--- title: "What Is an NMFC Code?" url: https://www.uncap.com/glossary/nmfc-code author: "Denis Dyli" published: 2026-10-28 updated: 2026-10-28 summary: "An NMFC code is the item number a commodity carries in the National Motor Freight Classification (NMFC), the standard the National Motor Freight Traffic Association (NMFTA) publishes for less-than-truckload (LTL) freight. The item ties the commodity to a freight class from 50 to 500, the number carriers and shippers use to rate the shipment." --- # What Is an NMFC Code? > An NMFC code is the item number a commodity carries in the National Motor Freight Classification (NMFC), the standard the National Motor Freight Traffic Association (NMFTA) publishes for less-than-truckload (LTL) freight. The item ties the commodity to a freight class from 50 to 500, the number carriers and shippers use to rate the shipment. **NMFC code**: An NMFC code is the item number a commodity carries in the National Motor Freight Classification (NMFC), the standard the National Motor Freight Traffic Association (NMFTA) publishes for less-than-truckload (LTL) freight. The item ties the commodity to a freight class from 50 to 500, the number carriers and shippers use to rate the shipment. ## How it works An NMFC code, also called an NMFC item number, identifies a commodity in the National Motor Freight Classification, which NMFTA describes as a standard that provides a comparison of commodities moving in interstate, intrastate and foreign commerce. - Four characteristics: NMFTA says commodities are grouped into one of 18 classes, from a low of class 50 to a high of class 500, based on density, handling, stowability and liability. - Specific beats general: NMFTA says specific descriptions take precedence over more general descriptions, provided the article is embraced within the terms of the specific description. - Density-based items: some items provide different classes based on the final density of the shipment, and NMFTA says you can measure density on your own. Measure length x width x height, divide by 1,728 for cubic feet, then divide the weight of the handling unit in pounds by the cubic feet. - Notes: NMFTA adds explanatory notes to item numbers. Notes might give further information on the commodities covered, exclude certain commodities, or direct you to other provisions, so read them. - Lookup: NMFTA's ClassIT+ helps you find the correct NMFC item number, calculate density and confirm freight class before you ship. The NMFC classifies; it does not set prices. NMFTA says pricing is still between the shipper and the carrier, who use the classification to determine the price of shipping an item. ## NMFC code vs. freight class The NMFC code says what the commodity is. The class is the number assigned to an article or group of articles for the purpose of determining the applicable rate. A density-based item can therefore carry several classes, and the shipment's density decides which one applies. [Freight class](/glossary/freight-class) covers the density breaks themselves. ## On the bill of lading NMFTA lists the National Motor Freight Classification code among the information a bill of lading should include, to determine the freight class and shipping rates, along with a description of the goods. Mixed pallets need care. NMFTA's May 2024 guidance on Rule 640 says that when a pallet holds items that fit different classes and the shipper has not itemized them on the bill of lading, the carrier will class the entire pallet at the highest class of any item on it. To avoid that, itemize the commodities on the bill of lading. As of October 28, 2026, NMFTA says Docket 2026-3, covering Item 640, is to be released November 6, so check the current rule. Item numbers also change. NMFTA says that when the NMFC changes took effect on July 19, 2025, it removed outdated and redundant item numbers and introduced a 13-tier density-based model, so codes copied from old records are worth checking. ## Example A distributor ships one pallet of a density-based item that measures 48 x 40 x 36 inches and weighs 600 pounds. Volume is 48 x 40 x 36 = 69,120 cubic inches, and 69,120 / 1,728 = 40 cubic feet. Density is 600 / 40 = 15 pounds per cubic foot. The bill of lading shows the item number and the class the item assigns at 15 pounds per cubic foot. ## On Shopify With a carrier service, an app can provide real-time shipping rates to Shopify and a list of applicable shipping rates at checkout. Metafields allow you to extend an existing platform data model, such as products, and metafield values can be added to products or variants. An NMFC item number can be kept on each product or variant this way, or in the ERP, for the app or custom build that requests LTL rates. ## How Uncap helps On Uncap's [corrugated boxes page](/industry/corrugated-boxes), the box catalog follows the NMFC: "Length, width and depth keep the NMFC order, so a 12 x 10 x 8 never shows up for a 10 x 8 x 12 search." ## Related terms - Freight class - LTL freight (less-than-truckload) - Bill of lading - Dimensional weight - Accessorial charges ## Sources - NMFTA: National Motor Freight Classification (NMFC) - NMFTA: Classification 101, mastering the precise process of classifying freight - NMFTA Help Center: NMFC Classification Glossary of Terms ## Frequently asked questions ### How to calculate NMFC number? You do not calculate an NMFC number; you look it up. NMFTA's ClassIT+ helps you find the correct NMFC item number, and if that item provides different classes by density, you measure the handling unit, divide cubic inches by 1,728 for cubic feet, and divide the weight in pounds by the cubic feet. ### What are the different NMFC codes for freight? Each NMFC code is an item for a commodity or group of commodities in the National Motor Freight Classification. The items group freight into 18 classes, from a low of class 50 to a high of class 500, based on density, handling, stowability and liability. ### What is the difference between an NMFC code and a freight class? An NMFC code identifies the commodity in the National Motor Freight Classification. The freight class is the number assigned to that article for the purpose of determining the applicable rate, and a density-based NMFC item can carry different classes depending on the shipment's density.