Know your density before you book.
Density is the number that sets your freight class and your LTL rate. Enter each item’s dimensions and weight below and this calculator does the rest — cubic feet per item, total volume, and density in pounds per cubic foot. Add as many items as your shipment has.
Calculate freight density
Enter length, width and height in inches and the weight in pounds for each item. Cubic feet and density update as you type. Use + Add another item for a multi-piece shipment — the density is calculated across the whole load.
Enter the dimensions and weight of at least one item to see its cubic feet and the shipment density.
Cubic feet = length × width × height ÷ 1,728 · Density = total weight ÷ total cubic feet (lbs per cubic foot).
What is freight density?
Freight density is how much your shipment weighs for the space it takes up. It is measured in pounds per cubic foot (PCF): the total weight of the shipment divided by its total volume in cubic feet. A pallet of bricks and a pallet of pillows can weigh the same on paper, but the bricks are far denser — and that difference is exactly what LTL pricing is built around.
The math is simple, and this tool shows every step. First, volume: multiply length by width by height in inches, then divide by 1,728 (the number of cubic inches in a cubic foot). That gives cubic feet. Then density: divide the total weight by the total cubic feet. The result is your PCF.
Why it matters is money. Carriers rate LTL freight on the National Motor Freight Classification (NMFC) scale, and density is the dominant driver of that class. Dense freight packs a trailer efficiently, so it classes low and prices low; light, bulky freight wastes trailer space a heavier load would fill, so it classes high and prices high. Calculate density accurately and you land in the right class — no guessing, no corrected invoice.
Three reasons density is worth getting right
Density is not busywork — it is the number that decides how your LTL shipment is classed, priced and billed.
It sets your freight class
Density is the single biggest input into NMFC freight class. A denser shipment earns a lower class — and a lower class means a lower rate. Knowing your density before you book means no surprise reclassification on the invoice.
It drives the rate
LTL carriers price light, bulky freight more than dense, compact freight for the same weight — because it takes up trailer space a heavier load would fill. Density is how they measure that. Get it right and you get the right rate.
It prevents reweigh & reclass fees
When the numbers on the bill of lading do not match what the carrier measures on the dock, you get a corrected invoice — often higher. Calculating density up front, from accurate dimensions, is the cheapest insurance against that.
Measure once, measure right
The calculator is only as good as the numbers you feed it. Measure the palletized unit at its widest, longest and tallest points — including the pallet itself and any overhang, shrink wrap or protruding parts. Carriers measure the same way on the dock, so if your dimensions stop at the carton and theirs include the overhang, your density (and your class) will not match theirs.
Round up, not down. A shipment measured a half-inch short can tip into a higher class on reweigh, and the corrected invoice always costs more than the honest quote would have. When you are close to a class boundary, send us the details — we confirm the class before the freight moves, so the rate you are quoted is the rate you pay.
Density calculated? Let’s get you a rate.
Send us your shipment — dimensions, weight and lane — and we’ll shop it across our 6,200+ carrier network and come back with a competitive LTL quote, usually the same day.