Freight Class 50
Class 50 is the lowest, cheapest freight class — reserved for the densest, most durable “clean freight” that loads tightly and resists damage. At 50+ lb/ft³, it costs the least per pound to ship.
Class 50 at a glance
Freight class 50 covers freight that weighs 50 pounds per cubic foot or more. It is the lowest of the 18 NMFC classes, so it normally carries the lowest rate. A standard 48 by 40 inch pallet, loaded 48 inches high, reaches it at about 2,667 pounds.
Density range 50 lb/ft³ and over
- Density band — 50 lb/ft³ or more, with no ceiling. Class 55 covers 35 up to 50.
- Just under the line — that pallet at 2,600 lb reads 48.8 lb/ft³. That rates class 55.
- Typical goods — bricks, bagged cement, fasteners and steel bar stock. Taller stacks rate 55.
- Know your dimensions? Check your shipment in the calculator.
What is class 50 freight?
Class 50 is the lowest and cheapest freight class. A shipment gets it when it weighs 50 pounds or more for every cubic foot it fills, the top band of the NMFC density scale. That usually means very dense, sturdy goods: fasteners, bagged cement, bricks, steel bar. A 48 × 40 × 48 in pallet would need about 2,667 lb to reach it, so class 50 loads are usually short, heavy stacks. Below 50 lb/ft³ the class is 55.
Class 50 freight description
Class 50 is the floor of the NMFC scale, and the bar is genuinely high: 50 pounds per cubic foot or more, sustained across the whole handling unit. For scale, solid water is 62.4 lb/ft³ — class-50 freight is material that ships nearly as dense as it is solid. Fasteners in kegs, steel bar stock, brick, bagged cement stacked low and tight. Carriers sometimes call it “clean freight”: it fits on a standard pallet, stacks, resists damage, and needs no special handling. The lowest rate on the tariff is the reward.
The catch is that most freight that *feels* class-50 dense doesn't measure there once packaged. On a standard 48" × 40" pallet loaded 48" high, you need about 2,667 pounds to hit 50 lb/ft³ — beyond many pallet ratings and forklift comfort zones. That's why dense material so often books at class 55 or 60 instead: the material qualifies, but the air the packaging adds does not. If you're between classes, the math below settles it in seconds.
Class 50 worked examples
Three dense loads measured at their outside size. The last one shows how a taller stack loses class 50.
Steel fasteners in a keg — class 50
A keg of bolts on a small 24" × 20" footprint, 20" high, 300 lb.
24 × 20 × 20 = 9,600 in³ ÷ 1,728 = 5.6 ft³. Density = 300 lb ÷ 5.6 ft³.
54.0 lb/ft³ → at or above 50 → class 50.
Bagged cement, stacked low — class 50
Cement bags on a 48" × 40" pallet kept to 28" high, 1,800 lb.
48 × 40 × 28 = 53,760 in³ ÷ 1,728 = 31.1 ft³. Density = 1,800 lb ÷ 31.1 ft³.
57.9 lb/ft³ → class 50 with margin.
The same cement, stacked 8 inches taller — class 55
The identical 1,800 lb of bags restacked looser to 36" high on the same pallet.
48 × 40 × 36 = 69,120 in³ ÷ 1,728 = 40.0 ft³. Density = 1,800 lb ÷ 40.0 ft³ = 45.0 lb/ft³ — under the 50 line.
45.0 lb/ft³ → class 55. Same freight, taller stack, higher class.
Getting — and keeping — class 50
The shipments that reliably hold class 50 are low and heavy: half-height pallets, kegs, and drums where the weight concentrates in a small cube. Stack the same material tall and the inevitable gaps, dunnage and pallet overhang dilute the measured density below the line. When you have a choice, two short dense units usually beat one tall one — each holds the class, and both together often cost less than the taller unit rebilled at class 55.
One more nuance: some very dense commodities have fixed NMFC item numbers whose class doesn't move with density at all. Density gets you the right *estimate*; the NMFC item and your carrier's inspection settle the final class. Quote with the density result, then confirm the item number before booking repeated volume.
What ships as class 50
Dense goods that often measure 50 lb/ft³ or more. A specific NMFC listing can still set a different class:
- Bricks and pavers
- Bagged sand or cement
- Nuts, bolts and fasteners
- Steel bar stock
- Flooring tile
Related commodity guides:
Is your shipment class 50?
Enter the pallet size and the full weight. At 50 lb/ft³ or more, it is class 50.
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 goods are class 50?
Very dense goods that stack tight: kegs of fasteners, bagged cement, bricks and pavers, steel bar. In the examples above, fasteners in a keg measured 54.0 lb/ft³ and bagged cement stacked low 57.9 lb/ft³.
Why is class 50 the cheapest freight class?
Because it maximizes what a carrier can sell: at 50+ lb/ft³ the trailer reaches its legal weight limit with most of its space still free, the freight stacks and survives handling, and claims are rare. The tariff passes those economics back as the lowest rate.
How heavy does a pallet need to be for class 50?
On a standard 48" × 40" pallet loaded 48" high (53.3 ft³), about 2,667 lb. Lower stacks need proportionally less — the same density on a 28"-high stack is roughly 1,556 lb — which is why low, dense pallets hold class 50 more easily than tall ones.
My product is very dense — why didn't it rate class 50?
Usually packaging: pallet height, carton gaps and overhang dilute the measured density of the handling unit below 50 lb/ft³, or the item's NMFC listing assigns a fixed class regardless of density. Check the unit's real math first, then the item number with your carrier.