Freight Class 300
Class 300 is for very light assembled goods (1–2 lb/ft³ on the current NMFC scale) such as assembled chairs, light frames and model boats.
What is class 300 freight?
Class 300 sits near the top of the scale, for very light freight that weighs 1 to just under 2 pounds per cubic foot. Most of it ships in its finished, assembled shape: stacked chairs, light frames, model boats. The band moved in 2025. Class 300 used to cover 2–3 lb/ft³, which is now class 250, and it now takes 1–2 lb/ft³ freight that used to be class 400. A 48 × 40 × 48 in pallet (53.3 ft³) is class 300 at about 53 to 107 lb.
Class 300: the assembled-goods penalty
Class 300 covers 1 to just under 2 lb/ft³. That band moved on July 19, 2025: NMFC Docket 2025-1 shifted class 300 down from 2–3 lb/ft³, and freight in that old range now rates class 250. What lands in class 300 today is mostly freight that ships in its finished shape. An assembled dining chair is a few pounds of wood around a sitting-sized pocket of air; a light frame or a model hull encloses far more space than it weighs. The freight bill inherits all of that enclosed nothing, and it prices near the top of the scale.
So the first question here is not "how do I get a better rate?" but "does this really have to ship assembled?" For furniture the answer is often no. Knock-down packing exists to escape this band, and the drop is dramatic (see the worked example below). For hulls, shells and molded shapes the answer is yes, and the goal shifts: measure precisely, load smart, and defend the 1 lb/ft³ floor that separates 300 from class 400.
Class 300 worked examples
Three shipments measured at their outside size. The last one shows the saving from taking the product apart.
Assembled dining chairs on a pallet — class 300
Six assembled chairs stacked and wrapped on a 48" × 40" pallet, 65" high, 120 lb.
48 × 40 × 65 = 124,800 in³ ÷ 1,728 = 72.2 ft³. Density = 120 lb ÷ 72.2 ft³.
1.7 lb/ft³ → inside 1–2 → class 300 (the pre-2025 table said 400).
Recreational kayak, boxed — now class 250
A 10.5-foot kayak in a protective carton, 126" × 30" × 14", 75 lb.
126 × 30 × 14 = 52,920 in³ ÷ 1,728 = 30.6 ft³. Density = 75 lb ÷ 30.6 ft³.
2.4 lb/ft³ → class 250 on the current NMFC scale. Under the pre-2025 table this was class 300.
The same chairs, knocked down flat — class 175
The identical 120 lb of chairs, disassembled and flat-packed to 20" high on the same pallet.
48 × 40 × 20 = 38,400 in³ ÷ 1,728 = 22.2 ft³. Density = 120 lb ÷ 22.2 ft³ = 5.4 lb/ft³.
5.4 lb/ft³ → class 175 — from class 300 to 175 for an hour of disassembly.
When the freight really is mostly air
Nest whatever nests. Chairs stack seat-over-seat, bins sit inside bins, and a column of nested shells measures little more than one. That can cut measured cube by half or more without touching the product. Small hulls can often ship in pairs, hull-to-deck, sharing one cradle and one footprint. Every shared inch is an inch you don't buy twice.
Then watch both lines. Cross 2 lb/ft³ and the shipment drops to class 250, which now reaches all the way to 4 lb/ft³. Slip under 1 lb/ft³ and it rebills at class 400, the top of the density scale. At this weight, an inch of extra cradle height or a puffed-up wrap moves the reading a lot. A slightly heavier cradle or a doubled carton floor adds density more than it adds cost. Run the finished, wrapped unit through the calculator below and you'll know which side of the line you're on before the carrier's scanner does.
What ships as class 300
Light, assembled goods that often measure into class 300. Your density, or a specific NMFC listing, decides the final class:
- Assembled tables and chairs
- Model boats and aircraft
- Light furniture frames
- Large lampshades
Related commodity guides:
Is your shipment class 300?
Enter the size and weight as shipped. From 1 to just under 2 lb/ft³ is class 300; from 2 up it is class 250.
Density-based estimate. Some commodities carry a fixed NMFC class — check our freight class by commodity pages.
Estimated Freight Class
Density
1.5
lb/ft³
Volume
53.33
ft³
Weight
80
lb
1–2 lb/ft³ → Class 300
NMFC density scale (Docket 2025-1, effective July 19, 2025)
Pre-July-2025 table: class 400. Use it only if your carrier contract still prices on the old table.
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 is class 300 freight?
Very light freight that measures 1 to under 2 lb/ft³ on the current NMFC scale, such as assembled chairs and light frames. It is one of the most expensive classes per pound, because the load is mostly air.
What freight class is a kayak?
It depends on the boxed size and weight. The kayak in our worked example (126 × 30 × 14 in, 75 lb) measures 2.4 lb/ft³, which is class 250 on the current NMFC scale; it was class 300 under the pre-2025 table. A longer or lighter boat can drop under 2 lb/ft³ and rate class 300. Kayaks may also have their own NMFC listing, so confirm with your carrier.
What density is freight class 300?
1 to just under 2 pounds per cubic foot on the current NMFC scale (Docket 2025-1, effective July 19, 2025), measured on the complete shipped unit at its extreme points — cradle, carton and pallet included. Under the older table class 300 was 2 to under 3. Under 1 lb/ft³ the shipment moves up to class 400.
How can I avoid shipping at class 300?
Ship it in pieces if the product allows: the knocked-down chairs above reach class 175. If it must ship assembled, nest or pair units to share footprint and keep packaging snug. Crossing 2 lb/ft³ is enough to reach class 250.