Freight class calculator
Enter the pallets or crates as they will actually ship and get the density and the freight class, on the 13-subprovision density scale that replaced the old 11-sub scale in July 2025.
Inputs
Result
Your shipment, line by line
Each line’s own density is shown, but the class comes from the shipment total. A light pallet and a heavy one average out.
| Line | Cube ft³ | Weight lb | Density pcf |
|---|
The NMFC density scale
Thirteen subprovisions, effective 19 July 2025. Your shipment’s band is marked.
| Sub | Density, lb per ft³ | Class |
|---|
How freight class is worked out
Density decides it. Weigh the shipment, measure the space it takes up on the trailer, and divide.
Measure the load as it will ship: the pallet included, any overhang counted, and the height taken to the top of the tallest carton. A 48 × 40 pallet stacked 48 inches high is 53.3 cubic feet whatever is inside it. At 400 lb that is 7.5 pcf, which is class 125.
What changed in July 2025
The NMFTA replaced the Freight Classification Development Center's 11-subprovision density scale with 13. The old top band, everything at 30 pcf and above, was a single class 60. It is now split three ways: 30 to under 35 stays at class 60, 35 to under 50 becomes class 55, and 50 and over becomes class 50.
Subs 1 through 10 were not changed. If your freight is dense — machinery, fasteners, tile, canned goods — it may now classify lower, and cheaper, than it did before July 2025. Lighter freight is unaffected.
Density is not the whole story
The density scale applies to commodities with no special handling, stowability or liability concerns. Items the NMFC flags HSL keep a fixed class whatever they weigh: things that are fragile, awkward to stack, hazardous, or unusually prone to theft or damage. Those keep their assigned class, and no density calculation overrides it.
So treat this as the density half of the answer. The authority is the item's own NMFC listing, which your carrier or broker can look up, and the figure on the bill of lading is what gets billed.
Why carriers reweigh
Carriers run pallets through dimensioners that photograph and measure every shipment as it crosses the dock. If your declared class implies a density the machine disagrees with, you get a reclassification and an adjusted invoice, usually with a fee attached. Guessing low does not save money; it costs more than declaring correctly would have.
Questions
How do I calculate freight class?
Work out the density. Multiply length by width by height in inches, divide by 1,728 for cubic feet, then divide the total weight by that. Look the result up on the 13-sub density scale: 7.5 lb per cubic foot is class 125, 12 is class 85, 30 is class 60. Items with special handling needs keep a fixed class instead.
What changed in the NMFC in 2025?
From 19 July 2025 the density scale went from 11 subprovisions to 13. The old catch-all top band of 30 pcf and over, all at class 60, was split into three: 30 to under 35 at class 60, 35 to under 50 at class 55, and 50 and over at class 50. Dense freight can now classify lower than before.
What is the lowest freight class?
Class 50, which under the current scale means 50 lb per cubic foot or more. It is the cheapest class because the freight is dense and uses little trailer space for its weight. Before July 2025 the scale stopped at class 60.
Do I use the pallet dimensions or the carton dimensions?
The pallet, as loaded. Freight class is about the space the shipment occupies on the trailer, so measure the outside of the whole load including the pallet and anything that overhangs it, and take the height to the top of the tallest carton.
What happens if I declare the wrong class?
The carrier reweighs and remeasures on the dock, corrects the class, and re-invoices with an adjustment fee. Carriers measure nearly everything now, so an optimistic class is found quickly and costs more than declaring it properly.
Is freight class the same as NMFC code?
No. The class is the number from 50 to 400 that drives the rate. The NMFC code is the item number in the classification that identifies what your commodity is; that listing is what tells you whether your item follows the density scale or carries a fixed class.
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