Freight Class Chart 2025: Old 11-Tier vs New 13-Tier Scale
Since July 19, 2025, freight with no special handling, stowability or liability concerns is classed on a 13-tier NMFC density scale, from class 400 below 1 pound per cubic foot to class 50 at 50 pcf or more. The old 11-tier scale is identical below 30 pcf; it stopped at class 60 for everything 30 pcf and denser.
| Freight class | Density (lb/ft³) | Class before July 19, 2025 | 48 × 40 × 48 in pallet weight | Also written as |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 400 | Less than 1 | 400 | 53 lb or less | Class 400, class 400 freight, NMFC class 400 |
| 300 | 1 but less than 2 | 300 | 54–106 lb | Class 300, class 300 freight, NMFC class 300 |
| 250 | 2 but less than 4 | 250 | 107–213 lb | Class 250, class 250 freight, NMFC class 250 |
| 175 | 4 but less than 6 | 175 | 214–319 lb | Class 175, class 175 freight, NMFC class 175 |
| 125 | 6 but less than 8 | 125 | 320–426 lb | Class 125, class 125 freight, NMFC class 125 |
| 100 | 8 but less than 10 | 100 | 427–533 lb | Class 100, class 100 freight, NMFC class 100 |
| 92.5 | 10 but less than 12 | 92.5 | 534–639 lb | Class 92.5, class 92½, class 92-1/2 |
| 85 | 12 but less than 15 | 85 | 640–799 lb | Class 85, class 85 freight, NMFC class 85 |
| 70 | 15 but less than 22.5 | 70 | 800–1,199 lb | Class 70, class 70 freight, NMFC class 70 |
| 65 | 22.5 but less than 30 | 65 | 1,200–1,599 lb | Class 65, class 65 freight, NMFC class 65 |
| 60 | 30 but less than 35 | 60 | 1,600–1,866 lb | Class 60, class 60 freight, NMFC class 60 |
| 55 changed | 35 but less than 50 | 60 | 1,867–2,666 lb | Class 55, class 55 freight, NMFC class 55 |
| 50 changed | 50 or greater | 60 | 2,667 lb or more | Class 50, class 50 freight, NMFC class 50 |
Source: NMFTA, Decoding Density: The Freight Factor You Can't Afford to Overlook (blog, posted June 19, 2025); FedEx Freight, Understanding the upcoming NMFC classification changes beginning July 2025 (flyer, 05/25); Logistics Plus, note on NMFC density changes effective August 5, 2017; Transport Topics, FedEx Freight Delays Enforcement of NMFC Updates for 150 Days (July 23, 2025); NMFTA, 2025 NMFC Changes - Frequently Asked Questions (2024), checked Oct 30, 2026
- 30 but less than 35 (2025 scale): Narrowed by Docket 2025-1; before July 19, 2025 this sub read "30 or greater". Also stated in NMFTA's 2025 NMFC Changes FAQ.
- 35 but less than 50 (2025 scale), 50 or greater (2025 scale): Added by Docket 2025-1. Also stated in NMFTA's 2025 NMFC Changes FAQ.
- Less than 1 (old scale): Transport Topics quotes Saia: the standard 11 subs stayed unchanged in Docket 2025-1; only Sub 11 was narrowed and Subs 12 and 13 were added.
- 4 but less than 6 (old scale): Class 150 until August 5, 2017; class 175 from that date (Logistics Plus).
- 30 or greater (old scale): NMFTA's 2025 FAQ: Sub 11 "would be amended" to 30 but less than 35 pcf under Docket 2025-1.
Jump to a class: 50 · 55 · 60 · 65 · 70 · 85 · 92.5 · 100 · 125 · 175 · 250 · 300 · 400
Which density ranges changed class in July 2025
Only freight at 35 pounds per cubic foot or denser got a different class. From 35 to under 50 pcf the class fell from 60 to 55; at 50 pcf or more it fell from 60 to 50. The 30-to-under-35 bracket kept class 60 but lost its open top end. Nothing below 30 pcf moved.
| Density range | Before | From July 19, 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 but less than 35 | 60 | 60 | range narrowed, class unchanged |
| 35 but less than 50 | 60 | 55 | class lowered |
| 50 or greater | 60 | 50 | class lowered |
Source: NMFTA, Decoding Density: The Freight Factor You Can't Afford to Overlook (blog, posted June 19, 2025); FedEx Freight, Understanding the upcoming NMFC classification changes beginning July 2025 (flyer, 05/25); Logistics Plus, note on NMFC density changes effective August 5, 2017; Transport Topics, FedEx Freight Delays Enforcement of NMFC Updates for 150 Days (July 23, 2025); NMFTA, 2025 NMFC Changes - Frequently Asked Questions (2024), checked Oct 30, 2026
The change came from NMFC Docket 2025-1, which expanded the standard density scale from 11 subprovisions to 13. NMFTA's FAQ describes it as narrowing Sub 11 to "30 but less than 35" and adding Sub 12 and Sub 13. A Saia executive quoted by Transport Topics made the same point: freight already moving on the 11-step table sees no change unless its class goes down.
