Free LTL tool · lb/ft³ and kg/m³

Freight Density Calculator

Get your shipment's pounds per cubic foot — and the freight class it maps to under the 2025 NMFC 13-tier scale — as you type. Pools multiple pallets the way carriers actually rate them.

PCF + class in one step Inches/lb or cm/kg Boundary warnings Free, no account

Your handling units

Add pallet to each unit (+5.5 in, +40 lb)

Advanced: dimensional weight divisor

DIM divisor (in³/lb)

Parcel carriers commonly use 139; international air freight commonly 166 in³/lb (6,000 cm³/kg). LTL volume pricing varies — check your carrier's tariff.

Estimated freight class

Class —

NMFC 2025 (13-tier)

Density (lb/ft³)—

Total cube—

Total weight—

DIM weight—

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Live 3D load view

Drag to rotate · scroll to zoom · drawn to scale

The formula

How freight density is calculated

Density = total weight ÷ total cubic feet. One cubic foot is 1,728 cubic inches, so a 48 × 40 × 48 in pallet is 92,160 ÷ 1,728 = 53.3 ft³. At 800 lb, density is 800 ÷ 53.3 = 15.0 lb/ft³ — which lands exactly on the class 70 line of the 2025 scale. For multi-pallet shipments, sum all cube and all weight first, then divide once.

Working in metric? 1 m³ = 35.3147 ft³ and 1 kg/m³ = 0.0624 lb/ft³ (divide kg/m³ by 16.018). The calculator's cm · kg toggle handles the conversion.

Density → class at a glance

Density (lb/ft³)	Freight 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

Density decides the class for most freight since the July 2025 NMFC overhaul — but commodity-specific NMFC items (batteries, tires, machinery with special handling) still override the table. When in doubt, check the item number with your carrier, and read the full walkthrough.

Raise density, cut the bill: shorter boxes, tighter shrink-wrap, and double-stacking cartons all push lb/ft³ up. The calculator's boundary nudge tells you exactly how many pounds or cubic feet you are from the next cheaper class.

Density questions

Freight density FAQ

How do I calculate freight density?

Multiply length × width × height (in inches, at the extreme points, pallet included) to get cubic inches; divide by 1,728 to get cubic feet; then divide the shipment's weight in pounds by the cubic feet. The result is density in pounds per cubic foot (PCF). Metric: kg/m³ ÷ 16.018 = lb/ft³.

What is a good freight density?

Denser is cheaper. At 15+ lb/ft³ you're class 70 or better, where LTL rates are friendliest. Below 6 lb/ft³ you're in class 175+ territory and paying for air — palletize tighter, reduce box sizes, or double-stack cartons to raise density.

Is freight density the same as freight class?

No — density is the measurement, class is the rating band it maps to. This page calculates density first, then reads your class off the NMFC 2025 13-tier table automatically.

Do I include the pallet in density calculations?

Yes. Carriers measure the handling unit as tendered: pallet, packaging and overhang included. Skipping the pallet's 5.5 inches understates cube by ~10% on a typical 48-inch stack — enough to put you a class off.

What density do carriers assume when they can't measure?

Many carriers apply a default or “dimensioner” reading — modern LTL terminals scan nearly every shipment. If your BOL density and their dimensioner disagree, expect a reclassification. Calculating (and photographing) your real dims before pickup is the cheapest insurance there is.

Free quote request

Get an LTL quote with your density attached

Your shipment summary rides along automatically — class, density, cube and weight — so you get an accurate quote the first time, without re-measuring anything.

Your calculated class & density are attached to the request
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Works for single pallets through multi-pallet LTL shipments