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Freight Class Chart

Every NMFC freight class from 50 to 500, with the density band that produces it and the kind of goods that typically rate there. Two charts are shown: the density provision as it stands after the NMFTA’s July 2025 restructuring, and the older 18-class table that most sites still publish.

Figures are indicative. Confirm classification with your carrier before booking.

Density to class

The two density charts, side by side

These agree at and above 15 pounds per cubic foot and diverge below it. The left-hand table is what a carrier rating your freight on density today should return. The right-hand table is the one you will find on most freight sites, and it is worth knowing which one a quote came from.

Current NMFC density scale

Thirteen subprovisions, effective 19 July 2025.

Density in pounds per cubic foot and the class it rates.
Sub	Density (lb/ft³)	Class
13	50 or greater	50
12	35 but less than 50	55
11	30 but less than 35	60
10	22.5 but less than 30	65
9	15 but less than 22.5	70
8	12 but less than 15	85
7	10 but less than 12	92.5
6	8 but less than 10	100
5	6 but less than 8	125
4	4 but less than 6	175
3	2 but less than 4	250
2	1 but less than 2	300
1	Less than 1	400

Legacy 18-class chart

Superseded, but still widely published.

The older chart mapping all eighteen classes to a density band.
Density (lb/ft³)	Class
50 or greater	50
35 but less than 50	55
30 but less than 35	60
22.5 but less than 30	65
15 but less than 22.5	70
13.5 but less than 15	77.5
12 but less than 13.5	85
10.5 but less than 12	92.5
9 but less than 10.5	100
8 but less than 9	110
7 but less than 8	125
6 but less than 7	150
5 but less than 6	175
4 but less than 5	200
3 but less than 4	250
2 but less than 3	300
1 but less than 2	400
Less than 1	500

By commodity

Example commodities by class

A rough orientation, not a classification. The density column shows the legacy chart’s band, because that is the scale these commodity groupings were built against. Rows marked listing are classes the density provision does not produce — goods rate there through a specific NMFC listing or through stowability, handling and liability.

Freight classes 50 to 500 with typical commodities and the legacy chart's density band.
Class	Density band (legacy chart)	Rated by	Example commodities
50	50 and above	Density	Bricks, cement, nuts and bolts, steel plate
55	35 – 50	Density	Hardwood flooring, ceramic tile, molding
60	30 – 35	Density	Car accessories, sheet metal parts, bottled drinks
65	22.5 – 30	Density	Car parts, boxed books, bottled beverages
70	15 – 22.5	Density	Car engines, food items, machinery parts
77.5	13.5 – 15	Listing	Tires, bathroom fixtures
85	12 – 13.5	Density	Crated machinery, cast iron stoves
92.5	10.5 – 12	Density	Computers, monitors, refrigerators
100	9 – 10.5	Density	Boat covers, canvas, wine cases, caskets
110	8 – 9	Listing	Cabinets, framed artwork, table saws
125	7 – 8	Density	Small household appliances
150	6 – 7	Listing	Auto sheet metal, bookcases
175	5 – 6	Density	Clothing, couches, stuffed furniture
200	4 – 5	Listing	Sheet metal parts, aircraft parts, mattresses
250	3 – 4	Density	Bamboo furniture, mattresses, plasma TVs
300	2 – 3	Density	Wood cabinets, tables, chairs, model boats
400	1 – 2	Density	Deer antlers, lightweight display racks
500	Under 1	Listing	Ping-pong balls, gold dust, bags of feathers

Which classes density can and cannot produce

There are eighteen freight classes. The density provision assigns thirteen of them. The remaining five — 77.5, 110, 150, 200 and 500 — are real classes that real shipments rate at, but a density calculation will never return them. Goods land there because the NMFC lists that commodity at that class, or because stowability, handling or liability characteristics move it there.

This matters when you are checking a quote. If a carrier has rated your freight at class 110 and your own density calculation says 100, that is not necessarily an error — it may be the listing rather than the density doing the work. Equally, if a free calculator hands you class 150 for a 6.5 lb/ft³ pallet, it is using the legacy chart; the density provision returns 125.

These examples are indicative

Commodity groupings like the table above circulate widely and are useful for orientation, but the actual NMFC listing governs. Docket 2025-1 consolidated roughly 2,000 commodity listings in July 2025 and moved a large number of items onto the density scale, so groupings assembled before that date can be out of step. If you have a classification you established some years ago, verify it against the current publication rather than assuming it still applies.

Work out your own class with the freight class calculator, check whether your goods rate on density with the NMFC code lookup, or read how freight class is determined for the background.

Figures are indicative. Confirm classification with your carrier before booking — a wrong class on the bill of lading is the most common cause of an unexpected reclassification charge.

FAQ

Chart questions

What is the freight class chart based on?

Density — pounds per cubic foot. The National Motor Freight Classification assigns a class from a density scale for most commodities. That scale was restructured by the NMFTA in Docket 2025-1, effective 19 July 2025, expanding it from eleven subprovisions to thirteen and adding classes 55 and 50 to the density scale.

Why do some charts show 18 classes and others 13?

There are eighteen freight classes in the NMFC, but only thirteen of them are assigned by density. Classes 77.5, 110, 150, 200 and 500 come from specific commodity listings or from stowability, handling and liability characteristics. The widely published 18-row chart maps every class to a density band, which the density provision itself does not do.

What is the lowest freight class?

Class 50, which carries the lowest rate. It applies to very dense freight of 50 pounds per cubic foot or more, such as bricks or steel plate. Class 50 was only added to the density scale by the 2025 restructuring.

Can the same product have different freight classes?

Yes, for density-based commodities. Ship the same product in a different configuration or quantity and the density changes, so the class can change with it. Commodities with a fixed NMFC listing keep their class regardless of how they are packed.

Know the density, skip the chart.

Enter your dimensions and weight and get the class directly, with both scales compared for you.

Open the freight class calculator