On July 19, 2025 the National Motor Freight Traffic Association flipped the biggest switch in the classification's modern history. Docket 2025-1 moved thousands of commodity listings onto a single standardized 13-tier density scale and began collapsing the maze of lookalike item numbers into unique, machine-readable identifiers. If your freight class cheat sheet predates that date, it is now wrong for real freight.
What actually changed
- One density scale for “normal” freight. Commodities without meaningful handling, stowability or liability issues no longer carry bespoke classes — they point at the standard scale below. Measure density, read the class.
- Five classes left the density table. 500, 200, 150, 110 and 77.5 no longer appear in the density-based progression (they can still exist inside commodity-specific items). The 18-band guideline became 13.
- Breakpoints moved. The sub-10 pcf region — where most palletized consumer and industrial freight lives — was redrawn. 8–10 pcf is now one band (class 100) instead of two (110/100); 12–15 pcf is one band (85) instead of two (85/77.5); everything under 1 pcf is 400 rather than 500.
- Item numbers modernized. The overhaul began assigning unique identifiers per commodity and cleaning up “NOI” catch-alls, making the classification friendlier to TMS systems and dimensioners — and easier for carriers to enforce.
The scale, as it stands
| 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 |
Winners, losers, and the boundary math
Because bands merged, real shipments jumped in both directions overnight:
| Density | Pre-2025 class | Class today | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8.5 lb/ft³ | 110 | 100 | Cheaper — one class down |
| 14 lb/ft³ | 77.5 | 85 | Pricier — one class up |
| 6.5 lb/ft³ | 150 | 125 | Cheaper — one class down |
| 4.5 lb/ft³ | 200 | 175 | Cheaper — one class down |
| 0.8 lb/ft³ | 500 | 400 | Cheaper on paper — still very expensive freight |
Assumes density-rated commodities; commodity-specific items follow their own provisions.
What to re-check in 2026
- Every saved class in your TMS or ERP. Defaults keyed in before July 2025 are the top source of silent overcharges and reclass fees today.
- FAK agreements. If you negotiated “FAK 70–92.5” under the old scale, the underlying real classes may have shifted enough to renegotiate — in either direction.
- Packaging near a boundary. The new bands reward density more cleanly. If you sit at 7.8 or 11.7 pcf, small packaging changes now buy a full class.
- New dockets. NMFTA has continued migrating commodity groups docket by docket since 2025-1 — subscribe to their notices or have your 3PL flag items you actually ship.
The strategic read: the NMFC now behaves like a density meter with exceptions, and carriers have dimensioners at the terminal door. The shippers who thrive under the new rules are the ones whose BOL numbers match the machine's — which is precisely what a thirty-second calculator check before pickup guarantees.