Canned goods pallet
Dense uniform cases of shelf-stable foods
48 × 40 × 36 in
Packaged weight: 1,000 lb
- Cubic feet
- 40.00
- Density
- 25.00 lb/cu ft
Estimated class
65
65
Food Products LTL Shipping Guide
Freight Class for Food Products
To estimate your shipment, use the Food Products Freight Class Calculator.
The Food Products Freight Class Examples use the current 13-tier density scale, effective July 19, 2025, and range from Class 65 to 175.
These are density-based estimates.
Food Products density calculator
Calculate Your Food Products Freight Class
A boxed dry food pallet is preloaded as an example. Adjust the packaged dimensions or weight to calculate your food products freight class.
Your result
Cubic feet
53.33
Density
10.03
lb/cu ft
Estimated freight class
92.5
This is an example density-based estimate. Update any field to calculate your shipment.
Food Products shipment examples
Food Products Freight Class Examples
These examples use packaged outside dimensions and the site’s density-to-class chart. They are examples only, not fixed classes for every food products shipment.
Boxed dry food pallet
Standard cartons of cereal, pasta, or packaged ingredients
48 × 40 × 48 in
Packaged weight: 535 lb
- Cubic feet
- 53.33
- Density
- 10.03 lb/cu ft
Estimated class
92.5
92.5
Bulky packaged foods
Lightweight snack or display cartons with lower density
48 × 48 × 72 in
Packaged weight: 500 lb
- Cubic feet
- 96.00
- Density
- 5.21 lb/cu ft
Estimated class
175
175
Food Products shipment comparison
Food Products Freight Class by Packaging Type
Food products freight class can vary with case density, bag or carton fill, pallet height, temperature requirements, crush resistance, and stackability. Dense canned goods often produce lower density-based estimates, while lightweight snacks and bulky packaged foods use more trailer space per pound.
| Food shipment | Typical packaging | Density tendency | Stackability | Planning note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canned goods and bottled shelf-stable foods | Uniform cases stretch-wrapped to a reinforced pallet | Higher | Usually stackable | Dense cases often create efficient pallet density, but weight distribution and pallet strength matter. |
| Boxed dry foods, pasta, cereal, and packaged ingredients | Corrugated cases or cartons on a standard pallet | Medium | Usually stackable | Case fill, void space, carton strength, and mixed-SKU stacking can materially change density. |
| Bagged foods, flour, sugar, grains, and pet food | Multiwall bags, lined sacks, or cases on a pallet | Medium to high | Varies | Bag stability, puncture resistance, moisture barriers, and pallet containment are key planning factors. |
| Lightweight snacks and bulky packaged foods | Large cartons, display packs, or low-density cases | Lower | Often limited | Air-filled packaging, crush sensitivity, and restricted top loading can increase trailer-space use. |
Food Products shipping options
Choosing a Shipping Method for Food Products
The right service depends on shelf stability, temperature requirements, packaging strength, food-contact protection, pallet count, delivery timing, and whether the load can be safely stacked.
| Food shipment | Common shipping option |
|---|---|
| Shelf-stable canned or boxed foods on standard pallets | Standard LTL |
| Bagged ingredients, pet food, or mixed food cases | LTL with packaging and contamination review |
| Temperature-sensitive or refrigerated food products | Refrigerated LTL or dedicated temperature-controlled service |
| High-volume, fragile, time-sensitive, or non-stackable food loads | Partial truckload or dedicated service |
Temperature-sensitive, perishable, contamination-sensitive, leaking, odorous, or non-stackable food shipments may require carrier approval and specialized service.
Food Products Packaging, Stackability, and Damage Risk
Food Products Packaging
- Use clean, dry, food-safe outer packaging with enough strength for pallet stacking and normal LTL handling.
- Protect bags, bottles, cans, jars, and flexible packs from puncture, leakage, crushing, and shifting.
- Use liners, slip sheets, corner boards, stretch wrap, and top protection where moisture or contamination is a concern.
Food Products Stackability
- Uniform, fully filled cases generally stack better than soft bags, display packs, or mixed carton sizes.
- Avoid excessive pallet height and reinforce lower layers when dense cases or top loading are expected.
- Treat crush-sensitive snacks, leaking products, unstable bagged goods, and uneven mixed pallets as limited or non-stackable.
Food Safety and Liability
- Separate food from chemicals, strong odors, contaminants, and damaged freight.
- Document lot codes, pallet condition, seals, temperature requirements, and handling instructions when applicable.
- Confirm cargo coverage and carrier requirements for refrigerated, perishable, high-value, or contamination-sensitive products.
Before Requesting a Food Products Freight Quote
How to Measure a Packaged Food Products Shipment
- Measure after cases, bags, liners, corner boards, top caps, wrap, and pallets are complete.
- Include the pallet, slip sheets, refrigerated packaging, insulated covers, and any overhang.
- Measure to the longest, widest, and tallest packaged point, including bowed cartons or unstable bag layers.
Food Products Freight Quote Checklist
- Measure the finished pallet or packaged unit.
- Record the total packaged weight, case count, and pallet count.
- State whether the shipment is stackable and whether top loading is permitted.
- Identify refrigerated, frozen, perishable, leaking, odorous, or contamination-sensitive products.
- Provide temperature ranges, shelf-life constraints, lot or seal requirements, and delivery appointments when applicable.
- Confirm liftgate, loading-dock, inside-delivery, residential-delivery, or food-facility access requirements.
Freight Planning Calculators
Calculate and Plan Your Food Products Shipment
Use the freight class, density, pallet, and linear-feet calculators to plan your packaged LTL shipment.
Freight Class Calculator
Estimate freight class from packaged dimensions, weight, and density.
Freight Density Calculator
Calculate cubic feet and pounds per cubic foot for packaged freight.
Pallet Freight Calculator
Plan pallet dimensions, shipment weight, density, and configuration.
Freight Linear Feet Calculator
Estimate trailer-space usage for pallets and non-stackable freight.
Freight classes shown on this page are density-based estimates for shipment planning. Actual classification may also depend on value, handling requirements, liability, stowability, dimensions, and other commodity-specific factors. Confirm the final freight class with your carrier, broker, or official NMFC resources before shipping. NMFC® is a registered trademark of the National Motor Freight Traffic Association, Inc. FreightClassCalculator.tools is an independent calculator and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or licensed by NMFTA.