Freight Classes

Freight Classes Help You Compare Shipping Rates

 

Understanding Freight Class for Efficient Shipping

Navigating the complexities of shipping across various warehouses, brokers, and carriers can be challenging. Freight classes play a crucial role in ensuring you receive standardized freight pricing for your shipments, regardless of these variables. Defined and standardized by the National Motor Freight Traffic Association (NMFTA), freight classes are accessible through the National Motor Freight Classification (NMFC) system. This system offers a consistent pricing framework for commodities transported in interstate, intrastate, and foreign commerce.

 

Determining Your Freight Class

The classification of your freight hinges on the assessment of four key characteristics: density, stowability, handling, and liability. Collectively, these factors establish the "transportability" of your shipment.

  1. Density: This refers to the amount of space your item occupies relative to its weight. It's calculated by dividing the item's weight in pounds by its volume in cubic feet. For instance, freight with a density of 50 pounds per cubic foot falls under a specific density class, while items less than 1 pound per cubic foot are classified differently.

  2. Stowability: The ease of storing freight in vehicles like trains, trucks, or boats is crucial. Some items, due to carrier or government regulations, may have restrictions. Hazardous materials, for instance, require adherence to specific transportation rules. Freight with irregular shapes or excessive dimensions can pose storage challenges and might incur additional shipping costs.

  3. Handling: This category evaluates the ease or difficulty of loading and transporting your freight. Factors like weight, shape, fragility, or potential hazards influence this classification.

  4. Liability: Liability considers the risk associated with transporting your freight, including potential damage or theft, as well as the risk it poses to other cargo and the environment. High-risk items, such as liquid nitrogen, or high-value items like diamonds, are assessed differently compared to more mundane goods.

Understanding and accurately determining your freight's class is essential for efficient and cost-effective shipping. It ensures that your freight is handled appropriately and priced fairly, according to its specific transportation requirements.

Class Reference

Class
Name		 Examples Weight Ranges Per Cubic Foot (density)
Class 50 Fits on standard shrink-wrapped 4x4 pallet, very durable over 50 lbs
Class 55 Bricks, cement, mortar, hardwood flooring 35-50 pounds
Class 60 Car accessories & car parts 30-35 pounds
Class 65 Car accessories & car parts, bottled beverages, books in boxes
 22.5-30 pounds
Class 70 Car accessories & car parts, food items, automobile engines 15-22.5 pounds
Class 77.5 Tires, bathroom fixtures 13.5-15 pounds
Class 85 Crated machinery, cast iron stoves 12-13.5 pounds
Class 92.5 Computers, monitors, refrigerators 10.5-12 pounds
Class 100 Boat covers, car covers, canvas, wine cases, caskets 9-10.5 pounds
Class 110 Cabinets, framed artwork, table saw 8-9 pounds
Class 125 Small Household appliances 7-8 pounds
Class 150 Auto sheet metal parts, bookcases, 6-7 pounds
Class 175 Clothing, couches stuffed furniture 5-6 pounds
Class 200 Auto sheet metal parts, aircraft parts, aluminum table, packaged mattresses, 4-5 pounds
Class 250 Bamboo furniture, mattress and box spring, plasma TV 3-4 pounds
Class 300 Wood cabinets, tables, chairs setup, model boats 2-3 pounds
Class 400 Deer antlers 1-2 pounds
Class 500 Bags of gold dust, ping pong balls Less than 1 lbs.