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 Floor or Wall Coverings and Related Articles 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 Floor or Wall Coverings and Related Articles and hence, the shipping cost. It is calculated as the weight of the shipment divided by its volume. It's the weight of a shipment in relation to the space it occupies.
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 Floor or Wall Coverings and Related Articles, it is important to know if the item can be packaged efficiently and stowed onto the truck easily. In other words- It refers to the ease with which goods can be stowed for transportation.
Liability is a term used to refer to the accountability or risk involved in transporting Floor or Wall Coverings and Related Articles. It's one of the factors considered when determining freight class. Liability refers to the potential for financial loss in the shipping process.
Handling refers to the procedures and precautions taken when moving and storing Floor or Wall Coverings and Related Articles. It is one of the factors considered when determining freight class for Floor or Wall Coverings and Related Articles. Handling is about the steps taken to move and store goods safely.
Tips
Carpet
Carpets
Flooring
Mats
Rugs
Tiles
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70
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70
Inlaid wood (Parquet Flooring), in packages
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.
The National Motor Freight Traffic Association (NMFTA) publishes a list of freight class designations, codes, and subclasses for commonly shipped items (https://classit.nmfta.org/). A subscription fee is required to access this list. You can learn more about freight classes from the experts at Koho for free on our freight classes pages.
Every commodity has both a freight class and a NMFC code. Freight class represents a category of items while NMFC codes relate to specific commodities within each of the 18 freight classes.
