Freight class calculator
Enter your pallet dimensions and weight. You get the density in pounds per cubic foot, the NMFC density class, and how many pounds it would take to reach the next class down.
Your shipment
Pallet or piece
Use outside dimensions including the pallet, and gross weight including packaging — that is what the carrier measures.
Your class
Enter a weight to see the class.
Density does most of the work
Length × width × height ÷ 1,728 gives cubic feet. Weight ÷ cubic feet gives density. That number picks your class off the NMFTA table.
Getting it wrong costs real money
Carriers reweigh and remeasure at the terminal. An understated class comes back as a re-class plus an inspection fee, usually weeks later.
Sometimes truckload is cheaper
Multiple pallets of light, bulky freight can price out worse on LTL than a partial or full truckload. Worth a quote either way.
Freight class, answered
What is freight class?
The National Motor Freight Classification sorts LTL freight into 18 classes from 50 to 500. Class 50 is dense, durable, easy-to-handle freight and costs the least to ship; class 500 is light and bulky and costs the most. The class goes on the bill of lading and drives the rate.
How is freight class calculated?
Start with density. Multiply length × width × height in inches, divide by 1,728 to get cubic feet, then divide the total weight in pounds by those cubic feet. That pounds-per-cubic-foot figure maps onto the NMFTA density table — 50 lb/ft³ and up is class 50, under 1 lb/ft³ is class 500.
Is density the only thing that matters?
No, and this is where shipments get re-classed. The NMFC weighs four characteristics: density, stowability, ease of handling, and liability (value, fragility, hazard, theft appeal). Many commodities also carry a specific NMFC item number that fixes the class regardless of density. Density is the right starting point and the wrong final word — confirm with your carrier before the BOL goes out.
What happens if I get the class wrong?
The carrier reweighs and remeasures at the terminal, re-classes the shipment, and bills the difference — usually with an inspection fee on top. Understating class is the most common source of LTL billing disputes.
Do I use the pallet dimensions or the product dimensions?
The pallet. Use outside dimensions including packaging and the pallet itself, and gross weight including both. That is what gets measured at the dock.
Got the class. Need the truck?
Thind Transport runs 15 trucks — flatbed, reefer, and dry van — across all 48states out of Kent, Washington. Live tracking links, POD the moment it's signed, and a dispatch desk that picks up.