Freight class 175
Enter length, width, height, and weight to see the density and the density-based class.
Freight class
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- Volume
- — ft³
- Density
- — lb/ft³
- Subprovision
- —
This is a density-based estimate using the 13-subprovision density scale from NMFC Docket NMFC-2025-1. Actual classification is also affected by handling, stowability, and liability characteristics, and the density scale applies only when those issues are absent. Your carrier makes the final call.
| Sub | Density (lb/ft³), as published | Class |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Less than 1 | 400 |
| 2 | 1 but less than 2 | 300 |
| 3 | 2 but less than 4 | 250 |
| 4 | 4 but less than 6 | 175 |
| 5 | 6 but less than 8 | 125 |
| 6 | 8 but less than 10 | 100 |
| 7 | 10 but less than 12 | 92.5 |
| 8 | 12 but less than 15 | 85 |
| 9 | 15 but less than 22.5 | 70 |
| 10 | 22.5 but less than 30 | 65 |
| 11 | 30 but less than 35 | 60 |
| 12 | 35 but less than 50 | 55 |
| 13 | 50 or greater | 50 |
Class 175 covers freight from 4 lb/ft³ up to but not including 6 lb/ft³, and it is the last class in the scale above 125. Its two-pound window is the same width as the bands on either side, but the class step is larger: crossing from 175 into 125 is a 50-point drop, where the next step down is only 25.
Class 175 by the numbers
Class 175 is subprovision 4 of 13 in the current scale, and NMFTA's published wording for it is "4 but less than 6".
The band one step lighter is class 250 (2.00 ≤ density < 4.00 lb/ft³). The band one step denser is class 125 (6.00 ≤ density < 8.00 lb/ft³).
It spans 2.00 lb/ft³, wider than 1 of the other 10 bounded bands in the scale.
In a handling unit measuring 40 × 48 × 48 in — about 53.33 ft³, an illustrative size rather than a standard pallet specification — class 175 covers shipments weighing 213.33 lb or more but less than 320.00 lb.
The largest step in the middle of the scale
Class steps do not shrink smoothly as density rises. Between this band and the next the class falls by 50; between the next two it falls by 25, then by 7.5. The densest part of the journey through the middle of the scale therefore produces smaller and smaller improvements, and the largest single step available in this stretch is the one that takes a load from under 6 lb/ft³ to 6 or above.
As with every band, the lower bound belongs to the band and the upper bound does not. A density of exactly 4.00 lb/ft³ is class 175; a density of exactly 6.00 lb/ft³ is class 125. There are no gaps between them.
Frequently asked
Which is the bigger change, 175 to 125 or 125 to 100?
The first. Moving from class 175 into class 125 is a 50-point change, while moving from 125 into 100 is 25 points. Both require the same two-pound density increase, so the earlier step is worth about twice as much.
Does a lower class always mean a lower price?
No. Class is an input to a carrier's tariff, not a price. Discounts, minimum charges and accessorials come from the agreement you have with the carrier, and this site does not estimate rates.