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Freight class calculator: NMFC density scale for LTL
Enter dimensions and weight to calculate density and the corresponding density-based freight class. View the full scale to see nearby class thresholds.
Source: Published NMFC density scale · NMFC density-based scale, effective July 19, 2025 · Free, no signup
| Density (lb per cubic foot) | Freight class | This shipment |
|---|---|---|
| Less than 1 | 400 | |
| 1 but less than 2 | 300 | |
| 2 but less than 4 | 250 | |
| 4 but less than 6 | 175 | |
| 6 but less than 8 | 125 | 7.50 |
| 8 but less than 10 | 100 | |
| 10 but less than 12 | 92.5 | |
| 12 but less than 15 | 85 | |
| 15 but less than 22.5 | 70 | |
| 22.5 but less than 30 | 65 | |
| 30 but less than 35 | 60 | |
| 35 but less than 50 | 55 | |
| 50 or greater | 50 |
At 7.50 lb per cubic foot this shipment is class 125. Adding height without adding weight makes it worse: at about 60.0 inches tall the same load drops to class 175. That is the most common way shippers pay a higher class for the same goods, and it usually comes from packaging rather than the product. Class is only one part of an LTL rate. Your carrier discount, any freight-all-kinds arrangement, and the accessorial schedule move the bill as much as the class does.
What this does not do. It gives you the class a density-based NMFC item produces. It does not give you the NMFC item number, because those numbers and their descriptions are licensed by the NMFTA and we do not reproduce them. Not every commodity is classed by density: some have a fixed class regardless of weight, and others are classed on stowability, handling or liability. For the item number, ask your carrier or broker which classification applies to your commodity, then check this density against it. If the two disagree, that is worth a conversation.
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What is freight class?
Under the density based NMFC, freight class for many commodities comes from density: weight divided by cubic feet. That figure is read against a thirteen-band scale running from class 50, at fifty pounds per cubic foot or more, up to class 400 below one. Not every commodity is classed by density, and the full classification is licensed by the NMFTA, so confirm your item uses the density scale.
Worked example
A 48 by 40 inch pallet stacked 48 inches high is 53.33 cubic feet. At 400 lb its density is 7.5 pounds per cubic foot, class 125. Restacked to 40 inches it is 44.44 cubic feet and 9.0 pounds per cubic foot, class 100. The goods are unchanged; the class drops one band.
Published rates, not your agreement
The calculator applies the published density scale. It does not identify your NMFC item or confirm that your commodity is classed by density, because the full classification is licensed by the NMFTA and the calculator does not reproduce it. It does not apply freight-all-kinds or other class terms in your agreement, and it does not price the shipment.
Source: Published NMFC density scale. NMFC density-based scale, effective July 19, 2025.
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