Freight Density Calculator
Just the density: pounds per cubic foot (pcf) and kg/m³ for every piece of your shipment — with the density-based freight class shown alongside, on the current 2025 scale.
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.
Why density is the number that matters
A truck fills up by space or by weight, whichever comes first. Density — how many pounds are packed into each cubic foot — is how carriers balance the two. Light, bulky freight (low pcf) takes space it doesn't pay for in weight, so it gets a higher freight class; dense freight gets a lower one.
Density (pcf) = weight (lb) ÷ volume (ft³), and volume is length × width × height in inches ÷ 1,728. To convert, 1 pcf = 16.0185 kg/m³ (about 16.02).
From density to class
Once you have the density, the class is a lookup on the 13-band chart. If what you actually need is the class itself, the freight class calculator leads with it — same engine, class first. Shipping several different pieces? Both calculators score every piece separately and give you a blended figure for the whole load as a reference.
| Density (lb per ft³) | Class |
|---|---|
| under 1 | 400 |
| 1–2 | 300 |
| 2–4 | 250 |
| 4–6 | 175 |
| 6–8 | 125 |
| 8–10 | 100 |
| 10–12 | 92.5 |
| 12–15 | 85 |
| 15–22.5 | 70 |
| 22.5–30 | 65 |
| 30–35 | 60 |
| 35–50 | 55 |
| 50 and up | 50 |
Bands are lower-edge inclusive: exactly 10.00 pcf is the first density of the Class 92.5 band. Full chart with pallet weights: freight class chart.