One older change is worth knowing if you compare very old bills: the 4-to-under-6 pcf bracket was class 150 until August 5, 2017, when it became class 175, according to a Logistics Plus notice from that date.
Pallet weight needed to reach each class
On a 48 × 40-inch pallet built 48 inches tall (53.33 cubic feet), class 100 starts at 427 pounds, class 85 at 640 pounds, class 70 at 800 pounds and class 60 at 1,600 pounds. Class 55 needs 1,867 pounds and class 50 needs 2,667 pounds. Taller stacks need proportionally more weight.
| Class | Minimum density (lb/ft³) | Weight at 48 in tall (lb) | Weight at 60 in tall (lb) | Weight at 72 in tall (lb) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 300 | 1 | 54 | 67 | 80 |
| 250 | 2 | 107 | 134 | 160 |
| 175 | 4 | 214 | 267 | 320 |
| 125 | 6 | 320 | 400 | 480 |
| 100 | 8 | 427 | 534 | 640 |
| 92.5 | 10 | 534 | 667 | 800 |
| 85 | 12 | 640 | 800 | 960 |
| 70 | 15 | 800 | 1,000 | 1,200 |
| 65 | 22.5 | 1,200 | 1,500 | 1,800 |
| 60 | 30 | 1,600 | 2,000 | 2,400 |
| 55 | 35 | 1,867 | 2,334 | 2,800 |
| 50 | 50 | 2,667 | 3,334 | 4,000 |
Calculated from: NMFTA, Decoding Density: The Freight Factor You Can't Afford to Overlook (blog, posted June 19, 2025); FedEx Freight, Understanding the upcoming NMFC classification changes beginning July 2025 (flyer, 05/25), checked Oct 30, 2026
Each figure is the minimum density of the bracket multiplied by the pallet's cubic feet, rounded to the nearest pound. Heights include the pallet itself, because carriers measure the whole handling unit. The weights are arithmetic only: whether a pallet, a forklift or a carrier's rules accept a 2,667-pound unit is a separate question.
When density does not decide the class
The density scale covers only items NMFTA has moved to full density. Items flagged for handling, stowability or liability concerns keep classes set by their own characteristics; NMFTA's FAQ says those items may still have density breaks, but not on the 13-tier progression. For them, this chart is a starting point and the item's own listing decides.
Finding your item number is outside what this site does: the NMFC item database is NMFTA's licensed product, available through ClassIT+. NMFTA also describes the NMFC as a voluntary standard, so a carrier's own tariff or your contract can override it. To check a specific pallet, run it through the freight class calculator.
How to read a range like "15 but less than 22.5"
Each bracket includes the lower number and excludes the upper one. A unit at exactly 15.00 pcf is class 70; at 14.99 pcf it is class 85. At exactly 50.00 pcf it is class 50; at 49.99 pcf it is class 55. Those edges are where measuring to the inch matters most.
NMFTA's published table uses this wording for every bracket, and the FedEx Freight flyer that we used as a cross-check repeats it word for word. The chart above keeps the original wording in the first column so you can match it against a carrier's tariff.
Sources
- NMFTA, Decoding Density: The Freight Factor You Can't Afford to Overlook (blog, posted June 19, 2025) (effective Jul 19, 2025, checked Oct 30, 2026)
- FedEx Freight, Understanding the upcoming NMFC classification changes beginning July 2025 (flyer, 05/25) (undated, checked Oct 30, 2026)
- Logistics Plus, note on NMFC density changes effective August 5, 2017 (effective Aug 5, 2017, checked Oct 30, 2026)
- Transport Topics, FedEx Freight Delays Enforcement of NMFC Updates for 150 Days (July 23, 2025) (undated, checked Oct 30, 2026)
- NMFTA, 2025 NMFC Changes - Frequently Asked Questions (2024) (undated, checked Oct 30, 2026)