HSN stands for Harmonized System of Nomenclature. It is a system for classifying commodities created by the World Customs organization. U.S. LTL shipping, however, uses NMFC classifications instead.

The first step in determining your freight class is to take measurements. Measure the height, width and depth of your shipment then multiple those three measurements together for the total cubic feet. Then divide the total cubic inches by 1,728 (the number of cubic inches in a cubic foot). Finally, divide the weight (in pounds) of the shipment by the total cubic feet.

Density is the relationship between weight and size. A ping pong ball, which is very little material surrounding a good amount of air, is low density. Bricks, which are heavy for their size, are high density. In LTL shipping, it is commonly measured in pounds per cubic foot.