What is freight class in LTL shipping?
The classification is maintained by the National Motor Freight Traffic Association and has 18 classes. Commodities are rated on four characteristics: density, stowability, ease of handling and liability, with density, in pounds per cubic foot, now the main factor for most items. Dense, sturdy goods fall into low classes such as 50 or 55 and pay less per hundred pounds; light, bulky or fragile goods rate higher, up to 500.
Freight class and the NMFC item number are not the same thing: the item number identifies a commodity description, and the class is the rating that description carries. Class also takes the place of the volumetric ratio used elsewhere; European road freight prices by loading meters and volumetric weight instead. Shippers with regular volumes often negotiate a “freight all kinds” (FAK) class covering many commodities.
To estimate density, divide the weight by the volume in cubic feet. A pallet of 48 × 40 × 50 inches weighing 600 lb measures 96,000 cubic inches, or 55.6 cubic feet, so its density is about 10.8 lb per cubic foot, and the density scale then gives the class. An understated class or weight is often caught at the terminal, leading to a reclassification and a higher invoice.