Measure first
Freight density calculator.
Density drives your LTL freight class, and freight class drives your rate. Enter your shipment’s dimensions and weight to get its density in pounds per cubic foot — instantly, in your browser.
Calculate your density
Measure the full footprint of your packaged, palletized shipment — including the pallet and any overhang. All four values are required.
What is freight density?
Freight density is how much your shipment weighs for the space it takes up, measured in pounds per cubic foot (lb/ft³). A pallet of bricks is dense; a pallet of pillows is not — even if both weigh the same on the scale, they take up very different amounts of trailer space.
To find it, work out the cubic feet your shipment occupies — length × width × height in inches, divided by 1,728 (the number of cubic inches in a cubic foot) — then divide the total weight by that volume.
Why density matters for your rate
Carriers sell trailer space, not just weight. Density is the single biggest factor in your NMFC freight class, and freight class is a major input to your LTL rate. Denser freight usually gets a lower class and a better price per pound.
Knowing your density before you ship means fewer surprises: you can quote accurately, avoid re-classification charges, and decide whether better packaging or a different mode (partial truckload, full truckload) would cost less.
Measure the whole thing
Always measure the packaged shipment as it will actually ship — on the pallet, with shrink wrap, and including any overhang past the pallet edges. Round up to the nearest inch. Carriers re-measure at the dock, so measuring honestly up front protects you from adjustments later.
Know your density? Let’s quote it.
Send us the shipment and a specialist will classify it, shop your lane across our carrier network, and get you a rate.