Both density scales in one place, plus a dated record of what actually changed in
the NMFC. To score your own shipment against both scales at once, use the
freight class calculator.
Last reviewed 11 August 2026. The NMFTA publishes classification changes through
dockets several times a year. This page records what changed and when; the change log at the
bottom is updated when a new docket takes effect.
Density guideline — 18 steps
The long-published density-to-class table. This is what most carrier quoting tools and freight
calculators display.
Density (lb per cubic foot)
Class
50 or more
50
35 – 50
55
30 – 35
60
22.5 – 30
65
15 – 22.5
70
13.5 – 15
77.5
12 – 13.5
85
10.5 – 12
92.5
9 – 10.5
100
8 – 9
110
7 – 8
125
6 – 7
150
5 – 6
175
4 – 5
200
3 – 4
250
2 – 3
300
1 – 2
400
Under 1
500
NMFC density sub-provisions — 13 subs
The scale written into density-based NMFC items, effective 7 April 2026. Subs 11, 12 and 13 are
the additions that let genuinely dense freight reach classes 60, 55 and 50.
Sub
Density (lb per cubic foot)
Class
Sub 13
50 or more
50
Sub 12
35 – 50
55
Sub 11
30 – 35
60
Sub 10
22.5 – 30
65
Sub 9
15 – 22.5
70
Sub 8
12 – 15
85
Sub 7
10 – 12
92.5
Sub 6
8 – 10
100
Sub 5
6 – 8
125
Sub 4
4 – 6
175
Sub 3
2 – 4
250
Sub 2
1 – 2
300
Sub 1
Under 1
400
Where the two scales disagree
They are not the same table, and for a shipment governed by a density provision the sub-provision
scale is the one that counts. These are the bands where they return different classes:
Density (PCF)
18-step guideline
NMFC sub
Difference
13.5 – 15
77.5
85 (Sub 8)
Sub is higher
10 – 10.5
100
92.5 (Sub 7)
Sub is lower
8 – 9
110
100 (Sub 6)
Sub is lower
6 – 7
150
125 (Sub 5)
Sub is lower
4 – 5
200
175 (Sub 4)
Sub is lower
2 – 3
300
250 (Sub 3)
Sub is lower
1 – 2
400
300 (Sub 2)
Sub is lower
Under 1
500
400 (Sub 1)
Sub is lower
ad slot
NMFC change log
7 April 2026 — Docket 2026-1, density scale expanded to 13 subs
The density sub-provision structure went from 11 subs to 13. Sub 11 was amended to cover densities
from 30 to under 35 PCF at class 60; two new subs were added above it — Sub 12 for 35 to under 50
PCF at class 55, and Sub 13 for 50 PCF and above at class 50. Before this change, density-based
items bottomed out at class 60 regardless of how dense the freight was, so genuinely heavy
commodities could not reach the lowest classes at all.
19 July 2025 — Docket 2025-1, the commodity-to-density shift
The larger structural change. Roughly 2,000 commodity listings were consolidated or eliminated,
and a large share of what remained moved from fixed commodity classes onto density-based
provisions using the then-11-sub scale. The NMFTA also introduced separate identifiers flagging
freight with handling, stowability or liability characteristics that override the density read.
Practical consequence for shippers: a class you have used for years may no longer be the class
that applies, and the class now depends on how you pack rather than only on what you ship. If you
have not re-checked your regular commodities since mid-2025, that is the check worth doing.
What density does not decide
Density is one of four classification factors. Stowability, handling and liability can each
override it — freight that cannot be stacked, cannot be forklifted, is unusually valuable, or is
regulated as hazardous carries provisions that sit outside the density tables entirely. The charts
above give you the density answer; the governing NMFC item gives you the answer.
Sourcing and accuracy
The sub 11, 12 and 13 bands are taken from the NMFTA's own published guidance on the 13-sub
structure. The remaining sub bands follow the density structure as published across carrier and
industry documentation. The 18-step guideline is the table in general circulation among carrier
quoting tools.
None of this is a substitute for the NMFC itself. Classification for a specific commodity comes
from the governing item, which is available through an NMFC or ClassIT+ subscription. Verify before
you tender.
Questions people actually ask
What is the freight class chart?
A table mapping freight density in pounds per cubic foot to an NMFC freight class from 50 to 500. Denser freight takes a lower class and a lower rate per hundredweight. There are currently two tables in circulation — the 18-step guideline and the NMFC's own 13-sub density scale — and they do not agree in every band.
When did the freight classes change?
Twice recently. Docket 2025-1 took effect 19 July 2025 and moved roughly 2,000 commodity listings onto density-based provisions. Docket 2026-1 took effect 7 April 2026 and expanded the density scale from 11 sub-provisions to 13, adding classes 55 and 50 at the dense end.
Is freight class 50 the cheapest?
Yes — class 50 is the lowest class and carries the lowest rate per hundredweight. It requires density of 50 pounds per cubic foot or more, which very little palletised general freight achieves. Before April 2026, density-based items could not reach class 50 at all.