Freight Class for Ceramic Tile
Pallets of porcelain and ceramic tile rate freight class 50, because tile is very dense: a Decovita pallet of 12 × 24 inch porcelain, 32 × 48 × 29 inches and 2,270 lb, measures about 88 lb/ft³. Weight is the real limit: some tile pallets pass 3,500 lb, over many pallet ratings, and single boxes can weigh 70 lb or more.
Tile pallets are among the densest freight
Decovita publishes full pallet data for its porcelain. A pallet of 12 × 24 inch, 9 mm tiles is 32 × 48 × 29 inches and weighs 2,270 lb with 32 boxes, about 88 lb/ft³. A pallet of 12 × 48 inch tiles is 36 × 50 × 32 inches and 3,527 lb, about 106 lb/ft³. Even 24 × 48 inch tiles come to about 76 lb/ft³.
All of these are far past the 50 lb/ft³ that starts class 50. Keystone lists its 9 mm porcelain at 4.02 lb per square foot, which shows why: thin porcelain is heavier for its size than most building products.
Worked examples
Pallet sizes, box counts and loaded weights come from Decovita's published porcelain tables.
Pallet of 12 × 24 in. porcelain — class 50
Decovita 12 × 24 in., 9 mm: 32 boxes on a 32 × 48 × 29 in pallet, 2,270 lb.
32 × 48 × 29 = 44,544 in³ ÷ 1,728 = 25.8 ft³. Density = 2,270 lb ÷ 25.8 ft³.
88.1 lb/ft³ → class 50.
Pallet of 12 × 48 in. porcelain — class 50
Decovita 12 × 48 in., 9 mm: 36 boxes on a 36 × 50 × 32 in pallet, 3,527 lb.
36 × 50 × 32 = 57,600 in³ ÷ 1,728 = 33.3 ft³. Density = 3,527 lb ÷ 33.3 ft³.
105.8 lb/ft³ → class 50. The weight, not the class, is the limit here.
Weight and box limits
Tile pallets are short and heavy, so the pallet's load rating and the delivery equipment matter more than the class. The heaviest Decovita pallet, 3,527 lb, is over the 3,000 lb unit-load cap Shaw sets for its suppliers and over the 2,800 lb that CHEP rates its block pallets for.
Boxes are heavy too: a Decovita box of 12 × 24 tiles weighs 71 lb. Shaw requires approval and a two-person-lift label for cartons from 50 to 100 lb, and does not accept cartons over 100 lb. Expect heavy boxes to be handled slowly at a cross-dock.
Keep each lot together
Tile is fired clay, and its shade varies from one production run to the next. Daltile tells installers to pick tiles from several cartons and plan the shade pattern before installing. For shipping, that means one job's tile should travel together, from the same lot, rather than split across shipments.
Shaw expects ceramic tile pallets to be stacked up to 6 high in its warehouses. Square, tightly wrapped pallets with corner boards travel best; a tile pallet that shifts can crack the bottom layer.
Check your tile pallet
Enter the pallet's footprint, height from the floor and loaded weight. Tile will show class 50; check the pallet's load rating too.
Density-based estimate. Some commodities carry a fixed NMFC class — check our freight class by commodity pages.
Estimated Freight Class
Density
54.99
lb/ft³
Volume
53.33
ft³
Weight
2,933
lb
50+ lb/ft³ → Class 50
NMFC density scale (Docket 2025-1, effective July 19, 2025)
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.
Frequently asked questions
What freight class is ceramic tile?
Class 50. Pallets of porcelain tile measure about 75 to 106 lb/ft³, far past the 50 lb/ft³ where class 50 starts.
How much does a pallet of tile weigh?
Decovita lists 2,094 to 3,527 lb for full pallets of its porcelain, depending on the size and thickness.
How much does a box of tile weigh?
Decovita's boxes weigh 64 to 98 lb. Keystone lists its 9 mm porcelain at 4.02 lb per square foot.
Why should tile ship from one lot?
Because shade varies between production runs. Daltile tells installers to mix tiles from several cartons, so each job's tile should come from the same lot.