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NMFC density and freight class calculator
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 · 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.
Check the freight class on your invoices.
We review reweighs, reclassifications and billed charges against your shipment records and agreement. Send an agreement and invoice to start the review.
What is freight class?
Under the density based NMFC, freight class for most 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 item numbers themselves are licensed by the NMFTA rather than published.
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