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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Tips
Basketball Hoops
Helmets, Football Helmets, Baseball Helmets, Hockey Helmets
Football Sleds
Cleats
Inflated Balls
Baseballs
Baseball Bats
Golf Clubs
Golf Balls
85
200
100, 250
85
200
85
70, 125
110
65, 77.5
Must be in boxes
Class will be determined by density
Must be in boxes
Recommended to ship not inflated.
Density will determine which class to use.
Density of packaging will determine which class to use.
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.
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.
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.
