Freight Class for Carpet & Rugs
Rolled carpet and rugs usually ship at freight class 100 to 150 — bulky, but with real weight.
What is the freight class for carpet?
Broadloom carpet rolls are long and take space, but the dense pile gives them weight, landing them in the mid classes. Length and handling are often the bigger constraints than class. Padded or oversized rolls rate higher.
Because freight class is density-driven, there isn’t a single fixed number for carpet — class 100–150 is the common range. Run your actual dimensions and weight below to pin it down.
Length is the freight problem, not weight
Carpet is unusual among light-and-bulky freight because its dense pile gives it real weight — a broadloom roll isn't mostly air the way insulation is. That keeps it in the mid classes (100–150) rather than the light extremes. The defining challenge is instead length: a 12-foot-wide broadloom roll is long, unwieldy, and doesn't fit a standard pallet, so handling and orientation drive the shipment far more than density does.
Within the category the density spreads by product. Carpet tiles are dense, flat and stackable — they rate at the bottom of the range or below it, more like flooring than broadloom. Broadloom rolls sit mid-range. And carpet padding is the light exception: foam or felt underlayment is barely-there by weight, rating up toward the top of the range or beyond, and it should ship separately rather than dragging a dense carpet load's blended density down.
Carpet & Rugs freight class: worked examples
Density is weight ÷ volume (cubic feet = L × W × H in inches ÷ 1,728). Here is how typical carpet shipments measure out:
Broadloom carpet roll — class 110
A 12-foot broadloom roll on its end, 144" × 15" × 15", 150 lb.
144 × 15 × 15 = 32,400 in³ ÷ 1,728 = 18.75 ft³. Density = 150 lb ÷ 18.75 ft³.
8.0 lb/ft³ → inside 8–9 → class 110 — dense pile keeps broadloom mid-range.
Boxed carpet tiles, palletized — class 85
Cartons of carpet tiles on a 48" × 40" pallet, 36" high, 500 lb.
48 × 40 × 36 = 69,120 in³ ÷ 1,728 = 40.0 ft³. Density = 500 lb ÷ 40.0 ft³.
12.5 lb/ft³ → class 85 — flat, dense tiles rate below broadloom, more like flooring.
Carpet padding, palletized — class 200
Rolls of foam carpet pad on a 48" × 40" pallet, 60" high, 300 lb.
48 × 40 × 60 = 115,200 in³ ÷ 1,728 = 66.7 ft³. Density = 300 lb ÷ 66.7 ft³.
4.5 lb/ft³ → class 200 — light pad rates far above the carpet it goes under; ship it separately.
Rolls, tiles, and keeping pad separate
Broadloom ships as rolls on their ends or on roll racks/carts, and the measured dimensions are the roll's — diameter and length included. Tighter winding and a smaller core reduce diameter and measured cube; a loosely wound or oversized roll bills bigger. Long rolls need the right handling equipment and often can't palletize conventionally, so confirm the lane and terminal can take them.
Carpet tiles palletize like flooring — flat, banded, square — and reward tight stacking; they're the dense, easy end of the category. The rule that pays across carpet shipments is separation by density: keep dense tiles, mid-density broadloom, and light padding on their own units. Blend padding onto a carpet pallet and the pad's air drags the whole unit up a class; the calculator below makes the trade-off obvious for your actual load.
What affects carpet freight class
- Roll length and diameter
- Pile density/weight
- Handling of long rolls
- Rugs vs. broadloom
Common carpet shipments include broadloom carpet rolls, carpet tiles, area rugs, carpet padding.
Class guides covering the 100–150 range:
Calculate the freight class for your carpet
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
9.75
lb/ft³
Volume
53.33
ft³
Weight
520
lb
9–10.5 lb/ft³ → Class 100
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 carpet?
Carpet & Rugs typically ships at freight class 100–150. 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 carpet?
The main factors are roll length and diameter, pile density/weight, handling of long rolls, rugs vs. broadloom. Denser, tightly packed loads rate a lower class and cost less to ship.
How do I find the exact freight class for carpet?
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 carpet?
Broadloom rolls measure ~7–9 lb/ft³ → class 110–150; dense carpet tiles rate lower (class 85–100, like flooring); light carpet padding rates far higher (class 200). The product form, not the category, sets the class.
Why is carpet hard to ship?
Length, not weight. A 12-foot broadloom roll is long and unwieldy, doesn't fit a standard pallet, and needs roll racks or carts and the right terminal equipment. Density keeps the class moderate; handling the length is the real challenge.
Should I ship carpet padding with the carpet?
Not on the same unit. Foam or felt padding is much lighter (class 200) than broadloom or tiles, so blending it in drags the whole load's density down and raises the blended class. Ship pad separately to keep the carpet at its cheaper class.