NMFC Codes and Freight Class: How LTL Freight Is Priced

NMFC codes are the identifying numbers in the National Motor Freight Classification, the industry standard that LTL carriers use to describe and price freight. Every commodity maps to an NMFC code, and every code maps to a freight class — a number from 50 to 500 across 18 classes that carriers use to price a shipment. Get the code and class right and your quote matches your invoice; get it wrong and the carrier will reclassify the shipment, almost always at a higher price.

This guide explains what NMFC codes and freight class actually mean, how the classification system is built, why it drives your LTL rate, and how to find or confirm the right class before you ship — so the number on your quote is the number on your invoice.

What Is an NMFC Code?

The National Motor Freight Classification is maintained by the National Motor Freight Traffic Association (NMFTA) and functions like a product catalog for freight. Each entry — an NMFC code, or "item" — describes a specific commodity or commodity group, from "machinery, parts, NOI" to "furniture, unassembled." That code is what a carrier's rating system looks up to determine how a shipment should be priced, and it's typically printed on the bill of lading alongside the freight class it maps to.

An NMFC code lookup, in practice, means matching your commodity to the correct item number in the classification — either through NMFTA's own database, a carrier's rating tool, or with help from your broker. The code matters because two shipments that look similar on a dock (say, two pallets of boxed goods) can carry very different codes, and very different rates, depending on what's actually inside.

What Is Freight Class?

Freight class is the number — one of 18 standard classes running from 50 to 500 — that the NMFC code resolves to, and it's the primary driver of an LTL rate. The classes are: 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, 77.5, 85, 92.5, 100, 110, 125, 150, 175, 200, 250, 300, 400, and 500. Lower classes are dense, easy-to-handle, low-risk freight and cost less per pound to ship. Higher classes are bulky, fragile, or hard-to-handle freight and cost more per pound, because they take up more trailer space and carry more risk relative to their weight.

The Four Classification Factors

The NMFC sets class using four factors, and density has become the dominant one for most general commodities since a series of NMFTA rule changes that took effect starting in 2021.

• Density — pounds per cubic foot; now the primary factor for most non-hazardous, palletized commodities.
• Stowability — how easily the freight loads and stows with other shipments; odd shapes, excessive length, and hazmat stow poorly and class higher.
• Handling — freight that needs special care, hand-loading, or non-standard equipment classes higher than freight that loads and unloads easily with a forklift.
• Liability — freight that's fragile, perishable, high-value, or prone to theft or damage carries more risk and classes higher.

Density is calculated by dividing total weight (in pounds) by total cubic volume (in cubic feet) — with volume based on the shipment's outer dimensions, including any pallet. A pallet measuring 48" × 40" × 48" tall works out to roughly 53.3 cubic feet; a shipment on that pallet weighing 800 lbs has a density of about 15 lbs/cu ft.

Freight Class Chart: Density Ranges by Class

Since the 2021 density-based reclassification, many general commodity NMFC items now assign class directly from density rather than a fixed, commodity-specific number. The ranges below are typical for those density-based items; hazmat, unusual stowability, or high-liability goods can still class higher than density alone would suggest.

• Class 50 — 50+ lbs/cu ft (e.g., steel, hardware)
• Class 60–65 — roughly 22.5–35 lbs/cu ft (e.g., car parts, machinery)
• Class 70–85 — roughly 12–22.5 lbs/cu ft (e.g., palletized food, auto parts)
• Class 92.5–125 — roughly 7–12 lbs/cu ft (e.g., small machines, cartoned goods)
• Class 150–175 — roughly 5–7 lbs/cu ft (e.g., auto sheet metal, bulky cartons)
• Class 200–250 — roughly 3–5 lbs/cu ft (e.g., furniture, molded plastics)
• Class 300–400 — roughly 1–3 lbs/cu ft (e.g., assembled furniture, fixtures)
• Class 500 — under 1 lb/cu ft (e.g., very low-density, high-value items like empty canisters)

Treat these ranges as a planning guide, not a substitute for an actual NMFC lookup — the exact boundaries and any handling or liability adjustments depend on your specific commodity's item number.

Why Freight Class Matters for Your Rates

LTL pricing starts from class. A dense pallet of machined parts in class 50–70 costs far less per pound to ship than a light, bulky pallet of unassembled furniture in class 200–300, even if both weigh the same or fill the same trailer space. That's because class is the carrier's shorthand for how efficiently your freight uses their trailer relative to its weight — and trailer space is what they're really selling.

This is also where LTL freight and full truckload pricing diverge. As we cover in FTL vs. LTL Freight, FTL pricing is driven by lane, equipment, and market conditions — freight class never enters into it, because you're paying for the whole trailer regardless of density. Class only matters when you're sharing space with other shipments.

How Misclassification Leads to Reclassification Fees

When a shipper guesses low on class — intentionally or not — carriers routinely catch it. Most LTL carriers inspect and reweigh a meaningful share of shipments at their terminals, using dimensioning equipment that measures cube and weight automatically. If the freight doesn't match what was booked, the carrier reclassifies it to the correct class and rebills the difference, typically adding an inspection fee on top.

The financial impact can be significant: moving from class 70 to class 125, for example, can meaningfully increase the per-hundredweight rate, and that increase applies to the full shipment weight, not just the discrepancy. Disputing a reclassification after the fact is possible but time-consuming, and carriers generally win when their own scale and dimensioner data support the higher class.

How to Get Your Freight Class Right the First Time

• Measure actual outer dimensions of the palletized shipment, including any overhang — not just the product's packaging spec.
• Weigh the shipment (or get an accurate certified weight) rather than estimating from a spec sheet.
• Describe the commodity specifically — "electronics, boxed" is more useful to a rating system than "miscellaneous goods."
• Flag anything with unusual handling needs: non-stackable freight, extreme length, or fragile contents.
• When in doubt, ask your broker or carrier to confirm the NMFC code and class before the shipment is booked, not after it's picked up.

If your shipment sits in the awkward middle ground between a few LTL pallets and a full trailer, it's also worth asking whether partial truckload shipping fits better — PTL is priced by space and weight rather than freight class, which sidesteps the reclassification question entirely.

How OTX Handles Classification for You

OTX Logistics Group coordinates LTL freight with accurate NMFC classification from the first quote, not as an afterthought. We work with you to confirm dimensions, weight, and commodity details up front, flag anything likely to draw a reclass, and coordinate with carriers so the class on your bill of lading matches what actually ships — because a freight broker who gets this right the first time is the one who saves you the reclass fee and the invoice dispute later.

Request a quote with your commodity, dimensions, and weight, and we'll confirm the classification and handle the rest.