Sporting Equipment

What is Freight Class?

When you ship your products as LTL (less-than-truckload), you will need to assign your shipment a freight class number. The freight class number is a standard code published by the National Motor Freight and Traffic Association which allows carriers to quickly identify qualities of the shipment and assist with transportation logistics.

Sporting Equipment comes in a variety of shapes, sizes and weights. Because of this, the freight class for sporting equipment can range from 70-250. We list some common sporting equipment items and their associated freight class codes here. Generally, the lower the freight class code, the cheaper the shipment will be.

How to determine Freight Class

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Density

Density is identified by the dimension and weight of your shipment. Equipment like football sleds can have varying freight class codes based on the density of individual pieces.

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STOWABILITY

Does your shipment require any special handling? Equipment like football, baseball, and hockey helmets must be shipped in boxes, which can affect the freight class code.

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LIABILITY

Liability is defined by the value of your shipment and its likeliness to be stolen or damaged. High valued equipment such as golf clubs can increase your shipment’s freight class number.

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HANDLING

Is your equipment difficult to stow or transport? Heavier or unconventionally-sized items such as basketball hoops and football sleds can increase your shipment’s freight class, increasing your cost to ship.

NMFC SUBCLASSES

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.

Commodity & Class Breakdowns

Commodity Item
NMFC
Class
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Tips
Basketball Hoops

16430

85

Helmets, Football Helmets, Baseball Helmets, Hockey Helmets

98230

200

Must be in boxes

Football Sleds

16330

100, 250

Class will be determined by density

Cleats

28320

85

Must be in boxes

Inflated Balls

15560

200

Recommended to ship not inflated.

Baseballs

15600

85

Baseball Bats

15680

70, 125

Density will determine which class to use.

Golf Clubs

16530

110

Golf Balls

16440

65, 77.5

Density of packaging will determine which class to use.

FAQs

What if I don’t see my sporting equipment listed above?

There’s a wide assortment of items that can fall into sporting equipment, and not every single item will be covered by the NMFC system. Consult an expert at Koho to ensure you’re using the correct class.

What considerations are needed when shipping various kinds of sporting goods together?

It’s common that sporting goods will be shipped LTL with varying commodities. In these cases you’ll need to use the class of the item with the highest freight class to quote your shipment.