What is Freight Density?

Freight density is the space your product occupies in relation to its weight. You determine this by dividing the weight of your product in pounds by its volume in cubic feet. The volume in cubic feet is determined by:

length * width * height / 1,728 (the number of cubic inches in a cubic foot)

Note: the calculator above is also a density calculator. It performs the density calculation along with the freight class calculation.

How is Freight Shipping Class Determined?

The lowest cost freight class (50) fits on a standard shrink-wrapped 4X4 pallet, and is very durable. In order to determine your product's freight classification, the four factors below are used:

1. Commodity and Density

You first need to find out if your product is density-based. You do this by identifying which National Motor Freight Traffic Association (NMFTA) National Motor Freight Classification (NMFC) code corresponds to your product. You need to figure out:

What your product is made of.

What your product is used for.

How your product will be loaded and handled.

How your product will be packaged.

Some commodities are not density-based and have pre-determined freight classes. However, other commodities are density-based. If your product is density-based, the freight class calculator above will be useful.

2. Stowability

If your product is difficult to store (for example, it's hazardous or extremely heavy), it'll be assigned a higher freight class.

3. Handling

Since your product will likely pass through various checkpoints and facilities on route to its final destination, it's ideal if it's properly packed and easy to handle. Therefore, if it's fragile, oddly-shaped, very heavy, or hazardous it'll be more difficult to handle, so it may be categorized in a higher freight class.

4. Liability

If your product is perishable or easily-damaged, it will likely be designated a higher freight class.

What is Less Than Truckload freight shipping (LTL)?

LTL freight shipping is used for transporting smaller commodities, or when an entire trailer isn't required. The total weight limit for this shipping method is between 150 - 15,000 pounds. A shipper using LTL will share spare in a trailer with other shippers.

How about a Freight Class Chart?