Freight reclass, explained
A reclass is a carrier changing the class on your shipment after it moves, then billing you the difference. Here is why it happens and what you can do about it.
What triggers an inspection
Carriers run dimensioning equipment on their docks and spot-check shipments by weight and cube. A pallet whose measured density does not match the class on the bill of lading gets flagged automatically, without anyone deciding to target you.
What the corrected invoice looks like
You get the rate difference between the declared class and the measured class, plus an inspection or reweigh fee. It usually arrives two to six weeks after delivery, long after you invoiced your own customer at the original quote.
What you need to dispute it
Photographs of the wrapped pallet next to a tape measure, a certified scale ticket, and your own density calculation dated before the shipment moved. Without contemporaneous evidence a dispute is your word against a machine reading.
Ask for the inspection certificate
Carriers will provide the inspection record showing what they measured and weighed. Compare it against your own numbers line by line. Genuine errors do happen, particularly on multi-pallet shipments where the wrong pallet count was used.
Preventing the next one
Most reclasses come from shipments that sat within a fraction of a class boundary. If your density is close to a line, either re-measure carefully or declare the safer class and pay slightly more for certainty.
The calculator flags shipments sitting within three percent of a class edge, which is exactly the population that gets reclassed.