{"id":8148,"date":"2020-02-06T16:43:48","date_gmt":"2020-02-06T21:43:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newtruckload.rlgrandd.com\/what-is-freight-density\/"},"modified":"2023-05-05T15:41:01","modified_gmt":"2023-05-05T19:41:01","slug":"what-is-freight-density","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newtruckload.rlgrandd.com\/what-is-freight-density\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is Freight Density?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Over the past few years with the incredible growth surge that is apparent in the world of eCommerce, there has been a rather significant increase in demand for freight shipping. It seems that because of all of this change added to the decline in the number of available drivers, now freight prices are being decided based on density rather than weight.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Freight density is how much space an item takes up in a truck in relation to its weight. It is important to know that you can determine freight density by doing a little math. Freight density is the weight of the item in pounds, divided by the item\u2019s volume in cubic feet.<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It has been discovered that many carriers are, in fact, losing vast amounts of money along with space. This all comes down to simply charging by weight. In this article, we are going to be taking a comprehensive look at freight density and everything that\u2019s involved in it. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Is Freight Density In Shipping?<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

To put things simply, freight density refers to the amount of space that an item may occupy in relation to its shipping weight. There are a lot of complications when it comes to freight density, but they will be explored as the article goes on.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

While we\u2019ll take a look at freight class later on, it\u2019s important to note that shipments that take up a lot of room for their weight, will, in fact, have a higher freight class and ultimately cost more to ship. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If, however, a shipment is heavier yet more compact, then it will fall into a lower freight class and cost much less to ship. While it may seem simple enough, freight density in shipping does get far more complicated, as you will see as the article goes on, but fret not, by the time you have reached the conclusion, you will be educated fully in the ways of freight density.  <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

How Do You Calculate Freight Density?<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n
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While there are many online calculators that enable you to calculate freight density simply, it is always worth knowing the method so you can quickly work out things for yourself should you need to. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this section, we will be breaking down the density calculation method of working out freight density.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step 1. Take the shipment and measure the height, width, and depth in inches. You should be measuring to the farthest points of the shipment, which should include any packaging and skids. If your shipment has multiple pieces, please ensure that you repeat the process for each piece.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step 2. Take the three measurements from step one and multiply them so your equation should look like this (measurements height x width x depth). The result of this part of the equation will be equal to the total number of cubic inches of the shipment. As previously mentioned in step one, if your shipment has multiple pieces, then multiply the height, width, and depth for each piece. Once you have all of the multiplications for every piece in your shipment, then add them all together. This will give you the total cubic inches, or the <\/span>volume<\/span><\/a>, of your entire shipment.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step 3. At this point, you will take the total number of cubic inches and divide that number by 1,728. 1,728 is the number of cubic inches in a cubic foot. The result is the total number of cubic feet of your shipment.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step 4. This step is where we will find the density of our shipment. We now divide the total cubic feet by the <\/span>weight<\/span><\/a> of our shipment. Once you have performed this part of the equation, you will be left with pounds per cubic foot or the density of the shipment.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Remember, for multiple pieces to a single shipment; you should add them together before dividing the cubic feet of the shipment. You should also round fractions to the nearest full number when it comes to cubic feet.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here is an example of how your equation should look:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the skid weighs 600 pounds with dimensions of the pallet at  40 inches x 40 inches x 40 inches:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. Multiply 40\" x 40\" x 40\" = 64,000 cubic inches<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Divide 64,000 by 1,728 = 37 cubic feet<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Divide 600 pounds by 37 cubic feet = 16.2 pounds per cubic feet, i.e., the shipment density.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    What Does Freight Class Mean?<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    When it comes to freight class, it\u2019s a standardized system of classification that is used for commodities that are transported via an LTL freight shipping (less-than-truckload). It is also important to know when purchasing<\/span> truckload shipping services<\/span><\/a>. This freight class system goes a long way to make sure that all customers only receive an unbiased price when they opt to ship via freight.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Freight class assignment is applied to a shipment based on the total density of the freight being shipped, or the specific commodity that is in transit.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    What is an NMFC Number for Shipping?<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n
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    NMFC numbers<\/span><\/a> (or codes) were created when transportation regulators came to realize that there was a dire need for a more effective form of standardization. In a shared effort to create a fair measure for freight pricing, the NMFTA (National Motor Freight Traffic Association) created a classification system for every type of freight.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    When it comes to how many of them there are, well, we will touch on  that in a little while, but what you should know is that all of the classes are defined with a number that sits between 50 and 500. While people are often baffled by these numbers, they are, in fact, essential when it comes to carriers being able to define any tariff that should be associated with any shipment. The codes will also help the carrier set the shipping rates that are to be delivered to the customer.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    How is NMFC Determined?<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    The National Motor Freight Classification (NMFC) is determined based on four different factors:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Density <\/b>- The density of the shipment is the total amount of space that the consignment takes up relative to its overall weight.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Stowability<\/b> - If an item has extreme weight, overly large or hazardous, the consignment may be difficult to stow on a trailer. In this case, the cost of the shipment would rise.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Ease Of Handling<\/b> - If the person carrying the shipment decides that the freight is difficult to handle, this may place the consignment in a higher class.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Liability<\/b> - From time to time, the freight may be perishable or extremely fragile. In some cases, some shipments may even be temperature controlled, if any of these are the case, then the shipment may be assigned to a higher class.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

    When Is the NMFC created?<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n
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    \"When<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

    If you are looking to determine the <\/span>NMFC<\/span><\/a> number of your shipment, then your first port of call will be to contact the shipper that you use. The company that you use, providing they are using the provisions of the NMFC in their business, will be able to help you with your NMFC number and determine any shipping costs involved. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    How Many Freight Classes are There?<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    As we have already discovered, the freight class of the item you are shipping is a huge factor in being able to determine how much your freight shipment will cost. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    When it comes to freight classes, there are 18 in total and as we briefly touched upon, they range from 50, which is the cheapest and 500, which, as we are sure you have already worked out, is the most expensive.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    When it comes to finding out what goes in which class, then as you can imagine, from time to time, that can get rather complicated. If we try and generalize, then we can say that if an item is heavy, compact, and not really fragile, then it will fall into a lower class. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    If an item is lower in density, takes up more room, and may be susceptible to damage, then this consignment will be given a higher freight class and costs more to ship. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    How Do You Calculate Freight Class?<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    When it comes to being able to determine freight class, at this time, we have kindly armed you with all the tools you will now need to help you determine freight class. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    For example, if we take a look at our earlier equation:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n