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Freight Class Calculator

Enter a shipment's dimensions and weight to get its density in pounds per cubic foot and the density-based freight class it points to. Add several pallets or boxes of different sizes, in inches and pounds or in centimeters and kilograms; it uses the 13-band NMFC density scale in force since July 2025.

Your numbers

Measure the greatest length, width and height, pallet and any overhang included. Weigh the unit as shipped, pallet included.

Pallet or piece 1
in
in
in
lb

Up to 6 sizes. "How many" is the number of identical units of that size and weight. The 48 × 40 button fills the standard pallet footprint; add the height and weight.

Freight class

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Density
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Cubic feet
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Weight
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An estimate for quoting, not the carrier's classification. The class that counts is the one on the bill of lading, set by the item's NMFC listing.

The calculation runs in your browser and ParrotNotes does not store your numbers. They sit in the page address so you can bookmark or share the result.

How freight density is worked out

Measure the handling unit as you will hand it to the carrier: the greatest length, width and height, including the pallet and anything that sticks out. Multiply the three in inches and divide by 1,728 to get cubic feet. Then divide the weight, pallet and packaging included, by the cubic feet. The result is the density in pounds per cubic foot (pcf).

NMFTA's own example: boxes on a pallet measuring 48 × 40 × 45 inches and weighing 450 pounds. 48 × 40 × 45 = 86,400 cubic inches; 86,400 ÷ 1,728 = 50 cubic feet; 450 ÷ 50 = 9.00 pcf. On the scale below, 9 pcf is class 100. Open "How it is calculated" above to see the same steps with your numbers.

The NMFC density scale (since July 2025)

Since NMFTA's Docket 2025-1 took effect on July 19, 2025, the NMFC density scale has 13 bands (subprovisions) instead of 11. The three densest bands are new: 30 to under 35 pcf is class 60, 35 to under 50 is class 55, and 50 pcf or more is class 50. Before, everything from 30 pcf up was class 60.

NMFC density scale: density in pounds per cubic foot and the class it points to
SubDensity (lb per ft³)Class
1Less than 1400
21 to under 2300
32 to under 4250
44 to under 6175
56 to under 8125
68 to under 10100
710 to under 1292.5
812 to under 1585
915 to under 22.570
1022.5 to under 3065
1130 to under 3560
1235 to under 5055
1350 or more50

Density points to a class; the NMFC listing sets it

Freight class comes from the item's listing in the National Motor Freight Classification (NMFC). Since 2025 many listings use the density scale, but not every item does, and handling, stowability and liability can still move an item's class. The carrier can also reweigh and remeasure what you tender.

So treat the class on this page as an estimate for quoting. The one that counts is the class on the bill of lading, from the item's NMFC listing and the carrier's tariff. If an item's class is not clear, look up its NMFC item or ask the carrier before you commit to a freight price.

Why class matters to the price

LTL carriers rate freight by class and weight. Light, bulky freight has a higher class and is priced at more per hundred pounds than dense, heavy freight, because it takes up more of the trailer for the weight it pays on.

Class is one input among several: the lane, the total weight, the carrier's tariff and discount, and extra services such as a liftgate all change the quote. But if the carrier measures the freight and puts it in a higher class, the invoice comes back above your quote, so it is worth getting the density right before the price goes to the customer.

How to lower the class

Density is weight divided by space, so the lever you have is the space. Pack tighter, stack to a sensible height instead of leaving air on top, and use a pallet that fits the load: product hanging over the edge adds to the dimensions, and an oversize pallet adds cube with nothing in it.

Worked example: the 450-pound pallet above at 48 × 40 × 45 inches is 9.00 pcf, class 100. Built to 36 inches high instead, it is 40 cubic feet and 11.25 pcf, class 92.5. With one pallet entered, the calculator shows the height at which your unit reaches the next class down.

Several pallets on one shipment

The NMFC works out density on each handling unit. When the shipping papers show only one total weight for all the units, density may be worked out from the total weight and the total cube instead (NMFC Item 110, Sec. 8(d)). The calculator shows both: each unit's density and class in the table, and the whole shipment's density as the headline.

When units of different classes ship together, they are not one blended class by default: FedEx Freight, for example, says items of different classes on the same pallet default to the highest class. The result shows the highest class among your units so you can quote on the safe side.

Sources, checked September 2026:

More for reps who quote freight: RFQ template for manufacturers and distributors, Industrial sales, Building materials sales, Capital equipment sales.

The rest of the quote

The freight number is one line in the quote. What the buyer said about delivery dates, dock access and budget is the rest: ParrotNotes records the call and pulls out the next steps.

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Freight class calculator FAQ