Quickly calculate your freight class and freight density.
Simply measure the weight (in pounds), and the length, width, and height (in inches) of your freight. Then enter those measurements into the fields below.
Commonly, a shipment with lower density (measured in pounds per cubic feet (PCF)) has a higher freight class. The higher the freight class, the more expensive shipping is.
Freight density is the space your product occupies in relation to its weight. You determine this by dividing the weight of your product in pounds by its volume in cubic feet. The volume in cubic feet is determined by:
Note: the calculator above is also a density calculator. It performs the density calculation along with the freight class calculation.
The lowest cost freight class (50) fits on a standard shrink-wrapped 4X4 pallet, and is very durable. In order to determine your product's freight classification, the four factors below are used:
You first need to find out if your product is density-based. You do this by identifying which National Motor Freight Traffic Association (NMFTA) National Motor Freight Classification (NMFC) code corresponds to your product. You need to figure out:
Some commodities are not density-based and have pre-determined freight classes. However, other commodities are density-based. If your product is density-based, the freight class calculator above will be useful.
If your product is difficult to store (for example, it's hazardous or extremely heavy), it'll be assigned a higher freight class.
Since your product will likely pass through various checkpoints and facilities on route to its final destination, it's ideal if it's properly packed and easy to handle. Therefore, if it's fragile, oddly-shaped, very heavy, or hazardous it'll be more difficult to handle, so it may be categorized in a higher freight class.
If your product is perishable or easily-damaged, it will likely be designated a higher freight class.
LTL freight shipping is used for transporting smaller commodities, or when an entire trailer isn't required. The total weight limit for this shipping method is between 150 - 15,000 pounds. A shipper using LTL will share spare in a trailer with other shippers.
| Density | Examples of Products | Freight Class |
|---|---|---|
| 50 | Bricks, flour, gravel. | 50 |
| 35 | Cement, hardwood flooring, mortar. | 55 |
| 30 | Machinery, books, crayons. | 60 |
| 22 | Tile, bottles, books. | 65 |
| 15 | Engines, food, metal castings. | 70 |
| 13 | Clothing, tires, household fixtures. | 77.5 |
| 12 | Bales, packaged food. cloth fibre. | 85 |
| 10 | Refrigerators, computers, electric shavers. | 92.5 |
| 9 | Caskets, household goods, wine cases. | 100 |
| 8 | Cabinets, table saws, framed artwork. | 110 |
| 7 | Small appliances, wooden furniture, kitchen equipment. | 125 |
| 6 | Computers, clothing, sheet metal. | 150 |
| 5 | Couches, fish tanks, aquariums. | 175 |
| 4 | Mattresses, optical lenses, furniture. | 200 |
| 3 | Televisions, bamboo furniture, computers. | 250 |
| 2 | Chairs, tables, stuffed animals. | 300 |
| 1 | Popcorn, chips, antlers. | 400 |
| <1 | Ping pong balls, rare antiques, gold bars. | 500 |