Breaking the habit
“…Since the 1930s, the National Motor Freight Classification (NMFC) system has grouped commodities into 18 classes ranging from 50 to 500 based on a product’s density, stow-ability, handling, and liability characteristics. Dimensional pricing, broadly used outside of North America, uses the weight and volume of cargo to determine rates instead… It’s time to wean the LTL industry off the NMFC model. Going cold turkey is not working.”
How to calculate freight class
To determine dimensional freight classification, calculate the density of the shipment and refer to the freight classification table.
1. Measure Shipment: Measure the length, width, and height of your shipment. Be sure to use the longest, widest, and tallest parts of the shipment (including the pallet) when measuring.
2. Calculate Volume: Multiply the length, width, and height values together. This will give the total cubic inches (or feet, depending on unit of measurement). If you measured in inches, divide this result by 1,728 (number of cubic inches in a cubic foot) to get volume in cubic feet.
3. Calculate Density: Divide the weight in lbs. by the volume (calculated in step 2) in cubic feet to get the shipment's density. Using the density, refer to the freight classification table to find the shipment's freight class.
| Class | Density Low | Density High |
|---|---|---|
| 50 | 50 | > 50 |
| 55 | 35 | 49.99 |
| 60 | 30 | 34.99 |
| 65 | 22.5 | 29.99 |
| 70 | 15 | 22.49 |
| 77.5 | 13.5 | 19.99 |
| 85 | 12 | 13.49 |
| 92.5 | 10.5 | 11.99 |
| 100 | 9 | 10.49 |
| 110 | 8 | 8.99 |
| 125 | 7 | 7.99 |
| 150 | 6 | 6.99 |
| 175 | 5 | 5.99 |
| 200 | 4 | 4.99 |
| 250 | 3 | 3.99 |
| 300 | 2 | 2.99 |
| 400 | 1 | 1.99 |
| 500 | < .99 | 0.99 |
