Freight Class for Countertops
Stone and solid-surface countertops are extremely dense, shipping at freight class 50 to 70.
What is the freight class for countertops?
Granite, quartz and marble slabs are heavy and rate low, usually shipped on A-frames or crates. Weight and fragility — not class — are the limiting factors, and crating adds dimensions and protection.
Because freight class is density-driven, there isn’t a single fixed number for countertops — class 50–70 is the common range. Run your actual dimensions and weight below to pin it down.
This isn't pallet freight — it's slab handling
Countertops break the mental model of LTL freight, because a stone slab isn't a box on a pallet — it's a single large, heavy, brittle sheet that ships standing on an A-frame or bolted into a crate. Granite, quartz and marble are extremely dense, so the freight class is low, 50 to 70. But the density is almost incidental to the shipping problem: what governs a slab shipment is how it's carried, whether the terminal has the equipment to handle it, and whether it arrives without a crack that writes off a four-figure piece of stone.
The A-frame is the signature. Slabs ride nearly vertical on an A-shaped rack, which supports the stone the way it's strongest and keeps the footprint manageable — but it also means the shipment's dimensions are the frame's dimensions, not the slab's. A tall A-frame or a generously built crate adds measured cube that can lift the class, so the packaging that protects the slab and the packaging that measures cheapest aren't always the same, and the protection has to win.
Countertops freight class: worked examples
Density is weight ÷ volume (cubic feet = L × W × H in inches ÷ 1,728). Here is how typical countertops shipments measure out:
Crated quartz slab on an A-frame — class 55
A single quartz slab braced on an A-frame, 130" × 50" × 6" effective, 850 lb.
130 × 50 × 6 = 39,000 in³ ÷ 1,728 = 22.6 ft³. Density = 850 lb ÷ 22.6 ft³.
37.6 lb/ft³ → class 55 — stone is dense even accounting for the frame.
Cut-to-size stone pieces, crated tight — class 55
Fabricated countertop pieces in a braced crate, 72" × 30" × 10", 420 lb.
72 × 30 × 10 = 21,600 in³ ÷ 1,728 = 12.5 ft³. Density = 420 lb ÷ 12.5 ft³.
33.6 lb/ft³ → class 55 — smaller pieces crate denser than full slabs.
Solid-surface tops, crated — class 65
Acrylic solid-surface tops in a crate, 100" × 30" × 8", 220 lb.
100 × 30 × 8 = 24,000 in³ ÷ 1,728 = 13.9 ft³. Density = 220 lb ÷ 13.9 ft³.
15.8 lb/ft³ → class 70 — composite tops are lighter than stone and easier to handle.
Crating, equipment, and cut-to-size
Match the packaging to the piece and the lane. Full slabs almost always warrant an A-frame or a braced crate — the stone is too valuable and too fragile for anything less — and the measured cube that adds is simply the cost of the stone arriving whole. Confirm the destination terminal can actually receive a slab: A-frames need equipment and space, and a shipment that can't be handled at delivery is a problem no class optimization solves.
Cut-to-size pieces and solid-surface tops are the more forgiving end. Smaller fabricated pieces can be crated in tighter boxes that measure denser and rate at the cheap end of the range, and solid-surface (acrylic/composite) tops are lighter than stone, so they rate a bit higher but handle far more easily. Whatever the material, the density result is your class estimate — but on countertops, price the crating, the handling equipment and the insurance as the decisions that actually matter.
What affects countertops freight class
- Slab material and thickness
- Crating/A-frame packaging
- Weight and fragility
- Handling equipment
Common countertops shipments include granite and quartz slabs, marble countertops, solid-surface tops, cut-to-size pieces.
Class guides covering the 50–70 range:
Calculate the freight class for your countertops
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
54.99
lb/ft³
Volume
53.33
ft³
Weight
2,933
lb
50+ lb/ft³ → Class 50
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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 freight class is countertops?
Countertops typically ships at freight class 50–70. 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 countertops?
The main factors are slab material and thickness, crating/a-frame packaging, weight and fragility, handling equipment. Denser, tightly packed loads rate a lower class and cost less to ship.
How do I find the exact freight class for countertops?
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 are countertops?
Stone slabs (granite, quartz, marble) on A-frames or in crates measure 30–40 lb/ft³ → class 55; lighter solid-surface tops rate around class 65–70. The class is low because stone is dense, but handling and breakage are the real shipping challenges.
How are stone countertop slabs shipped?
Almost always standing on an A-frame rack or bolted into a braced crate, which supports the slab at its strongest orientation. The shipment's measured dimensions become the frame's, and the destination terminal must have the equipment to receive it.
Does the destination need special equipment for a slab?
Often yes — A-frame slab shipments need appropriate handling equipment and space at delivery. Confirm the receiving terminal or site can take a slab before booking; an unhandleable shipment at delivery isn't something a freight class can fix.