Commodity guide · printed material

Freight class for printed material

Palletized printed material - catalogues, brochures, forms - typically rates class 55 - 65 (22.5 - 50 pcf).

Why printed material rates where it does

Commercial print is dense cargo: cartoned catalogues and brochures on full pallets commonly measure 25 - 40 pcf, spanning class 55 - 65 depending on paper weight and how tight the pallet is built.

Worked example. A pallet of cartoned catalogues: 48 × 40 × 36 in, 1400 lb. That is 40.0 cu ft and 1400 lb → 35.00 pcf → class 55. Run your own numbers →

Relevant class pages: class 55 · class 60 · class 65.

What moves the number

Print jobs often ship on a deadline, which tempts loose, fast pallet builds - and loose builds measure worse. Band tight, keep cartons flush to the pallet edge, and the density (and the rate) takes care of itself.

Measure, don't assume. Since NMFC Docket 2025-1 (July 2025) most commodities class by measured density on a 13-band scale. The ranges above are typical, not guaranteed — your packaging decides your density. Calculate your actual class →

Related: the full class chart · density calculator · how NMFC codes work.