FedEx Freight assigns freight class the way the rest of the LTL industry now does: by the NMFC's density-first rules. Measure each handling unit as it ships — pallet and packaging included, by FedEx's own instruction — divide total weight by cubic feet, and read the class off the 13-tier density scale that FedEx Freight has enforced since December 1, 2025. Stowability, handling and liability provisions can pull a commodity off the density answer, but for most palletized freight, density decides. FedEx's class calculator estimates a class from exactly those inputs; the LoadClass calculator runs the same math and also shows how far you sit from the next class boundary. (LoadClass is an independent calculator site with no affiliation to FedEx — this is a shipper's guide to the carrier's published rules.)
What actually sets your class with FedEx Freight?
Four transportation characteristics, straight from the carrier's explainer: density — "how much it weighs in relation to its size" — plus stowability (how it fits in the trailer with other freight), handling (whether it needs special equipment or precautions) and liability (value and theft exposure). None of that is a FedEx invention. Class is an industry standard published in the NMFC tariff; FedEx Freight's own pricing rules sit on top of it in the FXF 100 Series rules tariff. The practical split: commodities with density-rated NMFC items take their class from the table below, while items carrying special provisions — tires, some machinery, high-value goods — keep their published class no matter what the tape measure says. And since the 2025 changes moved far more commodities onto density rating, FedEx has been explicit that accurately recording density, weight and dimensions matters more than ever.
The density table FedEx Freight publishes
The lookup table on FedEx's class-calculator page is the NMFC's current 13-tier scale, unchanged:
| 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 |
To use it FedEx-style: multiply length × width × height in inches at the extreme points of each unit, divide by 1,728 for cubic feet, weigh the unit with the pallet, and divide pounds by cubic feet. Multi-pallet shipments use the totals. (Parts of FedEx's explainer still mention 18 classes running 50 to 500 — legacy language from the pre-2025 guideline, which survives in the old 18-class table some contracts still reference. The live lookup is the 13-tier.)
What changed in 2025–2026: four dates worth knowing
| Effective | What changed | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Jul 19, 2025 | NMFC docket 2025-1: 2,000+ revisions move most commodities to the 13-tier density scale | The class on old quotes and item lookups may simply be wrong now |
| Dec 1, 2025 | FedEx Freight ends its grace period and enforces the updated NMFC | FedEx gave shippers ~4 extra months beyond the industry cutover; enforcement is now fully on |
| Jan 5, 2026 | General rate increase: 5.9% average on FXF PZONE, EZONE, offshore, intra-Canada and commodity rates; 6.9% on FXF 1000, FXF 501 and Mexico rates | A wrong class now compounds a higher base rate |
| Jun 1, 2026 | Spin-off complete: FedEx Freight Holding Company, Inc. begins NYSE trading as FDXF | North America's largest LTL carrier is now a standalone company; rules tariff and classification carry over unchanged |
Two footnotes to that table. During the transition FedEx encouraged early adoption and warned that incomplete bill-of-lading information could draw inspection surcharges — a signal about where enforcement attention is going. And the spin-off left shippers' paperwork alone: FedEx kept a 19.9% stake it plans to shed within two years, but the network, the FXF 100 Series tariff and the NMFC basis of classing didn't move.
Worked example: one pallet, classed the FedEx way
Say you're shipping cartons stacked 48 × 40 inches and 45 inches tall, 500 lb of product. Classed as bare goods: 48 × 40 × 45 = 86,400 in³ ÷ 1,728 = 50.0 ft³, and 500 ÷ 50.0 = 10.0 lb/ft³ — the 10-to-12 band, class 92.5.
But that's not what ships. On a 5.5-inch pallet the unit stands 50.5 inches tall and weighs 540 lb: 48 × 40 × 50.5 = 96,960 in³ = 56.1 ft³, and 540 ÷ 56.1 = 9.6 lb/ft³ — the 8-to-10 band, class 100. Declare 92.5 and the dimensioner at the terminal will re-rate you to 100, plus a possible inspection fee. Measured as shipped, the honest answer was one class higher all along — and if that boundary stings, packaging changes that raise density are the legitimate way to win it back: restack the cartons three inches tighter and the same 540 lb stands 47.5 inches — 52.8 ft³, 540 ÷ 52.8 = 10.2 lb/ft³, back across the boundary to class 92.5.
Why the calculator's estimate and the invoice can still disagree
Both FedEx's tool and ours produce an estimate. FedEx's caveat says it plainly: your actual class is based on your commodity's demonstrated transportation characteristics. Three things regularly move the final number. First, commodity items: an NMFC item with handling, stowability or liability provisions outranks the density lookup. Second, contract terms: FAK agreements can cap or fix the class range you're billed in. Third, inspection: FedEx says a missing or wrong class is usually caught when the shipment is inspected, and class and rates are adjusted accordingly — with fees. Industry-wide, about 1 in 4 LTL shipments gets re-rated after pickup, and the reweigh & reclass guide covers what that costs and how to dispute it. Because class drives the LTL rate harder than almost any discount, the cheapest insurance is boring: measure as loaded, weigh with the pallet, put density and the NMFC item on the bill of lading, and re-run the numbers after any packaging change.