Freight Class 250
Class 250 covers mattresses, box springs and flat-screen TVs (2–4 lb/ft³ on the current NMFC scale) — bulky, lower-density goods.
What is class 250 freight?
Class 250 is for bulky, light freight that weighs 2 to just under 4 pounds per cubic foot, on the NMFC scale used since July 19, 2025. Flat-boxed mattresses, large flat-screen TVs and boxed upholstered chairs all measured in this band in the examples below. The band doubled in 2025, taking in 2–3 lb/ft³ freight that used to rate class 300. A 48 × 40 × 48 in pallet (53.3 ft³) is class 250 at about 107 to 213 lb.
Class 250 freight description
Class 250 covers freight measuring 2 to just under 4 pounds per cubic foot. The band doubled on July 19, 2025, when NMFC Docket 2025-1 folded in the 2–3 lb/ft³ freight that used to rate class 300. These are shipments that fill a trailer's space at a small fraction of its weight capacity. The classic residents are the mattress-and-box-spring set and the big flat-screen TV: wide, flat, fragile cartons that ride upright, can't be double-stacked safely, and claim floor positions all out of proportion to their weight. At this density, the carrier's cost is almost entirely the space and the handling care, and the class prices exactly that.
This band is also where packaging engineering has changed an industry. The traditional flat-boxed mattress ships at class 250; the same mattress roll-packed into a compact carton measures several times denser and books whole classes lower. The 'bed-in-a-box' category exists in large part because compression turned class-250 freight into freight that ships like dense general cargo — the clearest real-world proof that class follows packaging, not product.
Class 250 worked examples
Four shipments measured at their outside size. The last one shows what compressing the product itself can do.
Mattress and box spring set, flat-boxed — class 250
A queen set in one flat carton, 80" × 60" × 14", 130 lb.
80 × 60 × 14 = 67,200 in³ ÷ 1,728 = 38.9 ft³. Density = 130 lb ÷ 38.9 ft³.
3.3 lb/ft³ → inside 2–4 → class 250.
75-inch TV in its retail carton — class 250
A boxed 75" television, 70" × 10" × 45", 65 lb.
70 × 10 × 45 = 31,500 in³ ÷ 1,728 = 18.2 ft³. Density = 65 lb ÷ 18.2 ft³.
3.6 lb/ft³ → class 250.
Boxed upholstered armchair — now class 250
One armchair in its carton, 36" × 34" × 38", 70 lb.
36 × 34 × 38 = 46,512 in³ ÷ 1,728 = 26.9 ft³. Density = 70 lb ÷ 26.9 ft³.
2.6 lb/ft³ → class 250 on the current NMFC scale (the pre-2025 table said 300).
The same mattress, roll-packed — class 70
The identical 130 lb queen mattress compressed and rolled into a 44" × 16" × 16" carton.
44 × 16 × 16 = 11,264 in³ ÷ 1,728 = 6.5 ft³. Density = 130 lb ÷ 6.5 ft³ = 19.9 lb/ft³.
19.9 lb/ft³ → class 70 — from class 250 to class 70 with the same product. This is the entire bed-in-a-box logistics story in one calculation.
Shipping class 250 without overpaying
First, question the configuration. Anything that compresses, folds, nests or knocks down should — a roll-packed mattress, a folded cover, a knocked-down crate each measure dramatically denser than their assembled forms. When the product truly can't compress (a finished TV in its retail carton), accuracy becomes the money lever: these cartons are tall and thin, so a small measurement error swings density across a whole band. Measure the exact carton, not the product spec sheet.
Second, load for the measurement. Upright cartons strapped to a narrow skid measure better than the same cartons leaned against a full pallet's empty deck; two flat cartons cased together share one footprint instead of billing two. And watch the 2 lb/ft³ floor — dip under it and the shipment rates class 300. On freight this light, even the pallet's own 40-odd pounds is meaningful ballast: it raises density, and it's weight you were shipping anyway.
What ships as class 250
Bulky goods that often measure into class 250. Your density, or a specific NMFC listing, decides the final class:
- Mattresses and box springs
- Plasma and LCD TVs
- Bamboo furniture
- Wood crates (assembled)
Related commodity guides:
Is your shipment class 250?
Enter the carton or pallet size and the total weight. From 2 to just under 4 lb/ft³ is class 250; from 4 up it is class 175.
Density-based estimate. Some commodities carry a fixed NMFC class — check our freight class by commodity pages.
Estimated Freight Class
Density
3
lb/ft³
Volume
53.33
ft³
Weight
160
lb
2–4 lb/ft³ → Class 250
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 goods are class 250?
Flat-boxed mattresses and box springs, large flat-screen TVs in retail cartons and boxed upholstered chairs often measure 2 to 4 lb/ft³. In the examples above, a flat-boxed queen set measured 3.3 lb/ft³ and a boxed 75-inch TV 3.6 lb/ft³.
Why is class 250 so expensive?
At 2–4 lb/ft³ your shipment fills trailer space at a tenth of the density of general cargo, and often needs upright, no-stack handling on top. The carrier sells that space once — the class 250 rate is what recovers it.
What density is freight class 250?
2 to just under 4 pounds per cubic foot on the current NMFC scale (Docket 2025-1, effective July 19, 2025), measured on the shipped unit at its extreme points. Under the older table it was 3 to under 4. Divide total weight by cubic feet (L × W × H in inches ÷ 1,728) — the calculator on this page does it instantly.
How do mattress companies ship so cheaply?
Compression. A roll-packed mattress occupies about a sixth of its flat-boxed volume, which moves it from class 250 into the dense bands around class 70–85. If your product tolerates compression or knock-down packing, the same physics works for you.