The National Motor Freight Traffic Association (NMFTA) annually publishes a list of freight class designations, codes, and subclasses for commonly shipped items (https://classit.nmfta.org/). To access this list, you are required to pay a subscription fee. Learn more about freight classes for free on our freight classes pages.
Adding NMFC code to a shipment is technically optional, but the NMFC codes can help avoid reclassification and ensure you're using the correct freight class number.
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.