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Get Free QuoteGuessing your freight class is an easy way to overpay on every LTL shipment. Enter your dimensions and weight below, and get your exact freight class, density, and volume in seconds, no charts or guesswork.
Toggle imperial or metric, add quantity for multi-unit shipments, and note a commodity type for your own reference.
How Freight Class Is Calculated
Freight class starts with density. Multiply length by width by height in inches, divide by 1,728 for cubic feet, then divide total weight by that figure; the same math is behind an air chargeable weight calculation for air freight.
If your shipment sits on a pallet, weigh the pallet along with it and enter that combined total in the weight field.
Higher density usually means a lower, cheaper class. A dense pallet of steel brackets ships far cheaper than an equally heavy but bulky box of lampshades.
That's also why reducing dimensional weight matters for parcel shipments.
Density isn't the only factor. As covered in how carriers determine freight class, the NMFC system also weighs:
- Stowability – whether freight packs tightly with other shipments
- Handling – how much special care or equipment it needs
- Liability – the risk of damage, theft, or spoilage in transit
Two shipments with identical density can still land in different real-world classes if one is fragile or hard to stack. This calculator's estimate is density-based.
Even so, what commodity type means is worth noting for your own records, even though it won't change the number the tool returns.
For example, a 40" x 48" pallet standing 48" tall and weighing 425 lbs works out to roughly 53.3 cubic feet and 7.97 lbs/ft³, landing near Class 125. Trim an inch off the height or add a few pounds, and the class can drop.
Freight Class Density Reference
Once you know your density, you can estimate where your shipment falls. Here's a quick reference based on NMFC density breakpoints:
| Density (lbs/ft³) | Class |
| Under 1 | 500 |
| 1 – 1.99 | 400 |
| 2 – 2.99 | 300 |
| 3 – 3.99 | 250 |
| 4 – 4.99 | 200 |
| 5 – 5.99 | 175 |
| 6 – 6.99 | 150 |
| 7 – 7.99 | 125 |
| 8 – 8.99 | 110 |
| 9 – 10.49 | 100 |
| 10.5 – 11.99 | 92.5 |
| 12 – 13.49 | 85 |
| 13.5 – 14.99 | 77.5 |
| 15 – 22.49 | 70 |
| 22.5 – 29.99 | 65 |
| 30 – 34.99 | 60 |
| 35 – 49.99 | 55 |
| 50+ | 50 |
Lower classes cost less to ship. If your density sits near a breakpoint, small changes like tighter packaging or a smaller footprint can shift you into a cheaper class.
A shipping box size calculator can help you spot that room before you pack.
Quantity is useful when you're shipping several identical units together. It multiplies your total weight and total volume by that count, so you get shipment-wide totals in one pass instead of running the numbers unit by unit.
Since both figures scale together, your density and class stay the same as a single unit, unless your items actually vary in size or weight.
One more thing to watch: if you're combining different commodities on a single pallet, the whole pallet is rated at the highest class among them, not an average. Keep mixed-class items on separate pallets when it helps your rate.
If you're storing pallets between shipments, it's also worth checking your pallet storage costs alongside your freight numbers.
Calculate Your Freight Class With Confidence
Getting your freight class right the first time means fewer reclassification fees and more predictable shipping quotes. Run your dimensions and weight through the calculator above before you book your next LTL shipment.
Need help beyond the numbers? Talk to Fulfyld's fulfillment team for a free review of your packaging and shipment profile, so you consistently land in the most cost-effective class.
