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Freight class is a number that LTL carriers use when they price a shipment. On the current density scale below it runs from 50 to 400. Under the density-based method it starts from one measurement: how many pounds the shipment weighs per cubic foot. Heavy, compact freight lands on a low class number; light, bulky freight lands on a high one. The table pairs each density band with its class, and the sections after it explain how to read it.
The density-to-class chart
The 13 bands below match the table in NMFTA’s article “Decoding Density” (posted June 19, 2025, read November 9, 2026). They took effect with Docket 2025-1 on July 19, 2025, according to the NMFTA news page.
| Density, lb/ft³ | Class |
|---|---|
| under 1 | 400 |
| 1 up to 2 | 300 |
| 2 up to 4 | 250 |
| 4 up to 6 | 175 |
| 6 up to 8 | 125 |
| 8 up to 10 | 100 |
| 10 up to 12 | 92.5 |
| 12 up to 15 | 85 |
| 15 up to 22.5 | 70 |
| 22.5 up to 30 | 65 |
| 30 up to 35 | 60 |
| 35 up to 50 | 55 |
| 50 or more | 50 |
Density is in pounds per cubic foot (lb/ft³). The same data drives the freight class calculator.
Older charts will not match this table. Old Dominion describes the replaced scale as an “11-tier” system, and the new one as a “13-subprovision density scale”. If a chart shows different bands, it is probably the pre-July 2025 scale.
How to read the chart
Work out the shipment’s density, find the row whose range contains it, and read the class from the right-hand column. NMFTA puts it this way: “density is the weight of your shipment divided by its volume.” In inches and pounds:
- Cubic feet = length × width × height (all in inches) ÷ 1,728.
- Density = weight in pounds ÷ cubic feet.
Measure the packaged shipment, not the bare goods: NMFTA says to measure “down to the inch” and to “always include pallets or packaging.” Use the longest, widest and tallest points. If you are shipping several pallets, work out the total volume and total weight.
The scale runs backwards from what people expect: the less dense the freight, the higher the class number. Under 1 lb/ft³ is class 400 and 50 lb/ft³ or more is class 50. A class number is a label for a density band, not a description of the goods and not a score out of anything.
Each band includes its lower number but not its upper one. A shipment at exactly 10 lb/ft³ is in the 10-to-12 band, class 92.5, not the band below it.
What is freight class 70?
Class 70 is the band for freight from 15 lb/ft³ up to, but not including, 22.5 lb/ft³. Anything denser moves to a lower class number; anything lighter moves to a higher one.
When density is not the whole story
The density scale applies to items classed by density. NMFTA says “many items” are, not all of them. Old Dominion lists handling, stowability and liability as classification factors alongside density (ODFL), so freight with fragility, awkward shape, or high damage or theft risk can carry a different class than its density alone suggests. Some items are also still classed by commodity.
So the chart gives you the density band, not a guarantee of the class on your paperwork. For a specific product, look up its NMFC item listing in ClassIT+, the digital platform NMFTA describes as “the exclusive new home for NMFC data” (see the NMFTA news page), or ask your carrier. Later dockets keep amending items: NMFTA’s Docket 2026-1 updated ClassIT+ on May 23, 2026, so check the current listing.
A worked density example
Inputs: a pallet measuring 48 × 40 × 50 inches, with the weight shown below.
A load measuring 48 × 40 × 50 in and weighing 600 lb as one piece: 48 × 40 × 50 = 96,000 in³, divided by 1,728 gives 55.56 ft³. 600 lb ÷ 55.56 ft³ = 10.80 lb/ft³. On the scale shown above that falls in the band that gives class 92.5.
To try your own load, the freight class calculator does the same steps and shows which band the density falls in.
Sources
- NMFTA, Decoding Density: the 13 density bands and classes, the density definition and measuring advice.
- NMFTA news page: effective date and Docket 2025-1.
- NMFTA Docket 2026-1: ClassIT+ update on May 23, 2026.
- Old Dominion Freight Line, NMFC class changes: classification factors beyond density, and the 11-tier to 13-subprovision change.
Last checked 9 Nov 2026. Edited by PalletSizes.com editorial; report a wrong figure via Contact.