in 2025?
NMFTA's Docket 2025-1, effective July 19, 2025, moved many commodities to a standard 13-tier density scale and added two dense tiers: class 55 for 35 to under 50 lb/ft³ and class 50 for 50 lb/ft³ or more. Previously everything 30 lb/ft³ and up was class 60.
▸Do I include the pallet in freight class dimensions?
Yes. NMFC measures the greatest length, width and height of the handling unit as tendered, including the pallet and any overhang or projections, and the weight includes the pallet and packaging.
▸Is freight class always based on density?
No. Density sets the class for a large share of general freight, but some NMFC items have a fixed class or their own density breaks for handling, stowability or liability reasons. Check your commodity's item number.
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