Freight Class 200
Class 200 applies to sheet-metal parts, aircraft components and packaged mattresses (4–5 lb/ft³).
What is freight class 200?
Freight class 200 is one of the 18 classes in the National Motor Freight Classification (NMFC). It applies to LTL shipments whose density falls between 4 to under 5 lb/ft³. Density is weight ÷ volume, so a shipment lands in class 200 when it weighs that much for the space it occupies. Lower classes (denser freight) cost less to ship; higher classes (lighter, bulkier freight) cost more, because they use more trailer space per pound.
Class 200 freight description
Class 200 covers the 4 to just-under-5 lb/ft³ band, and its typical cargo is dense material stretched thin: stamped auto body panels, aircraft skins and assemblies, aluminum furniture, single packaged mattresses. Unlike the boxed-air classes, this freight is often metal — it's just metal shaped into large, mostly-empty forms that need crates far bigger than their weight suggests.
Much of it is also disproportionately valuable and damage-sensitive. A crate of aircraft parts or painted body panels carries repair-grade value on freight that dents and scratches, so packaging here serves two masters: protective enough to prevent claims that would dwarf any rate saving, tight enough not to buy a class you don't need. The good news is those goals mostly align — snug, rigid, well-blocked crates protect better *and* measure smaller than roomy ones.
Class 200 worked examples
Density is weight ÷ volume (cubic feet = L × W × H in inches ÷ 1,728). Here is how real shipments land in — and fall out of — class 200:
Crated auto body panels — class 200
Fenders and hoods layered in a crate, 60" × 48" × 40", 300 lb.
60 × 48 × 40 = 115,200 in³ ÷ 1,728 = 66.7 ft³. Density = 300 lb ÷ 66.7 ft³.
4.5 lb/ft³ → inside 4–5 → class 200.
Single packaged mattress — class 200
A queen mattress alone in a flat carton, 80" × 60" × 12", 145 lb.
80 × 60 × 12 = 57,600 in³ ÷ 1,728 = 33.3 ft³. Density = 145 lb ÷ 33.3 ft³.
4.4 lb/ft³ → class 200.
The panels re-crated 10 inches shorter — class 150
The identical 300 lb of panels layered tighter in a 60" × 48" × 30" crate.
60 × 48 × 30 = 86,400 in³ ÷ 1,728 = 50.0 ft³. Density = 300 lb ÷ 50.0 ft³ = 6.0 lb/ft³.
6.0 lb/ft³ → class 150 — two classes down for one tighter crate design.
Layering thin freight into a cheaper class
Flat and near-flat parts reward vertical consolidation: panels layered with foam interleaf in one crate measure a fraction of the same panels crated individually, because each added layer adds weight while the footprint stays fixed. The step below, class 175, starts at 5 lb/ft³, and the one below that at 6 — on repeated lanes, redesigning one crate to carry two more layers routinely walks a shipment down a class or two.
Curved and contoured parts (fenders, cowlings, chair shells) are harder — they trap their own shape — but many nest face-to-face or gain from a mixed crate where small dense components ride in the voids the contours create. What doesn't pay is the oversized universal crate: sized for the largest part you might ever ship and used for all of them, it bills every smaller part at the big part's cube. Size to what actually ships, and let the calculator below referee each design.
Typical class 200 commodities
Goods that are commonly rated freight class 200 include:
- Auto sheet metal
- Aircraft parts
- Aluminum tables
- Packaged mattresses
These are typical examples. The exact class of any item depends on its NMFC item number and measured density — always confirm with your carrier or broker.
Commodity guides that overlap class 200:
Check if your shipment is class 200
Enter your dimensions and weight — if the density lands in 4 to under 5 lb/ft³, you’re in class 200.
Density-based estimate. Some commodities carry a fixed NMFC class — check our freight class by commodity pages.
Estimated Freight Class
Density
4.5
lb/ft³
Volume
53.33
ft³
Weight
240
lb
4–5 lb/ft³ → Class 200
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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 is freight class 200?
Freight class 200 is the NMFC class for shipments with a density of 4 to under 5 lb/ft³. Typical examples include auto sheet metal, aircraft parts, aluminum tables.
What products are freight class 200?
Goods commonly rated class 200 include auto sheet metal, aircraft parts, aluminum tables, packaged mattresses. The actual class depends on the item's density and NMFC item number, so verify with your carrier.
How is freight class 200 determined?
Divide the shipment weight in pounds by its volume in cubic feet. A density of 4 to under 5 lb/ft³ maps to class 200 on the NMFC density scale. Use the calculator above to check your shipment.
What density is freight class 200?
4 to just under 5 pounds per cubic foot, measured on the finished crate or carton at its extreme points. At 5 or above the shipment rates class 175; under 4 it climbs to class 250.
Why do metal parts ship at a high class like 200?
Because class follows the density of the shipped unit, not the material. A stamped fender is dense steel shaped into a large hollow form, and its crate is mostly air — so the measured density lands in the light bands even though the metal itself is heavy.
How can I get sheet-metal parts below class 200?
Layer more parts per crate: the footprint stays fixed while weight climbs, so each added layer raises density. Crossing 5 lb/ft³ reaches class 175 and 6 reaches class 150 — a crate redesign that adds two layers often pays for itself in one quarter.