Saia Density Calculator
Check the density and freight class of a Saia LTL shipment before you ask for a quote. It is not Saia's own tool. Under it are the rules from Saia's own tariff that decide how light, bulky freight is billed.
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 Saia bills light freight
Saia's rules tariff (170-D, effective July 6, 2026) has two low-density bands. From 750 cubic feet up, the line is 6 lb/ft³. From 350 to 749 cubic feet, it is 4 lb/ft³. A shipment below the line gets a minimum charge: its cubic feet times 6 lb, at the class 100 rate in Saia's 5700 tariff, less an 85% discount. That charge can never be more than Saia's capacity load charge.
Saia's cubic capacity rule, worked through
Six pallets, each 48 × 40 × 70 inches, 1,500 lb in total. Each pallet is 77.8 cubic feet, so the load is 467 cubic feet at 3.2 lb/ft³. That is inside the 350–749 band and under 4 lb/ft³, so Saia's floor is 2,800 lb (467 × 6) at the class 100 rate less 85%. If your normal class-based charge is higher, you pay that instead. Reach 4 lb/ft³, with more weight or less height, and the minimum drops away.
When Saia counts it as a capacity load
Saia's Item 390 treats freight as a capacity load when it takes 21 linear feet or more of a trailer, whatever it weighs, or weighs 20,000 lb or more. It also applies when the load leaves less than 10 feet of floor free and weighs under 30,000 lb. Long, light loads reach 21 feet quickly, so ask Saia for a volume quote before booking them as LTL freight.
What a Saia reweigh or reclass costs
If an inspection or reweigh changes your weight or NMFC class and the linehaul charge changes, Saia adds $44 per occurrence. If the bill of lading shows no weight at all, weighing it costs $38. A scale and a tape measure before pickup avoid both.
Saia Guaranteed: what faster delivery costs
Saia Guaranteed has to be written on the bill of lading. It is priced as a share of your net linehaul charge: Guaranteed 5 (by 5 p.m.) adds 25% with a $65 minimum, Guaranteed 12 (by noon) adds 35% with a $188.50 minimum, and Guaranteed 10 (by 10 a.m.) adds 45% with a $210 minimum. The base it adds to is still your class-based rate.
Saia Freight Density Calculator
Saia lists its own freight density calculator under Tools & Resources on saia.com. Either one gives you the density. The Saia-specific decision comes after: whether a guaranteed or expedited upgrade is worth paying on top of the class-based rate.
Frequently asked questions
Does Saia have a cubic capacity rule?
Yes, Item 111. Shipments of 750 ft³ or more under 6 lb/ft³, or 350–749 ft³ under 4 lb/ft³, have a minimum charge based on 6 lb per cubic foot at class 100, less 85%.
What is Saia's reweigh fee?
$44 per occurrence when an inspection or reweigh changes the weight or class and the linehaul charge. It comes on top of the corrected freight charges.
How much does Saia Guaranteed cost?
Per Saia's July 2026 tariff: 25% of net linehaul for delivery by 5 p.m. (minimum $65), 35% by noon (minimum $188.50) and 45% by 10 a.m. (minimum $210).