Freight Class Calculator

This freight class calculator is your go-to resource for determining the freight class of your shipment based on simple and easy to take measurements.

When it comes to maximizing profits, entrepreneurs should use a freight calculator class for the cost estimation of freight shipping since transportation is the backbone of any product-providing business, and even also represents major costs incurred by those businesses.

What is Freight Class?

Freight refers to any shipments of goods, items or commodities weighing more than 150 lbs that are transported via air, surface or ocean transport.In order to standardize the pricing classifications of shipping industry, freight classes are used, establishing similar parameters between multiple stakeholders i.e., brokers, warehouses, carriers etc.

Freight Class Chart:

Following table correlates the type of freight, its density and freight class code. It can be used to calculate freight class based on type of material being shipped and their density.

Freight class code	Type of freight	Weight per ft³
50	Durable freight that fits on a standard 4′ × 4′ pallet	50+ lbs.
55	Bricks, cement, hardwood flooring, construction materials	35–50 lbs.
60	Car accessories, car parts	30–35 lbs.
65	Car accessories and parts, boxed books, bottled drinks	22.5–30 lbs.
70	Car accessories and parts, auto engines, food items	15–22.5 lbs.
77.5	Tires, bathroom fixtures	13.5–15 lbs.
85	Crated machinery, cast iron stoves	12–13.5 lbs.
92.5	Computers, monitors, refrigerators	10.5–12 lbs.
100	Car covers, canvas, boat covers, wine cases, caskets	9–10.5 lbs.
110	Cabinets, framed art, table saws	8–9 lbs.
125	Small home appliances	7–8 lbs.
150	Auto sheet metal, bookcases	6–7 lbs.
175	Clothing, couches, stuffed furniture	5–6 lbs.
200	Sheet metal parts, aluminum tables, packaged mattresses, aircraft parts	4–5 lbs.
250	Mattresses and box springs, plasma TVs, bamboo furniture	3–4 lbs.
300	Model boats, assembled chairs, tables, wood cabinets	2–3 lbs.
400	Deer antlers	1–2 lbs.
500	Gold dust, ping pong balls	<1 lb.

How to Calculate Freight Density (Step by Step):

Following steps can be used to manually calculate the Freight Density of the shipment. If shipment consists of multiple packages, following steps need to be repeated for each piece.

Step-1: Measurement of Dimensions:

Measure the length, width and height of the freight pallet using a simple measuring tape.

Step-2: Measurement of Weight:

Measure weight of the shipment using a weighing balance.

Step-3: Volume Calculation:

Multiply the 3 above mentioned dimensions of the freight pallet to find the volume of the shipment by using the following formula:

Formula

$$Volume = Length \times Width \times Height$$

Step-4: Density Calculation:

Compute the density of the shipment by dividing the already measured weight of the pallet with the calculated volume as per the following formula:

Formula

$$Density = \dfrac{Weight}{Volume}$$

How to Use Freight Class Calculator?

This interactive shipping class calculator accommodates a wide range of measurement units i.e. inches, feet, centimeter, meter, yard, mile, lbs, kg, stone etc.

Inputs:

Dimensions: Insert length, width & height of the pallet in the input fields.
Number of Pallets: Enter the quantity of pallets in the “Pallet Quantity” input field and hit “Calculate” button.
Freight Rate (Optional): If you know the freight rate charged by your shipper, enter it into this field.

Outputs:

Following outputs are generated instantly and the process could be repeated by hitting “Recalculate”:

Freight Class: This class freight calculator calculates the class of a shipment based on the density of the consignment.
Shipping Cost: It also estimates the cost of the shipment if the user inputs the freight rate in the relevant field.

Factors that Determine Freight Classification:

Following are the factors which play a pivotal role in the freight classification:

Density:
Stow-Ability:
Handling:
Liability:

FAQs:

What is the purpose of Freight Class?

The purpose of freight class is to standardize the classification of commodities transported by LTL shipping. This classification system makes sure that customers receive unbiased price when shipping freight because carriers use this classification for pricing of freight rates and formulating the cost to ship your freight.

How does Freight Class and shipping cost are related?

Freight class and shipping costs are directly related i.e., higher the freight class, higher will be the shipping charges. In terms of shipping costs, freight class 500 is the most expensive freight class.

What Freight Class are books and food items?

Books fall under the Freight class 65 whereas food items are covered in Freight Class 70.

References:

From the source of Wikipedia: National Motor Freight Classification, explore all about freight (association)

From the blog post of Flock Freight – How to determine Freight Class: A comprehensive guide.