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Freight class calculator

A free freight class calculator online - enter each pallet as the carrier handles it and see its density, its class on both published scales, and where those two scales disagree.

Unit 1

Measure the unit as the carrier will: the pallet footprint, the full stacked height including the pallet, and the weight with the pallet on the scale. Overhanging cartons count - measure to the widest point, not to the deck.

Enter each pallet or crate as the carrier will handle it, including the pallet's own weight. The density and class appear here.

How this is calculated

Density = weight ÷ volume, in pounds per cubic foot
Class   = the band that density falls into

Worked per handling unit, not per shipment - LTL classes and bills
each pallet on its own. Two published density scales are in
circulation and they disagree below 15 lb/ft³.

Assumptions

  • Density decides the class only for density-based NMFC items. The class on your invoice comes from your commodity's NMFC item number, which also weighs stowability, handling and liability, and many items carry a fixed class whatever they weigh. This is an estimate to check a quote against, not a classification.
  • Two published density scales are shown because two are published and they are not the same. Estes Express prints a 13-band table; TranzACT runs an 18-band one. They agree at 15 lb/ft³ and above and diverge in eight bands below it. Both are cited below, read on 1 September 2026. Ask your carrier which they rate on.
  • NMFTA does not publish the density scale free of charge - it sits inside the NMFC Book and ClassIT+, both paid. Nothing on this page is taken from the NMFC itself, and no band here is invented. If a number matters commercially, buy the source.
  • Weight is the weight the carrier puts on the scale, which includes the pallet, the shrink wrap and any dunnage. Dimensions are to the widest and tallest point, including cartons that overhang the deck. Leaving the pallet out is the most common way a density comes out too low and a class comes back reclassified.
  • Freight class is a United States LTL concept and the scale is defined in pounds per cubic foot. Metric input is converted exactly (1 ft³ = 28,316.846592 cm³, 1 kg = 2.2046226218 lb) and the class is then read off the same lb/ft³ scale.

How to use this freight class calculator

Enter one row for each handling unit - each pallet, crate or loose piece the carrier will pick up separately. Give the footprint, the full stacked height including the pallet, and the weight with the pallet on the scale. The density appears immediately, along with the class on both published scales and the arithmetic that produced them.

Add a row for every unit. LTL classes and bills each one on its own, so two pallets at different densities are two classes on one bill of lading, and a document showing a single class for the lot is what gets reclassified at the terminal.

The two published scales, and where they disagree

This is the part no other calculator will tell you.

NMFTA does not publish the density scale for free - it lives in the NMFC Book and in ClassIT+, both paid products. What is published, openly and by name, are carriers’ and 3PLs’ own versions of it. Two were read in full on 1 September 2026, and they are not the same scale:

Density (lb/ft³) 18-band (TranzACT) 13-band (Estes)
50 or more5050
35 to 505555
30 to 356060
22.5 to 306565
15 to 22.57070
13.5 to 1577.585
12 to 13.58585
10.5 to 1292.592.5
10 to 10.510092.5
9 to 10100100
8 to 9110100
7 to 8125125
6 to 7150125
5 to 6175175
4 to 5200175
3 to 4250250
2 to 3300250
1 to 2400300
Under 1500400

Read the top five rows and the two agree exactly. Read the rest and they diverge in eight of them, including three where the gap is a full band. The 13-band scale has no class 150, no 200 and no 500 at all.

So a single number from a single calculator is a guess dressed as an answer. Above 15 lb/ft³ you can quote a class with some confidence. Below it, ask your carrier which scale they rate on before the bill of lading is printed.

Worked example: one pallet, two answers

A standard GMA pallet, stacked and wrapped:

  • 48 x 40 x 48 in, 347 lb including the pallet

Volume. 48 x 40 x 48 = 92,160 in³, and 92,160 ÷ 1,728 = 53.33 ft³.

Density. 347 ÷ 53.33 = 6.51 lb/ft³.

Class. On the 18-band scale, 6 to 7 lb/ft³ is class 150. On the 13-band scale, 6 to 8 lb/ft³ is class 125. Same pallet, same arithmetic, two published answers - and on a 347 lb shipment that gap is real money.

Density is a step, not a slope

Class does not rise smoothly with density; it jumps at the band edge. That means a pallet sitting just under a boundary is paying a whole band more than one a pound heavier, and there are two opposite levers for fixing it.

On the pallet above, at 6.51 lb/ft³ on the 18-band scale, the next band down is class 125 at 7 lb/ft³. Getting there needs either 26.3 lb more weight in the same cube, or 3.4 inches off the height at the same weight. The tool prints both, because which one is available to you depends on what is on the pallet - and taking height out with a tighter wrap is usually cheaper than finding more freight to ship.

This is also the argument for never using a bigger pallet than you need. Density starts with length times width times height, so a deck 25 per cent wider than the cargo raises the class before anything else has gone wrong.

Why density is not the whole classification

Density gets you a good estimate and a bad guarantee.

The NMFC assigns a class from four characteristics: density, stowability, handling and liability. Schneider states this plainly on its own calculator, and NMFTA states on the NMFC page that the class comes from the commodity’s item number. Many items are classed at a fixed number regardless of what they weigh, and a shipment of something fragile, awkward to stack or expensive can class well above what its density alone suggests.

Use this to check a quote, spot a reclassification before it happens, and see how close you are to a band edge. Do not put a class on a bill of lading from a density estimate alone - look up the NMFC item number for what you are actually shipping.

