Freight Class for Dairy Products
Dairy products are dense and refrigerated, shipping at a low freight class — typically 55 to 70.
What is the freight class for dairy?
Milk, cheese and yogurt carry real weight for their size, keeping the class low. The main cost driver is temperature-controlled (reefer) handling rather than class. Cased, palletized product rates at the lower end.
Because freight class is density-driven, there isn’t a single fixed number for dairy — class 55–70 is the common range. Run your actual dimensions and weight below to pin it down.
The cold chain is the cost, not the class
Dairy is dense freight — milk, cheese and butter carry real weight for their size, so the density-based class stays low, typically 55 to 70. But for refrigerated dairy the freight class is rarely the number that matters. Temperature-controlled (reefer) capacity, tight delivery windows and the short shelf life dominate the shipping decision; a half-cent difference in class per hundredweight is noise next to the reefer premium. The practical goal for dairy is reliable cold service on a dense, well-built pallet, not squeezing a class.
Within the density, dairy still splits by product. Solid cheese is one of the densest foods that moves LTL — a case of block cheese packs nearly solid. Milk and cream in cased jugs are dense liquid. Cupped products — yogurt, sour cream, cottage cheese — build air into every container and the tray around it, so they rate a step higher than the block cheese sharing the same reefer.
Dairy Products freight class: worked examples
Density is weight ÷ volume (cubic feet = L × W × H in inches ÷ 1,728). Here is how typical dairy shipments measure out:
Cased block cheese — class 55
Cases of block cheese on a 48" × 40" pallet, 36" high, 1,600 lb.
48 × 40 × 36 = 69,120 in³ ÷ 1,728 = 40.0 ft³. Density = 1,600 lb ÷ 40.0 ft³.
40.0 lb/ft³ → class 55 — cheese is among the densest foods on the road.
Cased milk jugs, palletized — class 60
Cased milk on a 48" × 40" pallet, 44" high, 1,600 lb.
48 × 40 × 44 = 84,480 in³ ÷ 1,728 = 48.9 ft³. Density = 1,600 lb ÷ 48.9 ft³.
32.7 lb/ft³ → class 60.
Yogurt cups in trays — class 70
Cupped yogurt in trays stacked 48" high on a 48" × 40" pallet, 900 lb.
48 × 40 × 48 = 92,160 in³ ÷ 1,728 = 53.3 ft³. Density = 900 lb ÷ 53.3 ft³.
16.9 lb/ft³ → class 70 — cupped products' tray air rates a step above solid dairy.
Dense, cold, and time-critical
Because dairy is already dense, the loading job is simple: full weight-rated pallets, cases packed tight, and no overbuilding that a fragile bottom layer of cups or cartons can't bear. The density takes care of itself; the attention belongs on the cold chain and the clock.
Cupped products are the one place a packing choice moves the class. Yogurt and similar cups ship in trays with built-in air, and how those trays are stacked — nested and tight versus loose with gaps — decides whether they measure at the top of the dairy range or drift above it. For everything else, dairy is a category where you build the pallet dense, book the reefer, and move it fast.
What affects dairy freight class
- Liquid/solid density
- Reefer handling
- Case packing
- Palletization
Common dairy shipments include milk and cream, cheese, yogurt and butter, cased dairy.
Class guides covering the 55–70 range:
Calculate the freight class for your dairy
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
42.51
lb/ft³
Volume
53.33
ft³
Weight
2,267
lb
35–50 lb/ft³ → Class 55
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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 dairy?
Dairy Products typically ships at freight class 55–70. 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 dairy?
The main factors are liquid/solid density, reefer handling, case packing, palletization. Denser, tightly packed loads rate a lower class and cost less to ship.
How do I find the exact freight class for dairy?
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 dairy?
Dense dairy like block cheese and cased milk measures 30–40 lb/ft³ → class 55–60. Cupped products (yogurt, sour cream) measure lighter → class 65–70. All of it is dense enough that reefer handling, not class, is the main cost.
Why is refrigerated dairy expensive to ship if the class is low?
The freight class is cheap because dairy is dense, but temperature-controlled (reefer) capacity, tight delivery windows and short shelf life drive the real cost. For dairy, the cold chain and speed matter far more than the class number.
Does cheese ship at a different class than yogurt?
Yes — block cheese is nearly solid and rates around class 55, while cupped yogurt carries tray air and rates 65–70. They're the dense and light ends of the same refrigerated category.