Freight Class &
Density Calculator
Estimate your NMFC freight class from dimensions and weight before you book an LTL shipment — plus what actually drives the number and how to bring your cost down.
Calculate your estimated freight class & rate
Enter the outer dimensions and total weight of a single unit (carton, pallet, or crate), plus the origin and destination state. If you're shipping multiples of the same unit, enter the quantity too — the calculator totals the weight and cube for you.
Why density drives your freight cost
LTL carriers price by how much trailer space and weight capacity a shipment consumes — not just weight alone. A light, bulky shipment (low density) takes up trailer space the carrier can't sell to anyone else, so it's classed and priced as if it were "worth more" to ship per pound.
Freight class runs from class 50 (dense, durable, easy to handle — cheapest to ship) to class 500 (light, bulky, or fragile — most expensive per pound). Improving your packaging density is one of the few freight-cost levers you fully control.
Density-based freight class reference
| Density (lbs/ft³) | Freight Class | Typical Freight |
|---|---|---|
| 30+ | Class 60 | Steel, dense hardware, palletized machinery |
| 22.5 – 30 | Class 65 | Bricks, boxed books, canned goods |
| 15 – 22.5 | Class 70 | Cartoned goods, most general LTL freight |
| 12 – 15 | Class 85 | Crated machinery, palletized cartons |
| 10 – 12 | Class 92.5 | Computers, monitors, mixed dry goods |
| 8 – 10 | Class 100 | Boat covers, car covers, wine cases |
| 6 – 8 | Class 125 | Small household appliances |
| 4 – 6 | Class 150 | Auto sheet metal parts, bookcases |
| 2 – 4 | Class 250 | Bamboo furniture, mattresses, plasma TVs |
| 1 – 2 | Class 300 | Wood cabinets, model boats, assembled furniture |
| Under 1 | Class 400–500 | Ping pong balls, gold dust, empty bulk bags |
How to lower your freight class
Cut the air out
Oversized boxes with excess void fill lower density without adding real protection. Match carton size to product to shrink cube without shrinking weight.
Stack tighter, ship less air
Combining smaller shipments onto fewer, fully-built pallets raises effective density and can drop you a full freight class.
Height matters as much as footprint
Two pallets at the same footprint but different heights carry very different density — flattening or nesting product where possible helps.
Don't over-declare class
Some commodities have NMFC sub-classes based on packaging — proper crating or palletizing can qualify freight for a lower class than loose-shipped goods.
Common questions
Is this the exact class my carrier will use?
It's a density-based estimate for general commodities. Some products have a fixed NMFC class regardless of density (e.g. by commodity code), and carriers can reclassify at inspection if actual dimensions or weight differ from what was booked.
Should I measure the pallet or just the product?
Always measure the full shipped footprint — pallet plus product plus any overhang — since that's what the carrier measures and bases dimensional weight on.
What's the difference between freight class and dimensional weight?
Dimensional weight (used mostly in parcel/small package shipping) converts cube directly to a billable weight. Freight class (used in LTL trucking) is a broader density-based category that also factors in handling and liability, not just cube-to-weight.
Packaging driving up your freight class?
We spec pallet configurations, corner guards, and dunnage that tighten your density and can drop your shipments a full freight class.