Freight Class for Refrigerators
Refrigerators usually ship at freight class 92.5 to 110 — moderately dense appliances that ship crated or on a pallet.
What is the freight class for refrigerators?
A refrigerator's metal body gives it reasonable density, keeping it in the mid classes. Packaging, the pallet, and any crating add to the cubic dimensions. Larger commercial or French-door units with more void space trend toward the higher end of the range.
Because freight class is density-driven, there isn’t a single fixed number for refrigerators — class 92.5–110 is the common range. Run your actual dimensions and weight below to pin it down.
The appliance that ships itself
Refrigerators are unusually consistent freight because the manufacturer already solved the packaging problem: the factory carton — corner posts, top cap, film — is engineered to protect a specific unit at minimum material, which also means near-minimum cube. That's why most residential fridges in factory packaging land predictably in the narrow 92.5–110 band, and why the best shipping decision is usually to leave the factory carton alone.
The spread inside the band follows the airspace inside the cabinet. A top-freezer unit is a relatively tight steel box; a counter-depth French-door with ice systems and wider clearances carries more enclosed air per pound and drifts toward class 110. Commercial units cut both ways — glass-door merchandisers are heavy but tall, undercounter units are compact and dense — so quote commercial pieces individually rather than off the residential pattern.
Refrigerators freight class: worked examples
Density is weight ÷ volume (cubic feet = L × W × H in inches ÷ 1,728). Here is how typical refrigerators shipments measure out:
Top-freezer refrigerator, factory carton — class 100
A boxed top-freezer unit, 30" × 32" × 68", 390 lb.
30 × 32 × 68 = 65,280 in³ ÷ 1,728 = 37.8 ft³. Density = 390 lb ÷ 37.8 ft³.
10.3 lb/ft³ → class 100 — mid-band for a factory-packaged unit.
Four mini fridges on one pallet — class 92.5
Compact fridges boxed and palletized two-by-two, 48" × 40" × 38", 460 lb total.
48 × 40 × 38 = 72,960 in³ ÷ 1,728 = 42.2 ft³. Density = 460 lb ÷ 42.2 ft³.
10.9 lb/ft³ → class 92.5. Shared footprint, best class in the range.
A built-in unit re-crated with clearance — class 110
A 560 lb panel-ready fridge in a site-protection crate, 40" × 32" × 86".
40 × 32 × 86 = 110,080 in³ ÷ 1,728 = 63.7 ft³. Density = 560 lb ÷ 63.7 ft³ = 8.8 lb/ft³.
8.8 lb/ft³ → class 110. The crate's clearance costs a class versus the factory carton.
Upright, strapped, and measured once
Refrigerators ship standing up — compressors and sealed systems don't tolerate lying down — which fixes the height dimension and makes the footprint the only variable you control. Skid the unit on its own base dimensions rather than centering one fridge on a full 48" × 40" pallet: the unused deck strip beside a 33-inch-deep carton is measured, billed air. Two units side-by-side filling a pallet earn their footprint honestly.
Re-crating is the class killer in this category. Built-in and panel-ready units often get wooden crates for site protection, and the clearance those crates add routinely drops density below the factory-carton figure — a class 92.5 unit re-crated with door-swing room can bill at 110 (the worked example above). When a crate is truly required, build it snug to the carton, and run both configurations through the calculator so the protection is a priced decision, not a surprise on the invoice.
What affects refrigerators freight class
- Unit size and capacity
- Crated vs. blanket-wrapped
- Pallet dimensions
- Residential vs. commercial
Common refrigerators shipments include top-freezer refrigerators, french-door units, commercial coolers, mini and bar fridges.
Class guides covering the 92.5–110 range:
Calculate the freight class for your refrigerators
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
11.25
lb/ft³
Volume
53.33
ft³
Weight
600
lb
10.5–12 lb/ft³ → Class 92.5
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 refrigerators?
Refrigerators typically ships at freight class 92.5–110. 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 refrigerators?
The main factors are unit size and capacity, crated vs. blanket-wrapped, pallet dimensions, residential vs. commercial. Denser, tightly packed loads rate a lower class and cost less to ship.
How do I find the exact freight class for refrigerators?
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 refrigerator?
Residential units in factory cartons typically measure 8.5–11 lb/ft³ → class 92.5–110. Multiple compact units palletized together rate at the dense end; re-crated built-ins at the light end. Measure the shipped package, not the appliance spec.
Can a refrigerator ship lying down?
No — sealed compressor systems must stay upright, and carriers handle refrigerators standing. That fixes the height, so your controllable variables are the footprint (skid to the carton, not a bigger pallet) and any added crating.
Does the pallet under a fridge change the freight class?
Yes, when it's bigger than the carton. A fridge centered on a full 48" × 40" pallet bills the whole deck's footprint; a skid cut to the carton's base keeps the measured cube at the unit's true size. On one unit that gap can be a class.