Pallet Dimensions

Freight class

Freight class is the rating, from 50 to 500, that the National Motor Freight Classification gives a commodity for LTL shipping. There are 18 classes. Since July 19, 2025, density-rated freight falls on a 13-step scale, from class 50 at 50 lb/ft³ or more to class 400 below 1 lb/ft³, so the denser the freight, the lower its class.

Checked November 14, 2026 against NMFTA, FedEx Freight and Averitt Express.

Freight class chart

Effective July 19, 2025
A density at a band’s lower figure falls in that band: 15 lb/ft³ is class 70. Classes 77.5, 110, 150, 200 and 500 are not on the density scale.
ClassDensitySubSource
lb/ft³
Class 5050 and up131289103411
Class 5535 to under 50121289103411
Class 6030 to under 35111289103411
Class 6522.5 to under 3010128910411
Class 7015 to under 22.59128910411
Class 77.5Not on the density scale411
Class 8512 to under 158128910411
Class 92.510 to under 127128910411
Class 1008 to under 106128910411
Class 110Not on the density scale411
Class 1256 to under 85128910411
Class 150Not on the density scale411
Class 1754 to under 64128910411
Class 200Not on the density scale411
Class 2502 to under 43128910411
Class 3001 to under 22128910411
Class 4000 to under 11128910411
Class 500Not on the density scale411

Cite this table: Freight class chart, Pallet Dimensions, checked November 14, 2026, https://palletdimensions.com/freight-class/#chartDownload CSV

Find your class from density

Measure the handling unit at its greatest length, width and height in inches, pallet included, and multiply them.7 Divide by 1,728 for cubic feet, then divide the weight in pounds by the cubic feet. A 48 × 40 × 48 in pallet is 53.33 ft³, so at 500 lb it is 9.38 lb/ft³: class 100. The freight class calculator does the same sum.

What sets a class besides density

NMFTA weighs four things: density, how easy the freight is to handle, how well it stows in a trailer, and how likely it is to be damaged or to damage other freight.6 Items with handling, stowability or liability concerns are not classed on density alone.5 Classes 77.5, 110, 150, 200 and 500 are not on the density scale but are still in use: FedEx Freight’s 2026 rate tables price all 18.11

What changed in July 2025

NMFTA’s Docket 2025-1 amended many commodity items to use one standard 13-step density scale. Disposition Bulletin 1371, dated March 14, 2025, prints the scale inside each amended item, and the changes took effect on July 19, 2025.1 The chart above is that scale. A class quoted before that date may not match the class the same freight rates now, so check the current NMFC item.

What changes the answer

The NMFC item
The class that applies is the one in the item for your commodity. Some items use the density scale; others carry a fixed class.
How you measure
Density is worked per handling unit, from its greatest dimensions with the pallet included. Measuring the carton instead of the loaded pallet understates the cube.
The carrier’s inspection
Carriers can re-weigh and re-measure freight, and bill the class they find.

Questions about freight class

How many freight classes are there?

Eighteen, from 50 to 500: 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, 77.5, 85, 92.5, 100, 110, 125, 150, 175, 200, 250, 300, 400 and 500.

Does a lower class mean denser freight?

Yes. Class 50 is 50 lb/ft³ or more; class 400 is under 1 lb/ft³.

What changed on July 19, 2025?

NMFTA’s Docket 2025-1 moved many items onto a standard 13-step density scale. The chart on this page is that scale.

Sources

  1. Disposition Bulletin 1371, Docket 2025-1, NMFTA. Primary source. Read November 14, 2026. Dated March 14, 2025; prints the 13-sub density scale inside each amended item, effective July 19, 2025.
  2. Decoding density: the freight factor you can’t afford to overlook, NMFTA. Primary source. Read November 14, 2026.
  3. NMFC changes FAQ: density and class breaks for the new 13-sub structure, NMFTA Help Center. Primary source. Read November 14, 2026.
  4. The National Motor Freight Classification (NMFC), NMFTA Help Center. Primary source. Read November 14, 2026.
  5. NMFC classification FAQs, NMFTA Help Center. Primary source. Read November 14, 2026.
  6. Classification, NMFTA. Primary source. Read November 14, 2026.
  7. How is the density of a handling unit calculated?, NMFTA Help Center. Primary source. Read November 14, 2026.
  8. NMFC changes (flyer, May 2025), FedEx Freight. Read November 14, 2026.
  9. NMFC changes, Averitt Express. Read November 14, 2026.
  10. Rules tariff item 1014, Pitt Ohio. Read November 14, 2026.
  11. Zone-based rates, effective January 5, 2026, FedEx Freight. Read November 14, 2026.