The freight class on your bill of lading is the class your LTL quote was priced at. If the carrier inspects the shipment at a terminal and finds a different class, the bill changes after the freight has moved: the freight charge is rerated at the new class, and both carrier rules tariffs quoted in this guide add a fee on top. Each carrier publishes its own amount, so the only safe number is the one in the tariff of the carrier you book.
Most of that can be avoided with work you do before you book. You find the NMFC item for what you ship. You measure and weigh the freight the way the carrier will. Then you calculate density and read the class off the scale. This guide goes through each step with a worked pallet. For how the class feeds into the rest of the price, see our breakdown of LTL freight rates.
Why does density decide most freight classes now?
Freight class comes from the National Motor Freight Classification (NMFC), which the National Motor Freight Traffic Association (NMFTA) maintains. NMFTA describes the NMFC as “the industry standard for LTL freight identification and classification”. The carrier rules tariffs quoted here apply the NMFC item for the commodity, then add their own charges and procedures around it.
A class reflects four characteristics: density, handling, stowability and liability. Under NMFC Docket 2025-1, effective July 19, 2025, the classifications in that docket moved from commodity based to density based, and a 13 step density scale replaced the previous 11 step one, adding classes 50 and 55 for dense freight. Old Dominion summarizes these changes in its guide to the NMFC class changes. For an item that is density based, the pounds per cubic foot of the freight as tendered decide the class.
Not every item works this way. Some NMFC items still set a class by commodity, so start with the item, then decide whether the density math applies.
Step 1: Which NMFC item covers your freight?
The item depends on what the product is and how it is packed. Look it up in the NMFC, or ask the carrier or the provider who quotes your rates which item they apply. The item tells you one of two things:
- The class follows density. Measure and weigh, then use the steps below.
- The item sets the class. Write that class, and still measure and weigh, because the carrier checks the weight and dimensions on the bill.
If your contract uses an FAK (freight all kinds) class, still write the real commodity on the bill. Carriers set their own rules for a bill that says only “FAK”. In Old Dominion’s tariff, such a bill without a complete description is subject to a minimum charge based on the class 100 rate, and a shipment tendered with no NMFC item, description or class is rated at the class matching the density of the whole shipment. Our bill of lading example shows where each of these goes on the form.
Step 2: How does the carrier measure your freight?
The two carrier tariffs checked for this guide measure the same way. Take the extreme length, width and height in inches, including pallets, skids and anything that projects. Multiply them, then divide by 1,728 to get cubic feet. FedEx Freight’s 100 Rules Tariff (Item 192) spells this out, and its Item 980 says density is determined by the cube methods in Item 110, Section 8 of the NMFC. Old Dominion’s 100-Q Rules Tariff (Item 490) uses the same division. In practice:
- Measure the pallet as it stands. The height runs from the floor to the top of the load, pallet included.
- Measure at the widest point. A carton that sticks out past the pallet edge sets the width.
- Measure after wrapping. Film, corner boards and straps are part of what the carrier measures. Our pallet prep guide covers the build itself.
- Think about stacking. Carriers set their own rules for freight that cannot take a load on top. In Old Dominion’s Item 490, the carrier may use a height of at least 96 inches when it calculates the cube, triggered by the nature of the article, its packaging, a pallet built “pyramided”, “rounded off” or “topped off”, or a do not stack instruction on the bill.
- Watch very wide freight. In the same item, for articles 70 inches wide or more, the carrier may use a width of 96 inches.
Step 3: Why weigh it on a scale?
Density is weight divided by cube, so a guessed weight gives a guessed class. Weigh each pallet wrapped, on a scale. Carriers check: FedEx Freight’s Item 980 lists opening packages to inspect the contents, verifying gross weight and verifying actual or declared density among the steps it may take when it believes the bill is wrong.
The tolerance before a charge applies is set by each carrier, and the two tariffs checked here differ:
- Old Dominion (Item 367). It reweighs with portable scales it says are accurate within 1% of actual weight. A reweigh 20 pounds or more over the bill brings a $25.00 charge and a rerate. A bill with no weight is weighed for $25.00.
- FedEx Freight (Item 981). A difference of less than 50 pounds over the bill brings no fee and no change in line haul charges. An increase of 50 pounds or more, or a reduction of 200 pounds or more, brings a $40.00 validation fee and adjusted charges.
Step 4: How do you turn density into a class?
Divide the weight in pounds by the cubic feet. Then find the result on the scale. This is the 13 step scale as Old Dominion’s tariff prints it for density rated freight:
| Density (pounds per cubic foot) | Class |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 | 400 |
| 1 but less than 2 | 300 |
| 2 but less than 4 | 250 |
| 4 but less than 6 | 175 |
| 6 but less than 8 | 125 |
| 8 but less than 10 | 100 |
| 10 but less than 12 | 92.5 |
| 12 but less than 15 | 85 |
| 15 but less than 22.5 | 70 |
| 22.5 but less than 30 | 65 |
| 30 but less than 35 | 60 |
| 35 but less than 50 | 55 |
| 50 or greater | 50 |
A worked pallet. A shipper has one pallet of boxed goods. The cartons stand 46 inches tall on a pallet that adds 6 inches, so the unit measures 48 x 40 x 52 inches. Wrapped, it weighs 410 pounds on the dock scale.
- Cube: 48 x 40 x 52 = 99,840 cubic inches. Divided by 1,728, that is 57.78 cubic feet.
- Density: 410 divided by 57.78 is 7.10 pounds per cubic foot.
