Freight Class for Clothing & Apparel
Boxed clothing and apparel typically ships at freight class 100 to 175 — it's light for the space it takes, so density is the deciding factor.
What is the freight class for clothing?
Apparel is low-density: a carton of garments weighs little relative to its volume. Hanging garments in wardrobe boxes rate higher than tightly packed folded goods. Palletizing and compressing cartons raises density and can lower the class.
Because freight class is density-driven, there isn’t a single fixed number for clothing — class 100–175 is the common range. Run your actual dimensions and weight below to pin it down.
Folded or hanging: the apparel class divide
Apparel freight splits into two different commodities the moment it's packed. Folded garments in case-packs stack into dense, uniform cartons that pallet beautifully — the good end of the clothing range. Hanging garments in wardrobe boxes ship a rail's worth of clothes standing in a mostly-empty column: you're paying freight on the hanger space, and the measured density lands near the range's expensive top at class 175.
Garment-on-hanger service earns its cost when wrinkle-free arrival matters — tailored goods, delicate fabrics, retail-floor-ready stock. For everything else, the fold-and-press decision made at the warehouse is worth more than any rate negotiation afterward: the same 560 pounds of product can measure class 100 folded and class 175 hung, on the same lane, the same day.
Clothing & Apparel freight class: worked examples
Density is weight ÷ volume (cubic feet = L × W × H in inches ÷ 1,728). Here is how typical clothing shipments measure out:
Folded apparel case-packs, palletized — class 100
Uniform garment cases stacked 50" high on a 48" × 40" pallet, 560 lb.
48 × 40 × 50 = 96,000 in³ ÷ 1,728 = 55.6 ft³. Density = 560 lb ÷ 55.6 ft³.
10.1 lb/ft³ → class 100 — the favorable end of the apparel range.
Hanging garments in a wardrobe box — class 175
A wardrobe carton with garments on the rail, 24" × 24" × 48", 90 lb.
24 × 24 × 48 = 27,648 in³ ÷ 1,728 = 16.0 ft³. Density = 90 lb ÷ 16.0 ft³.
5.6 lb/ft³ → class 175. The hanger space ships as air.
The folded cases, vacuum-compressed — class 85
The identical 560 lb of garments compressed and restacked to 40" on the same pallet.
48 × 40 × 40 = 76,800 in³ ÷ 1,728 = 44.4 ft³. Density = 560 lb ÷ 44.4 ft³ = 12.6 lb/ft³.
12.6 lb/ft³ → class 85 — compression pushes apparel below its typical range entirely.
Compression: apparel's unfair advantage
Clothing is the rare freight that tolerates aggressive densification with zero damage risk. Soft goods compress, vacuum-bag, and bale — and every removed inch of air is a real rate move because the apparel bands (100–175) sit where classes step steeply. Poly-bagged garments vacuum-packed into case-packs routinely raise pallet density 20–30%, and baled basics (workwear, blanks, second-hand) can measure below class 92.5 — denser than most electronics.
The operational caveats are simple: compression wrinkles, so it fits basics and knits better than structured garments; and compressed cartons must be rigid enough not to bulge, because a pillowed carton measures bigger than the flat one you quoted. Footwear and accessories play by the folded-goods rules — boxed shoes case-pack densely, and belts, bags and soft accessories fill carton voids that would otherwise ship as air.
What affects clothing freight class
- Folded vs. hanging garments
- Carton size and fill
- Palletized vs. loose cartons
- Compression of the goods
Common clothing shipments include folded apparel in cartons, hanging garments, footwear, accessories and bags.
Class guides covering the 100–175 range:
Calculate the freight class for your clothing
Enter dimensions and weight to get the density-based class for your exact shipment.
Density-based estimate. Some commodities carry a fixed NMFC class — check our freight class by commodity pages.
Estimated Freight Class
Density
9.75
lb/ft³
Volume
53.33
ft³
Weight
520
lb
9–10.5 lb/ft³ → Class 100
Free PDF includes a watermark. Pro removes it & adds your brand.
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 freight class is clothing?
Clothing & Apparel typically ships at freight class 100–175. The exact class is set by density — weight divided by volume — so packaging and dimensions can move it within that range.
What affects the freight class of clothing?
The main factors are folded vs. hanging garments, carton size and fill, palletized vs. loose cartons, compression of the goods. Denser, tightly packed loads rate a lower class and cost less to ship.
How do I find the exact freight class for clothing?
Measure your shipment and divide weight by volume to get density, then match it to the NMFC scale — the calculator above does this. Confirm the final class and NMFC item number with your carrier before booking.
What freight class is a pallet of clothes?
Folded case-packed apparel on a tight pallet commonly measures 9–12 lb/ft³ → class 92.5–110. Loose-packed or hanging garments measure far lighter and rate 150–175. The packing method, not the clothing, decides it.
What freight class are shoes?
Boxed footwear case-packs densely — palletized shoe cases usually measure toward the lower end of the 100–150 range. Individual master cartons with air rate worse; run your actual carton math.
Can I vacuum-pack clothing for freight?
Yes, and it's the biggest lever apparel shippers have: 20–30% density gains are routine and baled soft goods can beat class 92.5. It suits basics and knits; skip it for structured or wrinkle-sensitive garments, and keep compressed cartons rigid so they measure flat.