Freight Class for Steel & Metal Products
Steel and most metal products ship at the lowest freight classes — typically 50 to 70 — because they're extremely dense.
What is the freight class for steel?
Steel bar, plate and coil are about as dense as LTL freight gets, so they usually rate class 50 to 60. The main constraints are length and weight limits rather than class. Fabricated or hollow metal items with more void space can rate slightly higher.
Because freight class is density-driven, there isn’t a single fixed number for steel — class 50–70 is the common range. Run your actual dimensions and weight below to pin it down.
As dense as LTL freight gets
Steel and solid metal products sit at the very bottom of the freight scale because nothing ships denser. Bar stock, plate, coil and wire are essentially solid metal — often 40 to 60+ pounds per cubic foot — so they anchor class 50, the cheapest class, and a full unit reaches the trailer's legal weight limit while barely using any floor space. Like roofing shingles and tile, steel is pure weight-out freight: the constraint is never trailer cube, it's the pallet rating, the forklift capacity, and the axle limits.
That means the class is rarely the question for raw steel — it's already at the floor. The variables that move it are length and form. A 20-foot length of bar or a wide sheet doesn't fit a standard footprint and drives the handling; and fabricated or hollow metal items (frames, enclosures, tube assemblies) introduce void space that lifts them off the class-50 floor toward class 60–70.
Steel & Metal Products freight class: worked examples
Density is weight ÷ volume (cubic feet = L × W × H in inches ÷ 1,728). Here is how typical steel shipments measure out:
Bundled steel bar stock — class 50
A banded bundle of bar stock, 96" × 20" × 20", 1,400 lb.
96 × 20 × 20 = 38,400 in³ ÷ 1,728 = 22.2 ft³. Density = 1,400 lb ÷ 22.2 ft³.
63.0 lb/ft³ → over 50 → class 50 — raw steel anchors the cheapest class.
Steel plate, palletized — class 50
Stacked steel sheet on a heavy pallet, 96" × 48" × 12", 1,600 lb.
96 × 48 × 12 = 55,296 in³ ÷ 1,728 = 32.0 ft³. Density = 1,600 lb ÷ 32.0 ft³.
50.0 lb/ft³ → class 50 — plate maxes out on weight, not space.
Fabricated hollow metal enclosure — class 70
A welded sheet-metal enclosure crated, 48" × 40" × 48", 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 — fabricated, hollow metal rates well above raw stock.
Length, bundling, and weight limits
Plan steel shipments by weight and length, not cube. Work the bundle size from the pallet's rating and the trailer's limits — a compact bundle of bar can max out on weight at knee height, with the whole vertical space unused and unusable. Band tightly into square, uniform bundles by length; loose or mixed-length steel shifts, measures at its sprawl, and handles dangerously.
Fabricated metal is the one place packing decisions change the class. A welded frame or sheet-metal enclosure is mostly the air it encloses, so it rates well above raw stock — layering flat parts, nesting sections, or filling a crate's void with dense small components raises density the way it does for auto sheet metal. Confirm the terminal can handle long lengths and heavy single units; steel that can't be moved at delivery is a problem no class optimization solves.
What affects steel freight class
- Solid vs. fabricated/hollow
- Length and handling limits
- Weight per handling unit
- Banding and bundling
Common steel shipments include bar and rod stock, steel plate and sheet, coil and wire, fabricated metal parts.
Class guides covering the 50–70 range:
Calculate the freight class for your steel
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
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 steel?
Steel & Metal Products 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 steel?
The main factors are solid vs. fabricated/hollow, length and handling limits, weight per handling unit, banding and bundling. Denser, tightly packed loads rate a lower class and cost less to ship.
How do I find the exact freight class for steel?
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 steel?
Raw steel — bar, plate, coil, wire — measures 40–60+ lb/ft³ → class 50, the cheapest class. Fabricated or hollow metal items with void space rate higher, class 60–70. The class is at the floor; pallet and trailer weight limits are the real constraint.
Why is steel's freight class so low?
Because it's extremely dense — a steel unit hits the trailer's legal weight limit with almost all its space unused, so the carrier prices the pounds, not the cube. That density earns class 50, but it means you weigh out (hit weight limits) long before you fill the trailer.
What's the hardest part of shipping steel?
Weight and length, not class. Bundles hit pallet and axle limits at low heights, and long bar, plate or coil needs special handling and terminal equipment. Band tight by length, plan to the weight limit, and confirm the destination can receive heavy, long units.