Free LTL freight calculators
Freight class, density, CBM, dimensional and chargeable weight, linear feet, pallet builds and fuel surcharge — the arithmetic behind an LTL quote, with the sources cited.
Freight class here uses the 13-subprovision NMFC density scale effective 19 July 2025 (Docket 2025-1), which replaced the previous 11-subprovision scale and introduced classes 55 and 50 for dense freight.
Freight Classification
Dimensions & Weight
Loading & Trailer Space
Cost Components
The NMFC density scale at a glance
Since July 2025 LTL freight classification is driven primarily by density — pounds per cubic foot of the packaged handling unit. Denser freight uses less trailer space per pound of revenue, so it earns a lower class and a lower rate.
| Sub | Density | Class |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Less than 1 pcf | 400 |
| 2 | 1 but less than 2 pcf | 300 |
| 3 | 2 but less than 4 pcf | 250 |
| 4 | 4 but less than 6 pcf | 175 |
| 5 | 6 but less than 8 pcf | 125 |
| 6 | 8 but less than 10 pcf | 100 |
| 7 | 10 but less than 12 pcf | 92.5 |
| 8 | 12 but less than 15 pcf | 85 |
| 9 | 15 but less than 22.5 pcf | 70 |
| 10 | 22.5 but less than 30 pcf | 65 |
| 11 | 30 but less than 35 pcf | 60 |
| 12 | 35 but less than 50 pcf | 55 |
| 13 | 50 pcf or greater | 50 |
Density is the primary factor, not the only one — handling, stowability and liability still affect classification, and specific commodities carry their own NMFC item numbers. See the freight class calculator for sources and the full explanation.
No live rate data, on purpose
DIM divisors, fuel surcharge percentages and carrier rates all differ by carrier and change continuously — divisors move with service guides, and fuel scales update weekly against the diesel benchmark. Any figure hardcoded into a calculator would be stale within days and would quietly produce estimates that do not match invoices.
So these calculators carry the math and ask you for the current numbers, with a note on each page about where to read them off. That keeps every result reproducible against your own rate agreement rather than against an assumption made by a web page you have never met.