Freight Class for Paint
Paint is dense and usually rates freight class 50 or 55: a 5-gallon pail of flat latex at 11.45 lb per gallon weighs about 60 lb and measures about 49 lb/ft³. Most latex paint is not regulated as hazmat. Solvent-based paint can be UN1263, Class 3, but if its flash point is 100 °F or higher it may be reclassed as a combustible liquid for highway shipping.
How heavy paint is
Paint makers publish the weight per gallon. Sherwin-Williams lists its ProMar 200 Zero VOC eg-shell at 10.81 lb per gallon and its flat at 11.45 lb; Benjamin Moore lists Advance waterborne alkyd at 10.6 to 11.1 lb. That is more than water's 8.34 lb.
Containers are compact. A standard 1-gallon round can is 6.6 inches across and 7.5 inches tall, and an empty 5-gallon plastic pail with its lid weighs about 3 lb and stands 14⅜ inches tall, 12⅛ inches across. A filled pail of flat paint therefore weighs about 60 lb and measures about 49 lb/ft³, class 55.
Worked examples
Weights per gallon come from Sherwin-Williams' product data; container sizes from container makers' specs.
5-gallon pail of flat paint — class 55
5 gallons at 11.45 lb per gallon in a 12⅛ × 14⅜ inch pail (about 3 lb empty with lid): about 60.2 lb.
12.125 × 12.125 × 14.375 = 2,113 in³ ÷ 1,728 = 1.22 ft³. Density = 60.2 lb ÷ 1.22 ft³.
49.3 lb/ft³ → class 55, just under the class 50 line.
1-gallon can — class 50
One gallon of the same paint, 11.45 lb, in a 6.6 × 7.5 inch can.
6.6 × 6.6 × 7.5 = 327 in³ ÷ 1,728 = 0.19 ft³. Density = 11.45 lb ÷ 0.19 ft³ (paint only).
60.6 lb/ft³ → class 50; cases add cardboard and gaps, so a pallet of cases measures lower.
Is paint hazmat?
Most latex paint is not. Sherwin-Williams' safety data sheet for its ProMar 200 latex lists DOT as not regulated, and Benjamin Moore's sheet for Advance waterborne alkyd lists DOT, IATA and IMDG as not regulated.
Solvent-based paint is different. A Sherwin-Williams urethane alkyd enamel's safety data sheet lists UN1263, PAINT, Class 3, packing group III, with a flash point of 102 °F. Under 49 CFR 173.150(f), a flammable liquid with a flash point of 100 °F or higher may be reclassed as a combustible liquid, except by vessel or air, and combustible liquids in non-bulk packaging are generally not regulated.
Limited quantities
Paint that stays Class 3, packing group III, can still move as a limited quantity: 49 CFR 173.150(b) allows inner packagings of up to 5 liters (1.3 gallons) each in a strong outer box, without hazmat labels or specification packaging. One-gallon cans fit; 5-gallon pails do not.
Always read section 14 of each product's safety data sheet before describing paint on the bill of lading. Two paints from the same shelf can need different paperwork.
Check your paint shipment
Enter the case or pallet size and the total weight. Check each product's safety data sheet, section 14, for its transport class.
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 freight class is paint?
Usually class 50 or 55. A filled 5-gallon pail measures about 47 to 49 lb/ft³, and paint in gallon cans is denser before the cases are added.
How much does a 5-gallon pail of paint weigh?
About 57 to 60 lb: paint weighs about 10.8 to 11.5 lb per gallon (Sherwin-Williams), plus about 3 lb for the pail and lid.
Is paint hazmat for freight?
Latex paint usually is not; Sherwin-Williams and Benjamin Moore list their latex and waterborne paints as not regulated. Solvent-based paint can be UN1263, Class 3.
Can oil-based paint ship as a combustible liquid?
Often, by highway. Under 49 CFR 173.150(f), a flammable liquid with a flash point of 100 °F or higher may be reclassed as combustible, except by vessel or air; one Sherwin-Williams alkyd enamel has a 102 °F flash point.