What are Freight Classes?
Different freight classes are designed to help you get common standardized freight pricing for your shipment when working with different carriers, warehouses, and brokers. Freight classes are defined by the National Motor Freight Traffic Association (NMFTA) and made available through the NMFC or National Motor Freight Classification.
Different freight classes (there are 18 of them) are based on weight, length, and height, density, ease of handling, value and liability from things like theft, damage, break-ability, and spoilage. For the most part, the lower the NMFC class number, the lower the freight charge.
In the early days of the trucking industry, the trucking companies used to price the transportation costs based on the weight of the cargo. Of course, the higher the weight, the higher they would charge. Later on, they realized that they were losing money in cases where they were moving lighter freight that took up the same space that a heavier freight would take. Imagine in the old days, somebody wanting to ship a trailer of stones, and another person wanting to ship a trailer of feather. Trucking companies charged the guy who shipped a trailer of feather much less than the guy shipping the stones. They realized that they were going the same distance but were making much less! Their costs of the transportation for trucking company were about the same. It is true that they would use less fuel, but fuel is not the only factor. You have the wear and tear of the truck and the labor costs of driver which could be a lot more than the difference in the fuel costs. So, they got smart and came up with another factor in determining the price of transportation. Weight and class! You may ask how did they come up with "classification or class"? Well, they based the classification on the density of the cargo. We all studied in school that density is a measure of mass per unit of volume. Basically d=M/V. That means, any object that weights a lot and takes up less space has higher density. Higher the density, the lower the class and vice versa for lower the density, the higher the class. Therefore, a pallet of rocks that is 48" wide, 48" long, and 48" high will weight substantially more than a pallet of feather that is the same size. The pallet of feather is less dense, therefore it would have a higher classification. That means the trucking company will offset the lack of weight revenue by the amount that a higher classification will bring in.
Airlines were always ahead of the game, because they had realized that their space in the aircraft was limited. So they used the "Dim Weight" of the cargo to determine it's transportation cost. "Dim Weight" or "Dimensional Weight" is calculated by determining the cubic size of a package. Costs are derived between the greater of the Dim weight or the actual scale weight. For example, a pallet size of 48" X 48" X 48" has a dim weight of 796 lbs. If the cargo weights more than 796 lbs. then they use the higher weight of the cargo multiplied by carrier specific divisor. If the cargo weighs less, then they use the 796 lbs. factor multiplied by the carrier specific divisor. For many years now, trucking companies have been talking about classifying their cost/revenue by the Dim Weight. However, it is easier said than done. They realize that they all have to agree. Otherwise, the ones that start pricing the cargo on Dim Weight may not look as attractive when it comes to pricing in front of potential and current clients.
We promise you that the reason if a client is able to obtain lower transportation costs from other competitors is because of mis-classification of their freight. All of our competitors have declarations stating that if the freight is ever re-classified or re-weighted by the trucking company, they have the right to charge the additional freight charges plus penalties/fees.
We use two factors in determining the correct classification of freight for our clients. First, we check with NMFC to see what the classification of the items being shipped. Then, we make sure that the density of the freight matches the specified classification. You have to be very careful with getting the proper NMFC article number. For example, let's say you want to ship some chairs from Atlanta Georgia to Beverly Hill California, and the cargo weights 500 lbs. Did you know that your chairs could be classified anywhere from class 55 all the way to class 400? The range in price that you would pay to transport those chairs are between $240 to $1,097. If a competitor is rating all the chairs at class 55 which results in a $240 transportation cost to the consumer, of course, they would be a lot cheaper than if we correctly rated those chairs as class 70 from the beginning. Some clients think that we are overcharging them and pick the competitor, only to find out that they are being hit with a re-classification fee/penalty, and the new freight charges,, once they have already been charged! If the density of your cargo correctly is classified, we guarantee you that not a single competitor out there can beat our pricing! If they do, we will match their price and give you an additional 10% off! We don't low ball the costs to just get the client to give us their business and then hit them with the penalties and higher freight charges. We value integrity and honesty more than just saying anything to get the customer's freight. We want our clients to trust us as industry experts and be assured that we are doing everything in our power to save them money! You wouldn't trust to do any other business with a lawyer that lied to you initially about all the positive prospects of your case just to get the retainer from you and then fail to deliver. That is why we don't ever want to be that lawyer!
Figuring out the right freight classes is part of our job. We have created a tool that can help you obtain a classification based on the density of the cargo you are planning to ship. We are also here to help you figure out your NMFC freight class, ensuring the specialized code is correct. This ensures that you get correct and consistent pricing for your freight. The following table is an example of NMFC classes. A number of factors influence what class your shipment ends up in. You should contact our representatives to determine an accurate freight class.
Different freight classes are designed to help you get common standardized freight pricing for your shipment when working with different carriers, warehouses, and brokers. Freight classes are defined by the National Motor Freight Traffic Association (NMFTA) and made available through the NMFC or National Motor Freight Classification.
Different freight classes (there are 18 of them) are based on weight, length, and height, density, ease of handling, value and liability from things like theft, damage, break-ability, and spoilage. For the most part, the lower the NMFC class number, the lower the freight charge.
