Freight Class Density Calculator

Weight and cubic volume play a key factor in U.S. domestic carrier freight charges. To instantly get freight density and (density product) freight class, simply type in your shipment’s total weight and dimensions (including pallets). Our freight class calculator can help you determine the freight class of your shipment.

 Determining Freight Class Based On Freight Density

• This freight class density calculator is a guideline for the range of commodities classified as “density products”.
• Products requiring special handling, stowing or liability requirements will have a different class. To confirm freight classes, contact NMFTA.
• Not all US trucking companies use freight class. Click here for those carriers that use dimensional weight.

Freight Class List and Factors: Density, Stowability, Handling, and Liability

Freight class is mainly determined by density in the National Motor Freight Association (NMFTA) freight classification system. The other three factors are stowability, handling and liability – which take into account when special care is required.

Stowability

• Some items cannot be loaded together.
• Hazardous materials must be shipped in a particular way.
• Excessive weight, length or protrusions can make freight impossible to load with other freight.
• The absence of load-bearing surfaces can make freight impossible to stack.
• For any of these instances, a stow-ability classification applies.

Handling

• Most freight is loaded with mechanical equipment and poses no handling difficulties, but some freight – due to weight, shape, fragility or hazardous properties – requires special attention.
• For any of these instances, a handling classification applies, based on the degree of difficulty with loading or carrying.

Liability

• Some freight is more susceptible to theft.
• Some freight is fragile, perishable, or susceptible to damaging adjacent freight – including cargo prone to spontaneous combustion or explosion.
• Liability-classified commodities fall into several freight classes, depending upon density.

Other Freight Class Essentials

• Freight class makes a big difference to freight costs. For instance, a shipment weighing one hundredweight that would cost $25 in class 50, would cost double that in class 125, and ten times that in class 500.
• Adjusting weight can lead to big freight savings by adding enough weight to slip into the next PCF range. That’s because heavier weight classes cost less per pound.
• Reducing dimensions can also lead to big freight savings. Check out common pallet and box sizes, and try to use the smallest suitable box and pallet size.
• Using the wrong freight class can cause problems: like extra freight costs, freight claim complications, and carrier re-billings (extra costs, potential shipment delays, invoice discrepancies).

In addition to our free freight class calculator, check out other free Freightos shipping tools, including HS Code lookup, explanation of incoterms, and both general freight rate and Amazon FBA-specific freight rate calculators as well as our freight transit time calculator and shipping cost estimator. 

Freight Class Chart

The following table is a general guide, listing common commodities in each of the 18 classes. The pounds per cubic feet (PCF) ranges are correct for density products.

Was this the Freightos shipment measurement tool that you were looking for? We have similar tools for calculating your shipment’s cubic meter volume (CBM Calculator), and for calculating volumetric/ dimensional weight and chargeable/billable weight (Universal Chargeable Weight Calculator).