Freight Class Calculator is a free tool from Emerge that works out the freight class of any LTL shipment in seconds. Enter each pallet, crate or skid with the pallet included, in inches and pounds or centimeters and kilograms, and it returns cubic feet, density in pounds per cubic foot and the estimated class on the NMFC 13-tier density scale that took effect on July 19, 2025.

How do you calculate freight class? Multiply length x width x height in inches, divide by 1,728 to get cubic feet, then divide the weight in pounds by the cubic feet to get density. The calculator matches that density to the scale: 50 or more pounds per cubic foot is class 50, 35 to under 50 is class 55, and so on up to class 400 for anything under 1 pound per cubic foot.

What makes it different from a basic freight density calculator:

• Per handling unit results. Carriers rate each pallet on its own density, so every unit gets its own class, with a blended figure for reference.

• Old scale vs new scale. If a unit's class changed when the NMFC moved from 11 tiers to 13 tiers, you see both.

• Reclass risk. Units within 5% of a class breakpoint are flagged, and units close to a better class show how much less height would get them there.

Example: a 48 x 40 inch pallet, 60 inches tall, weighing 500 pounds is 66.7 cubic feet and 7.5 pounds per cubic foot, so it rates class 125. Build the same freight 50 inches tall and it is 9.0 pounds per cubic foot, class 100.

Free, no signup, works in any browser. Built for shippers, freight and procurement teams who want to check freight class before they book LTL.