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 Clothing 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 Clothing and hence, the shipping cost. It is calculated as the weight of the shipment divided by its volume. It's the factor that determines how much space a shipment will take up on a truck relative to its weight.
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 Clothing, it is important to know if the item can be packaged efficiently and stowed onto the truck easily. In other words- Stowability is the characteristic of a shipment that determines how efficiently it can be stored.
Liability is a term used to refer to the accountability or risk involved in transporting Clothing. It's one of the factors considered when determining freight class. Liability refers to the carrier's responsibility for the safe and secure transport of goods.
Handling refers to the procedures and precautions taken when moving and storing Clothing. It is one of the factors considered when determining freight class for Clothing. Handling refers to the processes involved in transporting goods.
Tips
Antifreeze Concentrated
Clothing
Compounds Type Cleaning
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Liquid, in boxes or drums
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.
The National Motor Freight Classification (NMFC) is the freight classification system devised by the National Motor Freight Traffic Association (NMFTA) and is used for all interstate, intrastate, and foreign commercial movement of LTL cargo. NMFC codes provide standardized freight classes to determine the ease of transport of many of the wide variety of commodities that are shipped together in LTL shipments.
Adding NMFC code to a shipment is technically optional, but the NMFC codes can help avoid reclassification and ensure you're using the correct freight class number.
