Freight class is a standard classification system for shipments, defined by the National Motor Freight Traffic Association (NMFTA). It's used to categorize commodities like Carriers, Shipping for transport, taking into account factors like weight, dimensions, density, storage capability, ease of handling, and liability. Freight class is a system to categorize different types of goods being shipped.
Density is a key concept in freight shipping, as it significantly impacts the freight class for commodities like Carriers, Shipping and hence, the shipping cost. It is calculated as the weight of the shipment divided by its volume. Density helps determine the freight class and shipping charges in LTL shipping.
Stowability is used in freight shipping to describe how easily an item can be stowed or stored in relation to other items. For example, when trying to understand stowability for Carriers, Shipping, it is important to know if the item can be packaged efficiently and stowed onto the truck easily. In other words- It's a measure used in freight shipping to determine how well an item can be packed.
Liability is a term used to refer to the accountability or risk involved in transporting Carriers, Shipping. It's one of the factors considered when determining freight class. It's the risk or potential loss associated with the shipping process.
Handling refers to the procedures and precautions taken when moving and storing Carriers, Shipping. It is one of the factors considered when determining freight class for Carriers, Shipping. It's the measures taken to safely transport goods.
Tips
Frozen Food Carrier
Shipping Cylinders
Tote Bin Container
Wooden Shipping Boxes
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Expanded or foamed plastic contained within wire baskets, in boxes.
Common Commodity Items
Classes
For many NMFC® codes there isn’t just one single class that is applied. Often, NMFC® numbers have multiple "sub-classes", which are almost always based on the density of the shipment. In the instance where your NMFC® number has multiple sub classes, it's best to contact an expert, like Koho, to help identify which subclass to use.
Created and maintained by a nonprofit membership organization named the National Motor Freight Traffic Association (NMFTA), National Motor Freight Classification (NMFC) is a classification system used for interstate, intrastate, and foreign commerce movement of LTL shipments. You can learn more from the experts at Koho on our freight classes pages.
It might be tempting to declare that your shipment is a lower freight class than it actually is in order to secure a lower price, however, carriers will re-classify your freight for accuracy and charge you a fee for having to do so.
