What’s in this Freight Paper?

1. What is Freight Class?
2. What’s so important about Freight Class?
3. Do all shipments have a Freight Class?

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What is freight class? Why is freight class important? Do all shipments have a freight class? How do I find my shipment’s freight class? These are excellent questions and all will be answered with our newest Freight Paper, “The Mysteries of Freight Class.” The following is a quick reference guide to the basics of freight class, but for more information contact a FreightPro.

What is Freight Class?

Freight Class is a number assigned to freight, and one of the factors in determining the cost of shipping (along with total weight and distance). This number is identified with the NMFC (National Motor Freight Classification) number. Some item’s freight class number is determined by density – a new, growing trend in the shipping industry.

Why is Freight Class important?

It helps determine the cost of the freight shipping. Generally speaking, the lower the class, the cheaper it is to ship that particular item. And vice versa.

Do all shipments have a Freight Class?

Any shipment that moves LTL (Less Than Truckload) will have a freight class, including volume LTL shipments. Full truckload shipping is not dependent on freight class, so any commodity moving full truckload will not have a freight class.

How do I find the Freight Class?

Unfortunately, there is not an easy or foolproof way to find the correct freight class. There are thousands of items to be shipped and freight class identifications can change regularly. The good news is that the freight industry appears to be slowly moving in the direction of density-classing across the board. This is important because using a density calculator, you will be able to find the correct class for your freight, get more accurate shipping quotes, and cut-down on expensive re-classes. For more information on freight class contact us at www.freightpros.com or 888-297-6968. Also be sure to check out our freight class blog!

Download this Freight Paper