--- title: "What Is Freight Class?" url: https://www.uncap.com/glossary/freight-class author: "Denis Dyli" published: 2026-10-11 updated: 2026-10-11 summary: "Freight class is a number from 50 to 500 that the National Motor Freight Classification (NMFC) assigns to a product or commodity for less-than-truckload (LTL) shipping. It reflects four transportation characteristics: density, handling, stowability and liability. Carriers and shippers use it to agree on the effort a load takes, and a lower class generally means a lower cost." --- # What Is Freight Class? > Freight class is a number from 50 to 500 that the National Motor Freight Classification (NMFC) assigns to a product or commodity for less-than-truckload (LTL) shipping. It reflects four transportation characteristics: density, handling, stowability and liability. Carriers and shippers use it to agree on the effort a load takes, and a lower class generally means a lower cost. **Freight class**: Freight class is a number from 50 to 500 that the National Motor Freight Classification (NMFC) assigns to a product or commodity for less-than-truckload (LTL) shipping. It reflects four transportation characteristics: density, handling, stowability and liability. Carriers and shippers use it to agree on the effort a load takes, and a lower class generally means a lower cost. ## How it works The National Motor Freight Traffic Association (NMFTA) publishes the NMFC, in existence since 1936. It has 18 separate classes from 50 to 500, with lower numbers indicating cargo that is relatively easier to ship. - Density: how heavy the freight is relative to the space it takes up, measured in pounds per cubic foot. - Handling: how easy it is to move across a dock and into or out of a trailer. - Stowability: how effectively it can be stowed in a trailer. - Liability: how likely the freight is to cause damage or be damaged. Put an accurate item number and freight class on the bill of lading: a reweigh or remeasurement that changes the class can lead to additional fees and delays. ## Standard density breaks Density is the weight of a shipment divided by its volume, in pounds per cubic foot (pcf). Multiply length, width and height in inches, always including the pallet or packaging, then divide by 1,728 for cubic feet. For its NMFC changes on July 19, 2025, NMFTA announced that the 11-sub full density scale would be replaced by a more detailed 13-sub density scale. The new standard density breaks are: - Less than 1 pcf: class 400 - 1 to under 2: class 300 - 2 to under 4: class 250 - 4 to under 6: class 175 - 6 to under 8: class 125 - 8 to under 10: class 100 - 10 to under 12: class 92.5 - 12 to under 15: class 85 - 15 to under 22.5: class 70 - 22.5 to under 30: class 65 - 30 to under 35: class 60 - 35 to under 50: class 55 - 50 or more: class 50 Many NMFC items are classified on density ranges, so the same item can fall into different classes depending on its handling unit's density. Density is not the whole story, though. In Docket 2026-2, based on industry feedback, NMFTA pulled ladders, shades or blinds and some other items back over handling, stowability and liability concerns, and they will not move to full density at this time. ## Common problems Getting density wrong risks reclassifications, back charges or shipping delays. NMFTA often sees shippers: - Use default dimensions from old records - Forget to include pallet or packaging height - Round measurements too generously - Use dimensioners that measure less accurately than the carriers - Assume irregularly shaped items behave like standard boxes Mixed pallets need care too: NMFC Rule 640 covers how to classify a shipment that contains several different articles. A rewrite of Rule 640 did not pass in Docket 2026-2, and NMFTA says it will propose an updated version. ## Example A pallet of packaging supplies measures 48 x 40 x 50 inches and weighs 900 pounds. Volume is 48 x 40 x 50 = 96,000 cubic inches, or 96,000 / 1,728 = 55.6 cubic feet. Density is 900 / 55.6 = about 16.2 pounds per cubic foot. Ship the same 900 pounds loosely stacked to 72 inches and volume grows to 138,240 / 1,728 = 80 cubic feet, so density falls to 900 / 80 = 11.25. If the product's NMFC item uses the standard density breaks, the first pallet is class 70 (15 to under 22.5) and the second class 92.5 (10 to under 12). ## On Shopify With third-party carrier-calculated shipping, Shopify requests live rates from your connected carrier accounts based on the order's weight, dimensions and destination. An app can also add a carrier service, which provides real-time shipping rates to Shopify and a list of applicable rates at checkout. An app or custom build can use one to supply LTL rates, keeping freight class and dimensions on each product or in the ERP. ## How Uncap helps For packaging and shipping supplies distributors, Uncap builds freight handled as freight: LTL and pallet shipments rated as freight, with class, liftgate, appointment and residential handling, rather than as oversized parcels. See [Shopify for packaging and shipping supplies](/industry/packaging-shipping-supplies). ## Related terms - Landed cost - Case pack - MOQ - Lead time - Purchase order ## Sources - NMFC, National Motor Freight Traffic Association - Decoding Density: The Freight Factor You Can't Afford to Overlook, NMFTA - DeliveryCarrierService, Shopify Developer Docs ## Frequently asked questions ### What does class 70 freight mean? Class 70 sits toward the low end of the 50 to 500 range, where cargo is relatively easier to ship. On NMFTA's standard density breaks, class 70 covers 15 to under 22.5 pounds per cubic foot. ### What is the highest class of goods freight? Class 500 is the highest, the top of the NMFC range. Less dense and more difficult-to-handle loads receive higher class numbers, and cargo with liability concerns can too. ### How do I figure out my NMFC code? Find the NMFC item number that describes your product, calculate density from accurate weight and dimensions, never estimates, and confirm the class. NMFTA offers its own lookup tool for this.