Freight Class Calculator

What freight class means?

In order to provide shippers with realistic, consistent freight pricing for shipments when working with various carriers, warehouses, and brokers, freight classes were created. It is used to "rate" how simple it is to deliver an LTL package to its intended location. The higher the freight class, the more expensive it is to ship, and the harder it is.

This approach is enforced by the NMFC standard, which divides goods into 18 classes with values ranging from 50 to 500. This class is determined by the NMFC based on four factors: density, stowability, handling, and liability.

The weight and size of a thing influence its density. To find out your item's density in pounds per cubic foot, use our freight density calculator. The class is lower and, eventually, the cost is lower the higher the density. At first look, this can appear backward, but take into account the fact that carriers prefer delivering cargo that is hefty and takes up less space relative to its weight. They can now load more goods onto their truck, which translates into more money in their pockets.

Stowability is the ability of the shipment to fit inside the transport vehicle with other cargo. As a general rule, consider it in terms of how well an item may be "stowed" or transported as compared to other items. This considers products with unusual dimensions that make it challenging to load freight around them as well as hazardous shipments that cannot be moved with non-hazardous cargo.

When moving freight from one LTL terminal to another, handling refers to the capability of the item to be handled. The size, fragility, and packaging of an object all affect how challenging it is to handle.

Liability considers the likelihood that the shipment will be harmed, stolen, or cause damage to other nearby freight, as well as the perishability or potential for freight theft of the item.

Why freight class is important?

Carriers may use freight class to determine how best to arrange particular commodities on a trailer. Correct class assignment is essential, especially when carriers are transporting both heavy and fragile commodities. What freight is stackable and least likely to sustain damage can be determined by proper classification. The freight class is one of the main factors that determines your overall freight shipment cost among other things. Understanding the distinctions between the various classes and what each one has to offer can help you reduce shipping expenses and make uninterrupted shipping a reality. If a freight class is utilised incorrectly, it could be difficult to correct the invoice in the back office. Therefore, it's beneficial to review freight classifications to ensure that you're making the most of your time, money, resources, and effort.

How to calculate freight class?

You must first establish precise details regarding your particular freight before choosing your shipment's freight class. Weight, length, and height, density, ease of handling, value, and responsibility from things like theft, damage, breakability, and spoiling are the basis for the LTL freight class. The following are the definitions for each. The space an object takes up in relation to its weight is known as freight density. Freight that weights 50 pounds per cubic foot is given classification 50 according to density rules. The CCSB classifies freight with densities of 15, 10, 5, and 1 pound per cubic foot, respectively, as belonging to categories 70, 92.5, 175 and 400. 500 is the designation for cargo that is less dense than one pound per cubic foot. By dividing the object's weight in pounds by its volume in cubic feet, the density of the object is determined. Length x Width x Height divided by 1,728 is your item's volume in cubic feet. All measurements are in inches. Your item's density is determined by its weight in pounds divided by its volume in cubic feet.

What is density-based freight class?

When determining the freight classes, the density standards are employed when the average density of a given good or set of goods is indicative of the range of densities the good or group of goods can display. The density/class correlations outlined in the rules also make the assumption that there are no uncommon or noteworthy handling, stowability, or liability characteristics that would require giving those attributes more or different weight for selecting the appropriate class. Density-based classes may be assigned to commodities or commodity groups that have a wide density range that is not accurately reflected by a single overall average density, particularly when there are no unusual or noteworthy handling, stowability, or liability characteristics and when there are no practical alternatives for narrowing the range.

What is the difference between freight class and density shipping?

When shipping goods of different sizes or when the quantity of products varies from shipment to shipment, density is used. For instance, the density of a commodity can be used to categorise items like apparel and wooden tables. Given that there is no single accepted table size, wooden tables are regarded as density-based. Density is a more precise measurement because the shipper might be transporting little coffee tables or big dining room tables. Because the shipper may deliver 500 pounds or a tonne, clothing is transported utilising density. Because the NMFC code is insufficient to identify the freight class, these shipments are determined based on density. Some items are not classified by a freight class or NMFC number. These products belong to the Not Otherwise Indicated category. The freight class in these rare circumstances is determined by density. You can use our NOI calculator to determine the freight class of your goods whether it has a density-based freight class or is regarded as NOI.

What are the NMFC codes?

Based on its freight class, each shipment shipped via LTL is assigned a National Motor Freight Classification code. These codes are used to identify the class of each shipment or item, assisting truckers and transportation companies in planning and pricing each load appropriately. Transportation service providers in this sector use their highly honed knowledge and up-to-date databases to give each of their clients the precise NMFC code for their freight.