Freight Class for Tools & Hardware
Hand tools and hardware are dense and durable, typically shipping at freight class 60 to 85.
What is the freight class for tools?
Metal tools and fasteners pack densely, keeping the class low. Large power tools or bench equipment with packaging can rate higher. Boxing and palletizing tightly keeps density up and cost down.
Because freight class is density-driven, there isn’t a single fixed number for tools — class 60–85 is the common range. Run your actual dimensions and weight below to pin it down.
Hand tools are dense; power tools ship air
"Tools" splits by weight-per-box. Hand tools — wrenches, hammers, sockets, fasteners — are solid metal that packs into dense, heavy cartons rating class 60–65, near the cheap end. Power tools flip it: a drill or saw is real weight, but it ships in a retail carton engineered for shelf display and drop protection, full of molded plastic and void, so the same tool measures far lighter and rates up toward class 85. A pallet mixing both lands wherever the ratio puts it.
Tool chests and bench equipment are their own case — often heavy steel boxes that are dense when solid but bulky when they enclose drawers and cavities. And the highest-value power tools carry a consideration beyond density: theft and damage exposure. A pallet of cordless tools is worth far more than a pallet of hand tools, which can warrant extra coverage and secure handling regardless of class.
Tools & Hardware freight class: worked examples
Density is weight ÷ volume (cubic feet = L × W × H in inches ÷ 1,728). Here is how typical tools shipments measure out:
Cased hand tools, palletized — class 65
Boxed hand tools on a compact pallet, 40" × 32" × 30", 600 lb.
40 × 32 × 30 = 38,400 in³ ÷ 1,728 = 22.2 ft³. Density = 600 lb ÷ 22.2 ft³.
27.0 lb/ft³ → class 65 — solid hand tools are dense, cheap-rating freight.
Boxed power tools, palletized — class 85
Retail-cartoned power tools on a 48" × 40" pallet, 46" high, 640 lb.
48 × 40 × 46 = 88,320 in³ ÷ 1,728 = 51.1 ft³. Density = 640 lb ÷ 51.1 ft³.
12.5 lb/ft³ → class 85 — retail packaging air lifts power tools up the range.
Loaded tool chest — class 77.5
A steel tool chest, boxed, 48" × 40" × 44", 700 lb.
48 × 40 × 44 = 84,480 in³ ÷ 1,728 = 48.9 ft³. Density = 700 lb ÷ 48.9 ft³.
14.3 lb/ft³ → class 77.5 — dense steel box with some enclosed cavity space.
Consolidate the dense, cube the light
The playbook is the same split as auto parts: keep dense hand tools and fasteners on their own low, tight pallets to hold class 60–65, and let bulky power-tool cartons take their own class rather than blending them and dragging the dense freight up. Fasteners and hardware shipped in kegs or dense cases behave like the metal they are — cheap class, weight-limited stacking.
For power tools, the levers are the usual bulky-freight ones: palletize retail cartons full and square, don't ship half-empty master packs, and keep accessories and batteries inside the main cartons rather than as separate light boxes. Where value is high, price the secure-handling and coverage decision consciously — on cordless and professional tools it can matter more than the class itself.
What affects tools freight class
- Hand tools vs. large power tools
- Packaging void space
- Palletization
- Total carton weight
Common tools shipments include hand tools, power tools, fasteners and hardware, tool chests.
Class guides covering the 60–85 range:
Calculate the freight class for your tools
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
32.49
lb/ft³
Volume
53.33
ft³
Weight
1,733
lb
30–35 lb/ft³ → Class 60
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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 tools?
Tools & Hardware typically ships at freight class 60–85. 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 tools?
The main factors are hand tools vs. large power tools, packaging void space, palletization, total carton weight. Denser, tightly packed loads rate a lower class and cost less to ship.
How do I find the exact freight class for tools?
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 tools?
Boxed hand tools and fasteners measure 22–30 lb/ft³ → class 60–65; retail-cartoned power tools are lighter at 12–14 lb/ft³ → class 77.5–85. The box, not the tool's weight, decides it — power tools ship a lot of protective air.
Why do power tools ship at a higher class than hand tools?
Hand tools are solid metal in tight boxes; power tools ride in retail cartons with molded plastic and void space for drop protection. That packaging air makes the same weight measure far less dense, so power tools rate a class or two higher.
Should I mix hand and power tools on a pallet?
Usually not for rate: dense hand tools hold class 60–65 alone, while blending them with bulky power-tool cartons averages the density up. Keep dense freight tight and separate, and let light cartons take their own class.