- Class: 7.10 falls in “6 but less than 8”, so class 125.
Now the same pallet, measured two other ways:
| How it was measured | Cubic feet | Density | Class |
|---|---|---|---|
| Correctly: 48 x 40 x 52, pallet included | 57.78 | 7.10 | 125 |
| Cartons only: 48 x 40 x 46, pallet left out | 51.11 | 8.02 | 100 |
| Marked do not stack, cubed at 96 inches high | 106.67 | 3.84 | 250 |
The second row is the kind of error a terminal measurement catches. The bill says class 100, the terminal measures 52 inches, and the shipment is rerated at 125. The third row is a decision, not a mistake. If the cartons can carry weight, a do not stack note added out of habit can move the class from 125 to 250 under a rule like Old Dominion’s. If they cannot carry weight, use 96 inches in your own calculation, because that is how the carrier may cube it.
Class worked out and a delivery date to hit?
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Step 5: Should each pallet be listed separately?
For a shipment of several pallets of density based freight, the bill decides which calculation the carrier can use. FedEx Freight’s Item 192 says each item of the bill of lading is considered separately when it calculates cube. Old Dominion’s Item 640 rates each pallet at the class for its own density when the bill lists the weight of each pallet and each pallet is labeled so it can be matched to that line. If the weights cannot be matched, Old Dominion may rate the shipment on its overall density instead.
Two pallets show the difference:
| Unit | Dimensions (inches) | Weight (lb) | Density | Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pallet A | 48 x 40 x 40 | 700 | 15.75 | 70 |
| Pallet B | 48 x 40 x 60 | 300 | 4.50 | 175 |
| Shipment total | 111.11 cubic feet | 1,000 | 9.00 | 100 |
Listed and labeled pallet by pallet, the shipment can be rated at two classes. With one total weight, it may be rated at one. Which costs less depends on the rates for your lane. Either way, the class on your bill should match the method the carrier will use.
What does a reclass cost?
Each carrier sets these charges in its own rules tariff, and contract customers may pay different ones. Here are the published charges in two of them, so you can see how far apart they sit:
| What happens | Old Dominion 100-Q | FedEx Freight 100 |
|---|---|---|
| Inspection changes the charges | $25.00 per shipment, plus freight, fuel surcharge and accessorials recalculated (Item 367) | $40.00 validation fee, charges adjusted (Item 981) |
| Reweigh finds more than the bill | 20 lb or more over: $25.00, charges recalculated (Item 367) | 50 lb or more over: $40.00, charges modified (Item 981) |
| Reweigh finds less than the bill | Not covered by the items quoted here | 200 lb or more under: $40.00, charges modified (Item 981) |
| Reweigh and inspection on one shipment | Not covered by the items quoted here | Only one $40.00 fee per shipment (Item 981) |
| No weight on the bill, or a weighing you request | $25.00 per shipment in either case (Item 367) | $155.00 per weighing on the carrier’s scale, on request (Item 990) |
| Class information missing from the bill | No NMFC item, description or class: at the carrier’s option, rated at the class for the density of the whole shipment (Item 170) | Density rated item with no density on the bill: charged first at the class for the lowest density in the NMFC item, adjusted on proof of a higher density (Item 170) |
| You send a corrected bill of lading | $45.00 per corrected bill; changes to description, density or weight need conclusive documentary proof (Item 365) | Not covered by the items quoted here |
The fee is fixed. The rerate is not, because both tariffs apply it to the freight charge, the fuel surcharge and the accessorials at the corrected class or weight. And a correction after the fact needs proof. That is a reason to keep the scale ticket and a photo of the tape on each pallet.
What should you have ready before you book?
- The NMFC item, and whether its class follows density
- Length, width and height of each pallet at its widest point, pallet included, after wrapping
- A decision on stacking, and 96 inches in your math if the unit cannot take freight on top
- The scale weight of each pallet, wrapped
- Density and class for each pallet and for the whole shipment
- A bill with the real description, item, class, and each pallet’s weight, with labels that match
These are the inputs an expedited LTL quote runs on. When you request an LTL quote from StarBriges, the first step asks for origin, destination, freight class, weight, pallet count, and any delivery deadline or dock appointment.
Frequently asked questions
Does the pallet count toward freight density?
Yes, in both tariffs quoted here. FedEx Freight’s Item 192 measures the extreme dimensions including pallets, skids and projecting parts. Old Dominion’s tariff defines gross weight as including pallets and packaging, and calculates density from the weight and cubic feet of each piece or pallet. Measure from the floor to the top of the load, and weigh the pallet with the freight on it.
What happens if I leave the freight class off the bill of lading?
It depends on the carrier. Under Old Dominion’s Item 170, a bill with no NMFC item, commodity description or freight class is rated at the class for the density of the whole shipment, after the carrier measures it, and its Item 367 adds a $25.00 weighing charge for a missing weight. Under FedEx Freight’s Item 170, a density rated commodity with no density on the bill is charged first at the class for the lowest density in its NMFC item, which is the highest class, until you prove a higher density, unless the NMFC item itself says how to class it.
Is a freight class calculator enough?
A calculator does the same division shown above. It is only as accurate as the dimensions and weight you enter, and it cannot tell you whether your item’s class follows density. Check the NMFC item first.
Did the 2025 NMFC changes change my class?
If your item was among the classifications in Docket 2025-1, its class now follows density on the 13 step scale. Old Dominion advises shippers to review their existing classifications and notes that Docket 2025-2, released in fall 2025, cancelled more items. If you have not rechecked a class you set before July 2025, recheck it.