Freight Class 50 vs Class 500: Real Commodity Examples for Kentucky Shippers

Freight class is the single most expensive line item on most LTL bills. The 18 standard NMFC classes (50, 55, 60, 65, 70, 77.5, 85, 92.5, 100, 110, 125, 150, 175, 200, 250, 300, 400, 500) map to real-world commodity densities and risk profiles. Horizon Pack and Ship determines freight class at the BOL counter; this guide shows what each class range looks like in actual products.

The full class table with commodity examples

Class	Typical density (lb/cf)	Common commodities
50	50+	Steel bars, dense metal stock, lead ingots
55	35-50	Bricks, dense cement products, dense engine blocks
60	30-35	Steel cabinets (knock-down), dense industrial parts
65	22.5-30	Automotive batteries (crated), dense canned goods
70	15-22.5	Automotive parts (most), engines, dense electronics
77.5	13.5-15	Dense machinery (crated), tile
85	12-13.5	Crated machinery, plumbing fixtures, dense tools
92.5	10.5-12	Knockdown furniture (crated), light machinery, computers in cases
100	9-10.5	General commercial freight, hardware, retail goods
110	8-9	Cabinets in original cartons, lighter machinery
125	7-8	Small appliances, automotive interior trim
150	6-7	Mattresses (boxed), motorcycles (crated), exercise equipment
175	5-6	Large appliances (refrigerators, washers in box)
200	4-5	Bumpers and auto body panels, packaging materials
250	3-4	Empty containers, light packaging, automotive body shells
300	2-3	Wood cabinets (assembled), large light items
400	1-2	Assembled bicycles, lawnmowers, very light packaging
500	under 1	Ping-pong balls, foam products, gold dust, bagged feathers

Note: many commodities have specific NMFC item assignments that override density-based class. Lookup matters, see freight class codes deep dive.

Rate impact: class 70 vs class 250 on the same shipment

Sample: 1000 lb shipment, KY to Atlanta, no accessorials.

Class	Approx rate	Per pound
Class 50	$280-$380	$0.28-$0.38
Class 70	$350-$450	$0.35-$0.45
Class 100	$420-$560	$0.42-$0.56
Class 150	$550-$720	$0.55-$0.72
Class 250	$780-$1,050	$0.78-$1.05
Class 400	$1,150-$1,500	$1.15-$1.50

Same physical pallet, declared at different classes: a 4x rate spread between class 50 and class 400. The class spread is multiplicative, declaring two classes higher than actual typically adds 30-50% to your bill.

Common Kentucky shipments and their classes

Shipment	Typical class
Automotive engine (crated)	70
Bourbon (cased on pallet)	70-92.5
Tool chest (commercial)	85-100
Computer equipment (cased)	92.5-110
Office furniture knockdown	92.5
Industrial machine parts	70-100
Construction tools (palletized)	85-110
Retail consumer goods (cased)	100-125
Mattresses (boxed)	150-175
Refrigerators (boxed)	175
Treadmill / exercise equipment	200-250
Assembled lawn equipment	250-400
Packing material (empty boxes, foam)	250-400

The density calculation shortcut

For any palletized freight:

Density (lb/cf) = Weight (lbs) / [(L x W x H in inches) / 1728]

Includes the pallet itself. A 48x40x54 pallet (48" pallet base height of 6") is 60 cubic feet. At 600 lbs, that's density 10 lb/cf, class 100. At 300 lbs, density 5 lb/cf, class 175. Same pallet footprint, different class based on what's on it.

When the NMFC item overrides density

Some commodities have NMFC item numbers that assign a specific class regardless of density. Examples:

• NMFC item 156600: Furniture, household, knocked down, in boxes, class 92.5
• NMFC item 174860: Hardware, mixed, NOI, class 70
• NMFC item 71450: Auto parts, used, density-based, varies by density sub-table

For these commodities, the assigned class wins even if density calculation suggests something different. Looking up the NMFC catalog is required to find the right class for many common products.

How to determine class for a new shipment

1. Check if your commodity has an assigned NMFC item. Look up the description in the NMFC catalog (or ask your broker).
2. If assigned-item exists, use that class. Document the NMFC item number on the BOL.
3. If no assigned-item, calculate density. Use the formula above.
4. Match density to the standard class table. Pick the class your density falls into.
5. Round conservatively. If density falls right between two classes, choosing the higher class is safer (lower risk of reclass fee, slightly higher base rate).

How Horizon handles class determination

• NMFC catalog lookup for commodities with assigned items.
• Density calculation for unlisted commodities.
• Class declaration on the BOL with NMFC item reference.
• Defense of declared class against carrier audit if challenged.

For broader freight class context, see Freight class codes explained. For BOL preparation, see Bill of Lading explained. For the regional context, see the Kentucky Freight Hub pillar.

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