Old Dominion (ODFL) Density Calculator
Before you quote Old Dominion, check your shipment's density and freight class here. The tool is independent of ODFL. Further down: ODFL's tariff rules for light and no-stack freight, and what its premium rate buys.
Density-based estimate. Some commodities carry a fixed NMFC class — check our freight class by commodity pages.
Estimated Freight Class
Density
6.56
lb/ft³
Volume
53.33
ft³
Weight
350
lb
6–8 lb/ft³ → Class 125
NMFC density scale (Docket 2025-1, effective July 19, 2025)
Pre-July-2025 table: class 150. Use it only if your carrier contract still prices on the old table.
Free PDF includes a watermark. Pro removes it & adds your brand.
Estimates only — verify freight class/NMFC and chargeable weight with your carrier.
Uses the 13-tier NMFC density scale (Docket 2025-1). See the full freight class chart.
How Old Dominion rates light freight
ODFL rates LTL shipments on the NMFC density class, like every major carrier. Its rules tariff (ODFL 100-Q, effective April 14, 2025, the latest version we could read) adds a minimum charge for low-density freight. There are two bands: 350 to 749 cubic feet under 3 lb/ft³, and 750 cubic feet or more under 6 lb/ft³. Either way, the cubic feet are multiplied by 6 lb and rated at class 125.
ODFL's low-density rule, worked through
Five pallets of assembled chairs, each 48 × 40 × 72 inches and 180 lb, marked do not stack. ODFL measures freight that cannot take anything on top at 96 inches high. That makes each pallet 106.7 cubic feet, 533 in total, at 900 lb: 1.7 lb/ft³. It is in the 350–749 band and under 3 lb/ft³, so the floor is 3,200 lb at class 125. Chairs shipped knocked down, in cartons that can be stacked, avoid both the 96-inch count and the low density.
When ODFL bills a capacity load
ODFL's Item 390 calls it a capacity load once the freight fills 20 linear feet or more of a pup trailer, at any weight. A shipment of 20,000 lb or more also counts. The minimum charge is at least $1,350 per pup, and more on some lanes. A long, light load can reach 20 feet well before it reaches a high weight.
What ODFL's higher rate buys
Old Dominion reported a 0.1% cargo claims ratio and 99% on-time service for full-year 2025. That record is why ODFL often charges more than other carriers. For fragile, costly or deadline freight, fewer claims and missed deliveries can be worth the higher rate. The freight class is the same one every carrier uses; the difference is the price per class and the service.
ODFL Freight Density Calculator
Old Dominion's density calculator is on odfl.com under Other Tools. The density math is the same as above. What you pay ODFL's premium for is the record: a 0.1% cargo claims ratio and 99% on-time service for full-year 2025, as ODFL reported to investors.
Frequently asked questions
What is ODFL's minimum charge for low-density freight?
It is set by Item 610-1 of the ODFL rules tariff. Loads that need 350 to 749 cubic feet and average under 3 lb/ft³, or 750 cubic feet and up at under 6 lb/ft³, are charged as if each cubic foot weighed 6 lb, at class 125.
How does ODFL measure pallets that can't be stacked?
At 96 inches high, whatever their real height, when nothing can be loaded on top because of the item, its packaging, a pyramided pallet or a do-not-stack instruction.
Why is Old Dominion more expensive?
ODFL charges for service. It reported a 0.1% cargo claims ratio and 99% on-time service for 2025. Its freight class is the standard NMFC class; the premium is in the rate per class.