Freight Class for Glassware
Cased glassware usually rates freight class 65 to 85, depending on the shape. A case of 36 Anchor Hocking tumblers, 20.8 × 10.5 × 7.9 inches and 25 lb, measures 25 lb/ft³, class 65. Stemware holds more air: a case of 12 goblets measures just under 15 lb/ft³, class 85. Glassware pallets are not heavy, so the real risk is breakage.
Tumblers pack dense, stems do not
Anchor Hocking Foodservice lists full case data. A case of 36 Room tumblers (10.75 oz) is 20.8 × 10.5 × 7.9 inches and 25 lb, about 25 lb/ft³, class 65, and 40 cases go on a pallet, 8 per layer and 5 high. Libbey's 36-piece case of Gibraltar 10 oz hi-ball glasses weighs 30.82 lb in about 1.18 cubic feet, about 26 lb/ft³.
Shapes with more air rate higher. Anchor Hocking's case of 12 Excellency goblets is 13.9 × 10.5 × 7.9 inches and 10 lb, just under 15 lb/ft³, class 85, and a 1.5-gallon Montana jar in its own carton measures about 12.7 lb/ft³, also class 85.
Worked examples
Case sizes, weights and pallet counts come from Anchor Hocking Foodservice and Libbey product pages.
Case of tumblers — class 65
Anchor Hocking Room tumbler, 36 × 10.75 oz: 20.8 × 10.5 × 7.9 in, 25 lb.
20.8 × 10.5 × 7.9 = 1,725 in³ ÷ 1,728 = 1.0 ft³. Density = 25 lb ÷ 1.0 ft³.
25.0 lb/ft³ → class 65. A full 40-case pallet comes to about 21 lb/ft³, class 70.
Case of goblets — class 85
Anchor Hocking Excellency goblet, 12 × 11.5 oz: 13.9 × 10.5 × 7.9 in, 10 lb.
13.9 × 10.5 × 7.9 = 1,153 in³ ÷ 1,728 = 0.67 ft³. Density = 10 lb ÷ 0.67 ft³.
14.99 lb/ft³ → class 85, a hair under the class 70 line at 15.
Pallet counts
Case counts per pallet vary a lot with the case size. Anchor Hocking lists 140 cases of Rocks Hampton glasses per pallet (14 per layer, 10 high), 40 cases of Room tumblers, 27 cases of 16 oz beer mugs and 60 cases of Montana jars.
A full pallet of tumbler cases weighs about 1,000 lb, so glassware pallets are not heavy for their size. The risk is breakage, not weight.
Packing against breakage
Glass breaks from impact and from point loads. Keep cases square and full on the pallet, use corner boards and a top sheet, and wrap the pallet so cases cannot shift.
Mark pallets "fragile" and "do not stack" if the cases cannot take weight on top, and inspect them with the driver at delivery. Rattling cases or wet corners on a pallet of jars are worth noting on the delivery receipt.
Check your glassware shipment
Enter the case or pallet size and the total weight. Tumblers and mugs rate lower than stemware and jars.
Density-based estimate. Some commodities carry a fixed NMFC class — check our freight class by commodity pages.
Estimated Freight Class
Density
26.25
lb/ft³
Volume
53.33
ft³
Weight
1,400
lb
22.5–30 lb/ft³ → Class 65
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 freight class is glassware?
Usually class 65 to 85. Cased tumblers and mugs measure about 25 to 29 lb/ft³ (class 65); stemware and storage jars about 13 to 15 lb/ft³ (class 85).
How much does a case of glasses weigh?
Anchor Hocking lists 25 lb for 36 tumblers and 42 lb for 24 beer mugs; Libbey lists 26 to 31 lb for 36-piece Gibraltar cases.
How many cases of glassware fit on a pallet?
It depends on the case. Anchor Hocking lists 140 cases of rocks glasses, 40 cases of tumblers or 27 cases of beer mugs per pallet.
How do I stop glassware breaking in freight?
Keep cases square and full, add corner boards and a top sheet, wrap the pallet tightly, mark it fragile and inspect it with the driver at delivery.