How to Find Your NMFC Code

1. Search by commodity in an NMFC lookup tool. The fastest route: type what you ship (e.g. "furniture", "auto parts", "electronics") into our NMFC Lookup and it returns the matching NMFC item number, description, and class.
2. Check past bills of lading. If you have shipped the commodity before, the NMFC item and class are usually printed on a prior BOL or carrier invoice — the easiest source to reuse for repeat freight.
3. Ask your carrier or broker. Carriers classify freight for a living; their rating desk can confirm the item number for a described commodity. Get it in writing so it is documented.
4. Use the official ClassIT / NMFTA database. The NMFTA publishes the authoritative classification (subscription). It is the binding source when a class is disputed, but for day-to-day lookups the tools above are faster.

Many NMFC items do not assign a single fixed class — they carry density-based sub-provisions. The item identifies the commodity, but the actual class depends on the packaged density of your shipment. So "find the NMFC code" really means two steps:

• Identify the NMFC item number for the commodity.
• If the item is density-based, calculate your density and read the class off the item's sub-provision scale.

That is why two shipments of the "same" product can be billed at different classes. Walk through it in How to Calculate Freight Density, or just use the Freight Class Calculator to get the density figure first.

• Guessing from the product name. Classification is based on inspectable characteristics, not what a product is called. Confirm the actual item.
• Ignoring the sub-provision. Using a single class for a density-based item is the most common rebill cause.
• Reusing an old class after packaging changed. New packaging changes density — and the class.
• Leaving the NMFC item off the BOL. A documented item number on the bill of lading is your defense if a charge is questioned.

For repeat freight, integrate lookup directly into your TMS with the NMFC API so the correct item and class populate automatically on every shipment.