Freight Class Calculator
Freight class is the number that prices every LTL shipment, and in July 2025 the system that produces it changed more than it had in decades. Under NMFC Docket 2025-1, effective July 19, 2025, density became the default basis for roughly two thousand commodity listings, the density scale was rebuilt into 13 bands, and five familiar classes — 77.5, 110, 150, 200 and 500 — dropped out of the density path entirely. Most freight class charts on the web still show the old 18-class table, so shippers are quoting classes their carriers no longer assign — and eating the reclassification fee when the carrier's inspection says otherwise. This calculator computes density from the finished handling unit's weight and dimensions, reads the class from the current scale, and shows what the legacy chart would have said, so the disagreement is visible before the carrier finds it.
Scale weight of the whole handling unit — goods plus pallet, crating and banding.
Include the pallet — typically 5–6 in.
For multi-pallet shipments, calculate each pallet separately and quote the class of the densest one unless the carrier lets you list them as separate handling units.
Freight class
Class 100
Density basis — 9.38 lb per cubic foot under the NMFC scale effective July 19, 2025.
- Density
- 9.38 lb/ft³
- Cube
- 53.33 ft³
Measured at the extreme points of the finished handling unit — pallet, packaging and overhang included.
Density decides the class for most freight since July 2025, but stowability, handling and liability can still override it, and the commodity's NMFC item number governs. Confirm the item number with your carrier before quoting.
| Density (lb/ft³) | Class | Legacy chart (pre-2025) |
|---|---|---|
| 0 – 1 | Class 400 | 1 – 2 |
| 1 – 2 | Class 300 | 2 – 3 |
| 2 – 4 | Class 250 | 3 – 4 |
| 4 – 6 | Class 175 | 5 – 6 |
| 6 – 8 | Class 125 | 7 – 8 |
| 8 – 10 | Class 100 | 9 – 10.5 |
| 10 – 12 | Class 92.5 | 10.5 – 12 |
| 12 – 15 | Class 85 | 12 – 13.5 |
| 15 – 22.5 | Class 70 | 15 – 22.5 |
| 22.5 – 30 | Class 65 | 22.5 – 30 |
| 30 – 35 | Class 60 | 30 – 35 |
| 35 – 50 | Class 55 | 35 – 50 |
| 50+ | Class 50 | 50+ |
How to use Freight Class Calculator
- 1
Weigh the finished handling unit
Actual scale weight of the whole pallet — goods, packaging, banding and the pallet itself. Catalog weight lies.
- 2
Measure the extremes
Length, width and height of the loaded pallet at its widest points, including any overhang. Divide inches by 1,728 for cubic feet — the calculator does it.
- 3
Read the class and check the NMFC item
Density picks the class for most freight, but the commodity's NMFC item number governs. Confirm it with your carrier before quoting the rate.
Why use this tool
- Classes from the NMFC density scale effective July 19, 2025
- Legacy-chart comparison so reclass surprises show up early
- Density computed on the finished handling unit — pallet included
- Built-in side-by-side table of both scales
- Honest notes on when handling, stowability or liability override density
- Free and local — your shipment data never leaves the browser
Frequently asked questions
- How do I calculate freight class?
- For most freight, by density: divide the handling unit's total weight in pounds by its volume in cubic feet, then read the class from the NMFC density scale. A 48×40×48-inch pallet weighing 500 pounds is 53.33 cubic feet, which is 9.38 pounds per cubic foot — class 100 under the scale effective July 2025. Density is the starting point, not the whole answer: handling, stowability and liability can still move the class.
- What changed in the NMFC in July 2025?
- Docket 2025-1, effective July 19, 2025, made density the default classifier for around 2,000 commodity listings, expanded the density scale to 13 bands, and retired five classes — 77.5, 110, 150, 200 and 500 — from the density path; they survive only in commodity-specific listings. Very dense freight that previously capped at class 60 can now rate class 55 or 50, and some mid-density freight moved a class either way.
- What are the freight classes from 50 to 500?
- A scale from dense, easy freight to light, awkward freight. Class 50 starts at 50 pounds per cubic foot and up; class 65 is 22.5–30; class 85 is 12–15; class 100 is 8–10; class 175 is 4–6; class 300 is 2–4; and the lightest freight under 1 pound per cubic foot rates class 400 on today's scale. Lower class means lower cost per hundredweight.
- Does pallet weight count in freight density?
- Yes. Density is computed on the finished handling unit: the goods plus the pallet, crating, banding and any overhang, measured and weighed at the extremes. Estimating from catalog product weight is one of the two most common causes of a reclass inspection result that differs from the bill of lading.
- What happens if I quote the wrong freight class?
- The carrier inspects, applies the class it determines, and issues a reclassification or billing adjustment — typically with an administrative fee on top, and the corrected rate is almost always higher than the quoted one. Systematic mismatches also flag your account for more frequent inspections. Quoting the density-based class correctly is cheaper than every alternative.
- Can freight class be different from what density says?
- Yes, in both directions. Commodities with handling problems (fragile, hazardous, awkward shapes), poor stowability, or high liability keep commodity-specific classes that density does not override — that is why the NMFC item number still matters. Class 92.5, for example, no longer appears on the pure density path for some commodities but remains in specific listings.
- How many pounds per cubic foot is class 100?
- Eight to just under ten, under the scale effective July 19, 2025. The legacy chart said 9 to 10.5 and put 8 to 9 in class 110 — which is exactly the kind of disagreement this calculator surfaces. If a reference site still lists class 110 in a density chart, it is quoting the pre-2025 rules.
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