Freight Density Calculator
Freight density is the weight of a shipment relative to the space it occupies, measured in pounds per cubic foot. It is one of the inputs carriers consider when pricing LTL freight. This calculator works from the outside dimensions of your packaged handling units.
Enter your handling units
Measure each packaged handling unit on the outside, including its pallet or crate. Units that differ in size or weight should be entered as separate groups.
Unit group 1
Density alone does not determine how freight is classified. Actual classification depends on the applicable commodity information and the NMFC provisions that apply to it. Where a shipment mixes different commodities, a combined density figure is a mathematical total — it does not determine how those items must be classified.
Worked example
A single palletised unit measures 48 × 40 × 48 inches and weighs 800 pounds.
- 1Volume in cubic inches: 48 × 40 × 48 = 92,160 cubic inches.
- 2Cubic feet: 92,160 ÷ 1,728 = 53.33 cubic feet.
- 3Density: 800 pounds ÷ 53.33 cubic feet = 15.00 pounds per cubic foot.
Quantity does not change density. Two identical units still calculate to 15.00 lb/ft³ — weight and volume both double, so the ratio stays the same. Density only shifts when units differ in size or weight from one another.
How to measure a handling unit
Density is only as accurate as the measurements behind it. Measure what actually ships, not the product alone.