Freight Class for Canned & Packaged Food
Canned and densely packaged food ships at a low freight class — typically 60 to 85 when cased and palletized.
What is the freight class for canned food?
Cans and jars are heavy for their size, so palletized cases rate low. Lighter packaged foods — snacks, cereal, chips — trap more air and rate higher. Full pallet loads keep density up and cost down versus loose cases.
Because freight class is density-driven, there isn’t a single fixed number for canned food — class 60–85 is the common range. Run your actual dimensions and weight below to pin it down.
The category that weighs out before it cubes out
Canned food is the rare LTL freight where weight, not space, ends the loading. A cased pallet of canned goods runs 1,300–2,000+ pounds and stands barely waist-high — it hits pallet ratings and trailer axle limits long before it fills any vertical space. That extreme density is exactly why cased cans rate in the cheap end of the scale: the carrier reaches a full legal load with the trailer half-empty, and the tariff rewards freight that uses weight capacity instead of floor space.
But "canned and packaged food" is really two commodities. The cans, jars and dense dry goods anchor the low end; the light packaged foods sharing warehouse aisles — cereal, crackers, snack bags — are engineered air and rate a full 60 points of class higher. Distributors who ship both learn to keep them apart: a pallet blended from dense cans and light cartons wastes the cans' cheap class on the cereal's bulk.
Canned & Packaged Food freight class: worked examples
Density is weight ÷ volume (cubic feet = L × W × H in inches ÷ 1,728). Here is how typical canned food shipments measure out:
Cased canned vegetables, palletized — class 65
Cases of canned vegetables on a 48" × 40" pallet, 42" high, 1,300 lb.
48 × 40 × 42 = 80,640 in³ ÷ 1,728 = 46.7 ft³. Density = 1,300 lb ÷ 46.7 ft³.
27.9 lb/ft³ → class 65 — cans anchor the cheap end of the food range.
Jarred sauces, cased — class 70
Cased glass jars of sauce on a 48" × 40" pallet, 44" high, 900 lb.
48 × 40 × 44 = 84,480 in³ ÷ 1,728 = 48.9 ft³. Density = 900 lb ÷ 48.9 ft³.
18.4 lb/ft³ → class 70.
Cased breakfast cereal — class 125
Cartons of cereal stacked 52" high on a 48" × 40" pallet, 420 lb.
48 × 40 × 52 = 99,840 in³ ÷ 1,728 = 57.8 ft³. Density = 420 lb ÷ 57.8 ft³.
7.3 lb/ft³ → class 125 — light packaged food rates 60 points above the cans it ships beside.
Loading cans for the class (and the pallet's life)
The density is a gift, but only within limits. Stack cased cans to their weight ceiling — a rated pallet, a floor position, and a height the forklift and the receiver can actually handle — rather than to a target cube. Overbuild the stack and you win nothing on class (you're already at the cheap end) while risking a crushed bottom layer and a damage claim that dwarfs any rate.
For the light packaged foods, the levers flip to the usual bulky-freight playbook: case-pack tight, palletize full, and don't ship half-empty master cartons. And weigh mixed grocery pallets honestly — the blended density is what the carrier bills, so a pallet that's 70% cans by weight and 30% snacks by volume rarely measures as cheaply as the cans alone would.
What affects canned food freight class
- Cans/jars vs. light snack packaging
- Case packing and palletization
- Net weight per case
- Loose vs. full pallet
Common canned food shipments include canned goods, bottled and jarred foods, cased dry goods, palletized groceries.
Class guides covering the 60–85 range:
Calculate the freight class for your canned food
Enter dimensions and weight to get the density-based class for your exact shipment.
Density-based estimate. Some commodities carry a fixed NMFC class — check our freight class by commodity pages.
Estimated Freight Class
Density
32.49
lb/ft³
Volume
53.33
ft³
Weight
1,733
lb
30–35 lb/ft³ → Class 60
Free PDF includes a watermark. Pro removes it & adds your brand.
Estimates only — verify freight class/NMFC and chargeable weight with your carrier.
How freight class is calculated (density scale)
Freight class is set by density = weight (lb) ÷ volume (ft³). Higher density → lower class → typically lower cost. Volume here is L × W × H × quantity.
| Density (lb/ft³) | Class |
|---|---|
| 50+ | 50 |
| 35 – 50 | 55 |
| 30 – 35 | 60 |
| 22.5 – 30 | 65 |
| 15 – 22.5 | 70 |
| 13.5 – 15 | 77.5 |
| 12 – 13.5 | 85 |
| 10.5 – 12 | 92.5 |
| 9 – 10.5 | 100 |
| 8 – 9 | 110 |
| 7 – 8 | 125 |
| 6 – 7 | 150 |
| 5 – 6 | 175 |
| 4 – 5 | 200 |
| 3 – 4 | 250 |
| 2 – 3 | 300 |
| 1 – 2 | 400 |
| 0 – 1 | 500 |
Frequently asked questions
What freight class is canned food?
Canned & Packaged Food typically ships at freight class 60–85. The exact class is set by density — weight divided by volume — so packaging and dimensions can move it within that range.
What affects the freight class of canned food?
The main factors are cans/jars vs. light snack packaging, case packing and palletization, net weight per case, loose vs. full pallet. Denser, tightly packed loads rate a lower class and cost less to ship.
How do I find the exact freight class for canned food?
Measure your shipment and divide weight by volume to get density, then match it to the NMFC scale — the calculator above does this. Confirm the final class and NMFC item number with your carrier before booking.
What freight class is canned food?
Cased and palletized canned goods typically measure 22–35 lb/ft³ → class 60–70, among the cheapest general freight. Light packaged foods (cereal, snacks, crackers) in the same category measure 6–8 lb/ft³ → class 110–150. The packaging density decides it.
Why is canned food such a cheap freight class?
Cans are dense enough that a pallet hits weight limits while barely using vertical space — the carrier reaches a full legal load with room to spare, and the tariff prices that favorably. It's freight that pays by the pound rather than the cubic foot.
Should I mix canned and dry goods on one pallet?
Usually not for rate: the blended density lands between the cans' cheap class and the dry goods' expensive one, so the cans effectively subsidize the bulk. Ship dense cases pure and let light cartons take their own class unless the light freight is a small fraction of the weight.