Logistics Freight Class Calculator
Density, Not Weight Alone, Sets the Price of an LTL Shipment
Less-than-truckload carriers don't price freight purely by the pound — a pallet of pillows and a pallet of steel brackets can weigh the same but cost very different amounts to move, because the pillows eat up trailer space the carrier could otherwise sell to another shipper. The National Motor Freight Classification (NMFC) system solves this by assigning a freight class based primarily on density, from Class 50 (very dense, cheap to ship) to Class 500 (very light and bulky, expensive to ship).
The Formula
Density (lb/ft³) = Weight / Volume
Freight Class = NMFC density lookup
Length, width, and height are entered in inches, so dividing by 1,728 (the number of cubic inches in a cubic foot) converts the volume to cubic feet before density is calculated. The resulting density in pounds per cubic foot is then matched against the standard density brackets below.
Standard Density-to-Class Table
| Density (lb/ft³) | Freight class |
|---|---|
| 50 or more | Class 50 |
| 22.5 – 29.9 | Class 65 |
| 15 – 22.4 | Class 70 |
| 9 – 10.4 | Class 100 |
| 4 – 4.9 | Class 200 |
| 2 – 2.9 | Class 300 |
| Under 1 | Class 500 |
A 150 lb pallet measuring 48 × 40 × 48 in has a volume of 53.33 ft³ and a density of 2.81 lb/ft³ — Class 300, a common bracket for palletized but lightweight consumer goods.
How to Use This Calculator
- Enter the shipment's Weight in pounds.
- Enter Length, Width, and Height in inches.
- Select Calculate to get the cargo density and the estimated freight class.
Related Calculations
Once you have a class, get a rate estimate with the Freight Cost Calculator, or compare against parcel dimensional weight rules with the Dimensional Weight Calculator.