National Motor Freight Classification (NMFC) is the freight classification system that was created by the National Motor Freight Traffic Association (NMFTA) and is used for all interstate, intrastate, and foreign commerce movement of LTL cargo. NMFC codes provide standardized freight classes to determine the transportability of most of the countless different commodities that are shipped together in LTL shipments each year.

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.

NMFC freight classes are determined using four factors: density, handling, stowability, and liability. All of these factors affect the cost to the carrier of shipping goods.