In the early days of the trucking industry, the trucking companies used to price the transportation costs based on the weight of the cargo. Of course, the higher the weight, the higher they would charge. Later on, they realized that they were losing money in cases where they were moving lighter freight that took up the same space that a heavier freight would take. Imagine in the old days, somebody wanting to ship a trailer of stones, and another person wanting to ship a trailer of feather. Trucking companies charged the guy who shipped a trailer of feather much less than the guy shipping the stones. They realized that they were going the same distance but were making much less! Their costs of the transportation for trucking company were about the same. It is true that they would use less fuel, but fuel is not the only factor. You have the wear and tear of the truck and the labor costs of driver which could be a lot more than the difference in the fuel costs. So, they got smart and came up with another factor in determining the price of transportation. Weight and class! You may ask how did they come up with "classification or class"? Well, they based the classification on the density of the cargo. We all studied in school that density is a measure of mass per unit of volume. Basically d=M/V. That means, any object that weights a lot and takes up less space has higher density. Higher the density, the lower the class and vice versa for lower the density, the higher the class. Therefore, a pallet of rocks that is 48" wide, 48" long, and 48" high will weight substantially more than a pallet of feather that is the same size. The pallet of feather is less dense, therefore it would have a higher classification. That means the trucking company will offset the lack of weight revenue by the amount that a higher classification will bring in.
Airlines were always ahead of the game, because they had realized that their space in the aircraft was limited. So they used the "Dim Weight" of the cargo to determine it's transportation cost. "Dim Weight" or "Dimensional Weight" is calculated by determining the cubic size of a package. Costs are derived between the greater of the Dim weight or the actual scale weight. For example, a pallet size of 48" X 48" X 48" has a dim weight of 796 lbs. If the cargo weights more than 796 lbs. then they use the higher weight of the cargo multiplied by carrier specific divisor. If the cargo weighs less, then they use the 796 lbs. factor multiplied by the carrier specific divisor. For many years now, trucking companies have been talking about classifying their cost/revenue by the Dim Weight. However, it is easier said than done. They realize that they all have to agree. Otherwise, the ones that start pricing the cargo on Dim Weight may not look as attractive when it comes to pricing in front of potential and current clients.
We promise you that the reason if a client is able to obtain lower transportation costs from other competitors is because of mis-classification of their freight. All of our competitors have declarations stating that if the freight is ever re-classified or re-weighted by the trucking company, they have the right to charge the additional freight charges plus penalties/fees.
We use two factors in determining the correct classification of freight for our clients. First, we check with NMFC to see what the classification of the items being shipped. Then, we make sure that the density of the freight matches the specified classification. You have to be very careful with getting the proper NMFC article number. For example, let's say you want to ship some chairs from Atlanta Georgia to Beverly Hill California, and the cargo weights 500 lbs. Did you know that your chairs could be classified anywhere from class 55 all the way to class 400? The range in price that you would pay to transport those chairs are between $240 to $1,097. If a competitor is rating all the chairs at class 55 which results in a $240 transportation cost to the consumer, of course, they would be a lot cheaper than if we correctly rated those chairs as class 70 from the beginning. Some clients think that we are overcharging them and pick the competitor, only to find out that they are being hit with a re-classification fee/penalty, and the new freight charges,, once they have already been charged! If the density of your cargo correctly is classified, we guarantee you that not a single competitor out there can beat our pricing! If they do, we will match their price and give you an additional 10% off! We don't low ball the costs to just get the client to give us their business and then hit them with the penalties and higher freight charges. We value integrity and honesty more than just saying anything to get the customer's freight. We want our clients to trust us as industry experts and be assured that we are doing everything in our power to save them money! You wouldn't trust to do any other business with a lawyer that lied to you initially about all the positive prospects of your case just to get the retainer from you and then fail to deliver. That is why we don't ever want to be that lawyer!
Figuring out the right freight classes is part of our job. We have created a tool that can help you obtain a classification based on the density of the cargo you are planning to ship. We are also here to help you figure out your NMFC freight class, ensuring the specialized code is correct. This ensures that you get correct and consistent pricing for your freight. The following table is an example of NMFC classes. A number of factors influence what class your shipment ends up in. You should contact our representatives to determine an accurate freight class.
Class |
Cost |
Examples |
Weight Range Per Cubic Feet |
Class 50- (High Density/Heavy) |
Lowest Cost |
Metal, Iron, Rocks, Stone |
Over 50 lbs. |
Class 55 |
Brick, cement, mortar, wood flooring |
35-50 lbs. |
|
Class 60 |
Car Parts and Accessories |
30-35 lbs. |
|
Class 65 |
Car accessories & car parts, bottled drinks, books packaged in boxes |
22.5-30 lbs. |
|
Class 70 |
Car accessories & car parts, food items, automobile engines and transmissions |
15-22.5 lbs. |
|
Class 77.5 |
Tires, plumbing fixtures |
13.5-15 lbs. |
|
Class 85 |
Crated machinery, cast iron stoves |
12-13.5 lbs. |
|
Class 92.5 |
Computers, monitors, refrigerators |
10.5-12 lbs. |
|
Class 100 |
Boat covers, car covers, canvas, wine cases, caskets |
9-10.5 lbs. |
|
Class 110 |
Cabinets, framed artwork, table saw |
8-9 lbs. |
|
Class 125 |
Small Household appliances |
7-8 lbs. |
|
Class 150 |
Auto sheet metal parts, bookcases |
6-7 lbs. |
|
Class 175 |
Clothing, couches stuffed furniture |
5-6 lbs. |
|
Class 200 |
Auto sheet metal parts, aircraft parts, aluminum table, packaged mattresses |
4-5 lbs. |
|
Class 250 |
Bamboo furniture, mattress and box spring, plasma TV |
3-4 lbs. |
|
Class 300 |
Wood cabinets, tables, chairs setup, model boats |
2-3 lbs. |
|
Class 400 |
Deer antlers |
1-2 lbs. |
|
Class 500 ( Lowest Density or High Valuation) |
Highest Cost |
Bags of gold dust, ping pong balls, feather |
less than 1 lbs. |