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Freight Class List: All 18 Classes (50–500)

The complete list of the 18 NMFC freight classes, from 50 (densest, cheapest) to 500 (lightest, most expensive). Each row shows a real NMFC article in that class and how many of the 1,343 rated articles in the FreightAPIs database fall into it.

Class Profile Real example (click to view) Articles
50 Densest, lowest cost 113240 - Shafts, wooden, in the rough 135
55 Dense building/used materials 136990 - Water, used, actual weight 78
60 Dense machined/extraction goods 168855 - Reagents, copper extraction 110
65 Dense packaged goods 34725 - Floors, dance, portable, wooden 77
70 Moderately dense 157238 - Tires, solid, NOI 249
77.5 Treating heaters, fixtures 122880 - Heaters, oil or gas treating 55
85 Crated machinery 133070 - Well boring or drilling machines 215
92.5 Mixed freight, electronics 121330 - Forges, portable or stationary 39
100 Signal apparatus, covers 63380 - Train order signal relay apparatus 174
110 Gases NOI, cabinets 85880 - Gases, NOI, or gas mixtures 12
125 Garage doors, appliances 34290 - Doors or door sections, garage 51
150 Optics, sheet-metal parts 57760 - Binoculars; field glasses; monoculars 60
175 Contact lenses, soft furniture 57790 - Contact lenses, soft, in solution 14
200 Ultralight vehicle parts 12005 - Floats or pontoons, ultralight vehicle 33
250 Mattresses, TVs, telescopes 58350 - Telescopes, NOI, toy or other 19
300 Mattresses, box springs 79550 - Mattresses, NOI; upholstered box springs 15
400 Light, bulky plastics 21470 - Baptistries, plastic, in packages 5
500 Lowest density, highest cost 38428 - Houses or buildings, SU, with walls/roof 2

Counts and examples are pulled from the live FreightAPIs NMFC database.

Need a class for a specific item?

Calculate it from density, look up the commodity, or classify in bulk with the NMFC API.

Frequently asked questions

What are all the freight classes?

There are 18 freight classes: 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, 77.5, 85, 92.5, 100, 110, 125, 150, 175, 200, 250, 300, 400, and 500.

What is the lowest freight class?

Class 50 is the lowest. It covers the densest, most durable, lowest-risk freight (e.g. rough wooden shafts) and carries the lowest shipping rate.

What is the highest freight class?

Class 500 is the highest. It covers the lightest, bulkiest, or highest-liability freight and carries the highest rate.

Why are there 18 freight classes?

The NMFC system divides freight into 18 density-and-handling tiers from 50 to 500 so carriers can price thousands of different commodities consistently. Each tier groups freight with similar density, stowability, handling, and liability.