Freight class 55
Class 55 is the band for freight with a density of 35 to 50 lb/ft³.
The density range
A shipment is class 55 when its density is 35 up to but not including 50 lb/ft³. 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 55
A standard 48 × 40 inch pallet, 48 inches tall, weighing 2,240 pounds.
48 × 40 × 48 = 92,160 cubic inches ÷ 1,728 = 53.33 cubic feet
2,240 ÷ 53.33 = 42.00 lb per cubic foot → class 55
Freight that usually lands here
Typical examples include hardwood flooring, ceramic tile, natural stone, dense packaged building materials.
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 55
Class 55 covers building materials that are heavy but shipped in flat, tightly packed units. Watch the pallet height: bundles stacked with dunnage between layers add cubic feet without adding weight, and that pushes the density down a band or two.
Where class 55 sits
The next band down is class 50, which covers denser and cheaper freight. The next band up is class 60, 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