The Complete Freight Class Chart – All 18 NMFC Codes & Density Ranges

Shipping something and not sure what it’ll cost? Your freight class decides that. This chart lists all 18 NMFC classes, each one tied to a density range in pounds per cubic foot.

Brokers, warehouse teams, and small shippers use it every day to estimate LTL costs before requesting a quote. The rule is simple: denser shipments get a lower class number and usually cost less to move. Classes run from 50 to 500. Bricks and steel parts sit near class 50, while bulky, lightweight items like foam displays sit near class 500.

Match your shipment’s density to the chart below to find your class, or visit our freight class calculator for an instant result.

A Major NMFC Update Changed This Chart in 2025

On July 19, 2025, NMFC Docket 2025-1 took effect, the largest reclassification in decades. Over 2,000 items moved from commodity-based to density-based classification, and the density scale expanded from 11 to 13 sub-provisions, adding new breaks at 35 and 50 pounds per cubic foot so very dense freight could reach classes 55 and 50. A further round of changes, Docket 2026-1, followed on February 6, 2026.

If you’re working from a chart or saved rate sheet from before mid-2025, it’s outdated. The chart below reflects the current, verified 13-sub scale.

What a Freight Class Chart Actually Tells You

Every piece of LTL cargo needs a class before a carrier can quote a rate or generate a Bill of Lading (BOL). The National Motor Freight Traffic Association (NMFTA) sets these classes based on four factors: density, stowability, handling, and liability. Density carries the most weight in most cases; that’s why the table below is organized by density range first.

Freight class chart determination infographic showing the four NMFC factors: density, stowability, handling, and liability, with a comparison of ceramic tile and glass vases and their impact on freight class and shipping costs.

Shippers who skip this step often get hit with a reclassification fee when the carrier inspects the freight. A driver flags a mismatched class on the spot during pickup, and getting the number right before the shipment leaves the dock avoids that cost entirely.

The Density-Based Freight Classes (13 of 18)

These 13 classes are assigned directly from your shipment’s density, weight divided by volume, in pounds per cubic foot (pcf).

13 NMFC Freight Classes Ranked by Density (Class 50 to 400)
Class	Density (lbs per cubic foot)	Typical Freight
50	50 or more	Steel bar stock, bricks, cement, hardware
55	35 to under 50	Hardwood flooring, bagged mortar
60	30 to under 35	Car accessories, auto parts, ceramic tile
65	22.5 to under 30	Bottled drinks, boxed books
70	15 to under 22.5	Engine parts, packaged food cases
85	12 to under 15	Crated machinery, cast iron items
92.5	10 to under 12	Computers, monitors, refrigerators
100	8 to under 10	Boat covers, wine cases
125	6 to under 8	Small household appliances, exhibit booths
175	4 to under 6	Clothing, stuffed furniture
250	2 to under 4	Bamboo furniture, flat-screen TVs
300	1 to under 2	Assembled wood furniture, kayaks
400	Less than 1	Empty drums, foam products

The Commodity-Listed Classes (5 of 18)

These five classes don’t have a density range. They only apply through a specific NMFC item number tied to handling, stowability, or liability, not measured density. If your commodity falls into one of these, density alone won’t tell you the class; you need the NMFC item number.

The 5 NMFC Classes Not Based on Density (77.5–500)
Class	Typical Freight	Why It’s Commodity-Listed
77.5	Tires, bathroom fixtures	Handling/liability-based
110	Cabinets, framed artwork	Handling-based
150	Bookcases, sheet metal auto parts	Stowability-based
200	Aircraft parts, packaged mattresses	Handling/stowability-based
500	Ping pong balls, gold dust, foam displays	Liability/value-based

If your item doesn’t fit neatly into a density band, the specific NMFC number tied to your commodity determines the final class, not density alone.

How Density Is Calculated

Density measures how much weight is packed into a given space: your shipment’s weight divided by its volume. Here’s the formula:

Measure the length, width, and height of the pallet in inches.
Multiply the three numbers to get cubic inches.
Divide cubic inches by 1,728 to get cubic feet.
Divide the total weight in pounds by the cubic feet.

Freight class calculator infographic showing how to calculate freight density and determine NMFC freight class using pallet dimensions, volume, cubic feet, weight, and PCF density.

Skip the manual math. Our freight class density calculator takes your dimensions and weight and gives you the exact class, so a rounding error doesn’t turn into a reclassification fee.

How LTL Shipments Affect the Class

LTL shipments often combine multiple items on one pallet, and that changes how class applies. Say a pallet holds car accessories at class 60 and car covers at class 100. The entire pallet gets billed at class 100, the highest class present. Carriers don’t average the classes together, so one high-class item can raise the cost of everything else sharing that pallet.

NMFC Codes vs Freight Class

A freight class is a number from 50 to 500. An NMFC code is more specific. It’s tied to an exact commodity, sometimes with sub-classifications based on packaging or density. So two items can share the same class but still carry different NMFC codes, depending on how they’re packaged or crated.

If you ship the same product regularly, keep its NMFC code on file. It speeds up quoting and lowers the chance of a carrier assigning a different class during inspection.

NMFC codes vs freight class infographic explaining the difference between specific commodity codes and freight class numbers from 50 to 500

How Classification Mistakes Cost You Money

Misclassifying freight is one of the most common mistakes new shippers make. If the declared class doesn’t match the actual density or commodity, they reclassify it and rebill the shipper, usually at a higher rate.

By the time you find out, the shipment has already moved. Disputing a reclassification after the fact is slow, and it rarely works unless you have documentation to back you up.

The safest approach:

Weigh and measure your cargo accurately before booking
Keep photos of the freight and packaging
Confirm the class using the current chart or calculator instead of an old printout or a rough guess

FAQs

Measure your shipment’s density using length, width, height, and weight, then match that number to the density ranges in the table above. Stowability, handling, and liability can also affect the final class.

Class 70 covers items with a density between 15 and 22.5 pounds per cubic foot, such as auto parts, engines, and packaged food items.

Class 50 is the lowest and cheapest class, for dense freight over 50 pcf, like bricks or cement. Class 55 covers slightly lighter items between 35 and 50 pcf, such as hardwood flooring.

There are 18 freight classes in total: 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, 77.5, 85, 92.5, 100, 110, 125, 150, 175, 200, 250, 300, 400, and 500. Lower classes apply to dense, easy-to-ship freight; higher classes apply to bulky, lightweight, or fragile freight. Thirteen of these are assigned by measured density, while five (77.5, 110, 150, 200, and 500) are assigned only through a specific NMFC commodity listing.

Find your shipment’s density in the left column, then match it to the class in the right column. If your pallet holds multiple classes, the highest one applies to the whole shipment.

It is based on four factors set by the NMFTA: density, stowability, handling, and liability, with density usually having the biggest impact on the final number.

This chart reflects current NMFC density classification standards as of 2026. For questions about a specific commodity’s official classification, contact the National Motor Freight Traffic Association directly.