What this does not include

No rates. Class is one input to an LTL price; the others are the lane, the weight break, fuel, accessorials and whatever discount your carrier gives you off their base tariff. Nothing on this page estimates a cost.

To go further, the pallet calculator works out how many pallets your cartons build and how high they stack, which is what sets the density in the first place. If your freight is moving by air rather than by road, the chargeable weight calculator does the equivalent job for airlines, which price on a volumetric divisor rather than on a class.

Frequently asked questions

What is a freight class calculator?
It works out the density of your freight and reads the class off the published density scale, which is how LTL carriers price a shipment when the commodity is classed on density. Class runs from 50 for dense cheap goods up to 500 for light bulky ones, and a higher class costs more per pound. This one shows the class on both published scales rather than picking one.
How do you calculate freight class?
Multiply length by width by height to get the volume, convert it to cubic feet, then divide the weight in pounds by that. A 48 x 40 x 48 inch pallet is 53.33 ft³, so at 347 lb its density is 6.51 lb/ft³. You then look that density up in a band table, and the band gives the class.
How do I use a freight class calculator for pallets?
Enter one row per pallet, measured as the carrier will handle it - the pallet footprint, the full stacked height including the pallet itself, and the weight with the pallet on the scale. If cartons overhang the deck, measure to the widest point. Each pallet gets its own density and its own class, which is why this tool takes rows rather than one box.
Why do two freight class calculators give different answers?
Because there is more than one published density scale and they are not the same. Estes Express publishes a 13-band table and TranzACT runs an 18-band one. They match exactly at 15 lb/ft³ and above, but below that they part company in eight bands - at 6.5 lb/ft³ one gives class 150 and the other 125. Neither is wrong; they are different scales, and the one that counts is whichever your carrier rates on.
Is freight class only about density?
No, and this is the most expensive misunderstanding in LTL. The NMFC assigns a class by looking at four characteristics - density, stowability, handling and liability - and the class you are actually billed comes from your commodity's NMFC item number. Plenty of items carry a fixed class no matter what they weigh. Density gets you an estimate to sanity-check a quote against, not a classification you can rely on.
Does the pallet's own weight count?
Yes. The carrier weighs the handling unit as presented, so the pallet, the shrink wrap, the corner boards and any dunnage all count toward the weight, and the pallet's height counts toward the volume. A standard wooden pallet is roughly 15 to 25 kg. Leaving it out lowers your density, raises your class, and is one of the most common reasons a shipment gets reclassified and reinvoiced.
What is class 50, 55 and 60 freight?
These are the densest and cheapest classes. Class 50 is anything at 50 lb/ft³ or more, class 55 covers 35 up to 50, and class 60 covers 30 up to 35. Both published scales agree exactly here. Typical goods are dense low-value ones such as brick, cement and sand, shipped on a pallet that fits inside the trailer footprint.
What is class 70 freight?
Class 70 covers 15 up to 22.5 lb/ft³ on both published scales, so it is one of the bands where the two agree and you can quote it with some confidence. It is a common class for machinery, car parts and food items in cases - things that are solid but not as dense as building materials.
What is class 85 and 92.5 freight?
Class 85 and class 92.5 sit in the 10 to 15 lb/ft³ region and they are also where the two scales start disagreeing. TranzACT puts 12 to 13.5 at class 85 and 10.5 to 12 at 92.5; Estes puts 12 to 15 at 85 and 10 to 12 at 92.5. If you have seen class 92 written down, it is 92.5 - there is no class 92.
What is class 100 freight?
Class 100 sits around 8 to 10 lb/ft³, and the two scales place it slightly differently - TranzACT gives 9 up to 10.5 and Estes gives 8 up to 10. It is a common class for boxed consumer goods, car covers and canvas products. Class 100 is often treated as the middle of the scale in rate discussions.
What is class 125 freight?
Class 125 is roughly the 6 to 8 lb/ft³ region. TranzACT narrows it to 7 up to 8 while Estes runs it from 6 up to 8, which is exactly the kind of gap that makes it worth asking your carrier which scale they use. Small appliances and boxed electronics commonly land here.
What is class 150 and 175 freight?
Class 175 covers 5 up to 6 lb/ft³ on both scales. Class 150 only exists on the 18-band scale, where it covers 6 up to 7 - the 13-band scale has no class 150 at all and calls that same density 125. Furniture, light fixtures and clothing in cartons are typical goods in this region.
What is class 200 and 250 freight?
Class 250 covers 3 up to 4 lb/ft³ on both scales. Class 200 exists only on the 18-band scale, covering 4 up to 5, where the 13-band scale calls the same density 175. Aluminium furniture, mattresses and packaged bulky goods commonly fall in this range, and by here you are paying mostly for space.
What is class 300, 400 and 500 freight?
These are the lightest and most expensive classes. On the 18-band scale, 2 to 3 lb/ft³ is class 300, 1 to 2 is class 400 and anything under 1 is class 500. The 13-band scale stops at 400 and has no class 500 at all. Think wood cabinets, ping pong balls or bagged insulation - almost all air, and priced accordingly.
How do I calculate freight cost per kg?
Divide the freight charge by the shipment's billable weight, remembering that LTL prices on class and weight rather than on kilograms directly. Convert the class-rated charge to your own unit at the end rather than the beginning. If you want the per-item rather than the per-kilogram figure, the shipping cost per unit calculator does that step with the working shown.

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Results are estimates for planning purposes. Verify with your carrier or customs broker before committing. This is not professional advice - see the disclaimer.

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