Freight class 50
Class 50 is the band for freight with a density of 50 lb/ft³ and over.
The density range
A shipment is class 50 when its density is 50 lb/ft³ and above. Density is the total weight of the shipment divided by the total cubic feet it occupies, pallet and packaging included.
A shipment that lands in class 50
A standard 48 × 40 inch pallet, 48 inches tall, weighing 3,200 pounds.
48 × 40 × 48 = 92,160 cubic inches ÷ 1,728 = 53.33 cubic feet
3,200 ÷ 53.33 = 60.00 lb per cubic foot → class 50
Freight that usually lands here
Typical examples include bricks, cement, cinder block, steel bar stock, bagged sand.
Treat these as illustrations rather than a lookup. Density decides the band, so the same product can fall either side of a line depending on how it is packed, palletised and wrapped.
What to watch on class 50
This is the cheapest band there is. Freight this dense fills a small footprint and leaves the rest of the trailer sellable, so carriers price it accordingly. If your density lands here, double-check the weight on a certified scale — an overstated weight is the usual cause of a shipment landing in class 50 by mistake.
Where class 50 sits
This is the densest and cheapest band on the ladder. The next band up is class 55, for lighter freight at a higher rate.
Work out your own class
Enter your dimensions and weight and the calculator returns cubic feet, density and the class, and tells you if you are sitting close to a boundary.
Open the freight class calculator