The light pallet
40 × 48 × 48 in, 20 lb
53.33 ft³ · 0.38 pcf
Expected class: 400
A calculator on the old density table calls this 500. Class 500 no longer comes out of the density scale (a specific NMFC item can still carry it).
Freight Class Calculator
Work out the freight class of your shipment in seconds — free, no sign-up, and calculated on the current 2025 density table, not the old one some calculators still use.
13 density classesIn effect since Jul 19, 2025Last checked Nov 7, 2026Runs in your browser — nothing is uploaded
Measure each piece around its biggest outside edges — pallet, packaging and anything sticking out included. Everything is calculated in your browser as you type; nothing is uploaded.
Your recent calculations
Saved on this device only, so you can re-check a shipment later.
The 13 density classes, with your freight on the scale
Find your piece on the scale, or look its density up in the table. The highlighted rows are the classes your pieces above landed in.
| Density (lb per ft³) | Class | Weight at your piece's size |
|---|---|---|
| under 1 | 400 | under 53.33 lb |
| 1–2 | 300 | 53.33 – <106.67 lb |
| 2–4 | 250 | 106.67 – <213.33 lb |
| 4–6 | 175 | 213.33 – <320 lb |
| 6–8 | 125 | 320 – <426.67 lb |
| 8–10 | 100 | 426.67 – <533.33 lb |
| 10–12 | 92.5 | 533.33 – <640 lb |
| 12–15 | 85 | 640 – <800 lb |
| 15–22.5 | 70 | 800 – <1,200 lb |
| 22.5–30 | 65 | 1,200 – <1,600 lb |
| 30–35 | 60 | 1,600 – <1,866.67 lb |
| 35–50 | 55 | 1,866.67 – <2,666.67 lb |
| 50 and up | 50 | 2,666.67 lb and up |
Bands are lower-edge inclusive: a density of exactly 10.00 pcf is Class 92.5, not 100. The third column is worked out from the piece you pick — until you enter one, it shows a standard 48 × 40 × 48 in pallet. Pallet weights are rounded to two decimal places; your class is decided by the unrounded density — the calculator always uses the exact figure.
Check our math
Three cases that separate current calculators from out-of-date ones. The full published test set — a boundary case for every class — is on the calculator test page.
Exactly on the line
24 × 24 × 24 in, 80 lb
8.00 ft³ · 10.00 pcf
Expected class: 92.5
10.00 pcf is the first density in the 92.5 band — the line belongs to the denser band.
The pallet counts
48 × 40 × 48 in, 500 lb
53.33 ft³ · 9.38 pcf
Expected class: 100
Forget the pallet height (42 in of freight only) and you'd get 92.5. The carrier measures 48.
Measure it the way the carrier will
Measure the biggest outside edges
Length, width and height at the widest points of the piece as it will travel — box bulges, wrapping and anything sticking out all count.
Include the pallet
If it ships on a pallet, the pallet's height and footprint are part of the measurement. A standard pallet is 48 × 40 in and adds roughly 6 in of height. Actual pallet height varies — always measure the complete loaded piece.
Weigh the whole piece
Use the full shipping weight of each piece, packaging included. Then let the calculator divide weight by volume for the density.
Common mistakes: measuring the product instead of the packaged piece · leaving off the pallet · averaging several different pieces into one density · trusting a density calculator that still returns Class 500.
Freight class questions, answered plainly
What is a freight class?
A freight class is the rating US carriers use to price LTL (less-than-truckload) freight. The current density scale — the one this calculator runs on — produces 13 classes, from 50 to 400, and for most everyday goods the class comes straight from density: how much weight is packed into each cubic foot. Heavy-for-its-size freight gets a low class and usually costs less per pound (the actual rate also depends on the carrier, the lane and surcharges); light, bulky freight gets a high class. One exception: some products have a different class fixed in their NMFC item — up to and including Class 500 — whatever the density says.
Do I include the pallet when I measure?
Yes. Measure the shipment exactly the way the carrier will: the full outside of everything that travels, pallet included, at the widest, tallest and longest points — including anything that bulges or sticks out. Leaving the pallet height off your measurement is the most common reason a quote comes back re-classed.
Why did another calculator give me Class 500?
Because its density table is out of date. Until July 2025, very light freight could land in Class 500. Under the current scale, in effect since July 19, 2025, density alone no longer produces 500 — or 77.5, 110, 150 and 200. The lightest band tops out at Class 400. If a density calculator answers 500, its density table is behind the times — Class 500 no longer comes out of the density scale (a specific NMFC item can still carry it).
How are multiple pieces calculated?
Piece by piece. Each handling unit gets its own density and its own class, because that's how carriers rate them. This calculator scores every row separately and also shows a blended figure for the whole shipment — handy as a summary, but the blended number never replaces the per-piece classes.
What changed in 2025?
The density scale got wider: it was expanded from 11 to 13 subprovisions (Docket 2025-1), effective July 19, 2025. The classes density can produce are now 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, 85, 92.5, 100, 125, 175, 250, 300 and 400. This site uses only the current scale.
Is the result my final freight class?
It's a density-based estimate, and for most goods it matches. But some products have a fixed class written into their NMFC item no matter the density, densities very close to a band edge can flip on a carrier's re-measurement, and the carrier's own check is what finally counts. Treat the result as the right number to quote and plan with — not a guarantee.
Basis: the NMFC density scale adopted in Docket 2025-1. Classes 77.5, 110, 150, 200 and 500 are no longer produced by density. Some goods carry a fixed class in their NMFC item regardless of density — the result here is the density-based estimate.