Freight Class for Textiles & Fabric
Rolled and baled textiles ship at roughly freight class 100 to 175 — light for the space they take.
What is the freight class for textiles?
Fabric rolls and bales are bulky relative to weight, raising the class. Tightly compressed bales rate lower than loose rolls. Palletizing and banding improve density.
Because freight class is density-driven, there isn’t a single fixed number for textiles — class 100–175 is the common range. Run your actual dimensions and weight below to pin it down.
Raw fabric ships as air on a tube
Textiles as a raw-material commodity — bolts and rolls of fabric, bales of raw fiber, yarn — are light for the space they occupy, rating class 100 to 175. A roll of fabric is a thin, dense layer wound into a large cylinder, and most of what you ship is the roll's diameter and the tube at its core. Unlike finished apparel (which packs into cartons), fabric on rolls and bolts is bulky by its very form, and length adds the same handling challenge as carpet and pipe.
Compression is the divider within the range. Raw fiber and soft goods baled under pressure — the way cotton, wool and recycled textiles ship commercially — measure far denser than loose rolls, rating toward class 100; loosely wound rolls and bolts trap more air and rate up toward class 175. Heavier fabrics (canvas, denim, upholstery weight) rate lower than light, lofty ones (fleece, batting) simply because the same volume weighs more.
Textiles & Fabric freight class: worked examples
Density is weight ÷ volume (cubic feet = L × W × H in inches ÷ 1,728). Here is how typical textiles shipments measure out:
Compressed textile bales — class 100
Baled soft goods on a 48" × 40" pallet, 50" high, 500 lb.
48 × 40 × 50 = 96,000 in³ ÷ 1,728 = 55.6 ft³. Density = 500 lb ÷ 55.6 ft³.
9.0 lb/ft³ → class 100 — pressure-baled fiber is the dense end of textiles.
Upholstery fabric roll — class 150
A wound wide-goods fabric roll, 96" × 20" × 20", 150 lb.
96 × 20 × 20 = 38,400 in³ ÷ 1,728 = 22.2 ft³. Density = 150 lb ÷ 22.2 ft³.
6.75 lb/ft³ → class 150 — a wound roll is mostly diameter and core.
Loose lightweight fabric — class 175
Lofty light fabric loosely packed on a 48" × 40" pallet, 60" high, 350 lb.
48 × 40 × 60 = 115,200 in³ ÷ 1,728 = 66.7 ft³. Density = 350 lb ÷ 66.7 ft³.
5.2 lb/ft³ → class 175 — loose, lofty fabric rates the top of the textile range.
Bale tight, wind tight, mind the length
For raw fiber and compressible soft goods, bale under pressure — it's the biggest lever, turning lofty material into dense freight, and it's standard practice in the fiber trade for exactly that reason. Band bales so they can't relax; a bale that expands in transit measures bigger than the one you quoted.
For fabric on rolls and bolts, wind tight to reduce diameter, and use a small, firm core — every inch of diameter is billed volume. Long bolts and wide-goods rolls need racks or carts and the right terminal handling, like carpet. Keep dense heavy fabric and lofty light fabric reasonably sorted, and palletize rolls stably so they can't shift. Run the actual bale or roll dimensions through the calculator; textiles quoted off fabric yardage rather than the wound package always measure bigger.
What affects textiles freight class
- Rolls vs. compressed bales
- Fabric weight
- Palletization
- Bulk vs. cased
Common textiles shipments include fabric rolls, textile bales, yarn and thread, finished linens.
Class guides covering the 100–175 range:
Calculate the freight class for your textiles
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
9.75
lb/ft³
Volume
53.33
ft³
Weight
520
lb
9–10.5 lb/ft³ → Class 100
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 textiles?
Textiles & Fabric typically ships at freight class 100–175. 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 textiles?
The main factors are rolls vs. compressed bales, fabric weight, palletization, bulk vs. cased. Denser, tightly packed loads rate a lower class and cost less to ship.
How do I find the exact freight class for textiles?
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 are textiles?
Pressure-baled fiber and soft goods measure ~9 lb/ft³ → class 100; wound fabric rolls and bolts ~6–7 lb/ft³ → class 150; loose lofty fabric ~5 lb/ft³ → class 175. Raw fabric is bulky by form; compression and tight winding set where in the range it lands.
How do I lower the freight class on fabric?
Bale raw fiber and compressible soft goods under pressure (the standard fiber-trade practice), and wind fabric rolls tight on small firm cores to reduce diameter. Both remove the air that otherwise ships as billed volume.
Do textiles ship differently from finished clothing?
Yes — raw fabric on rolls and bolts is bulky by form and rates class 100–175, while finished apparel packs into cartons and can compress much denser. Length and handling of wide-goods rolls are the extra challenge textiles bring.