Freight Shipping Tips: Common Freight Classifications

For many first-time shippers, it is hard to know the correct freight classification for items they are looking to ship. Because of this, we have decided to put together a list of commonly shipped items and their freight classification so our customers can get more accurate quotes on the Shipping & Freight website.

PLEASE NOTE: Since freight classes often depend on the weight and density of the items being shipped, your freight class may be higher or lower than those listed below. This list is used to give customers a basic idea of freight classes.

Freight Classes:

Engine - 85

Outboard Motor - 85

Transmission - 85

Clothing - Hanging on hangers -175
Other than hanging - 100

Books - 65

Canoe in box or crate - 300

Tractor - 92.5

Air Compressor - 85

Coin Operated Video Game - 125

Pool Table - 100

Jukebox - 125

Wooden Table - Knocked Down - 85
Stand Up - 150

Television - Less than 40 inches - 125
More than 40 inches - 200

Mattress - 250

Household Goods - 100

Sofa - 175

Motorcycle - 150

Car Parts (Body) - 300

Wooden Chair - Knocked Down - 85

Wooden Book Case - Stand Up - 150
Unassembled - 70

Wooden Entertainment Center - Stand Up - 150
Unassembled - 70

If you ever have any questions about freight classification, never hesitate to call our knowledgable freight agents at 727-230-9048 or toll free at 877-618-6058. We know all the techniques to get you the lowest class (and price) possible!

Shipping Vehicle Parts and Engines

At Shipping & Freight, we offer highly competitive prices for shipping items that are generally 150 pounds or heavier and on items that are large or of an awkward shape. Because of this, we tend to ship many car parts and car engines. Such items tend to be quite dense relative to size and surprisingly cheap to ship with the right shipping discounts. Like all other items that we ship, car parts and engines should be either boxed, crated, or palletized when shipped. This not only makes your items more easily moved by the freight carrier, but it also helps protect your items from any potential damage. Most vehicle engines that we ship are strapped to a pallet, and sometimes covered in cardboard.

Auto body parts, such as hoods and jeep tops, are items that take up a lot of space and are not very heavy. They are also rather fragile, which makes them relatively more expensive to ship than items such as engines. We have shipped car parts for customers ranging from car dealerships, to Ebay Sellers, and even individual Mr. Fix-Its. Our discount shipping quotes are among the best in the industry, so please keep us in mind for your next project. If you have any questions about shipping car engines or parts, please give us a call at 727-230-9048 or toll free at 877-618-6058.

BOL's, Weekend Pick-ups, and Trade Shows

We are back today to talk about some more freight shipping tips that will help your next shipment go more smoothly. We are in the business of saving our customers money, so the more our customers know, the more they save.

BOL's (Bill of Lading)

A common problem that often happens when shipping with a freight broker is that the customer does not give the driver the BOL that is issued by the freight broker. Although the BOL contains all of the information on the shipment, (such as the ship-to address, ship-from address, and description of items being shipped) it also tells the carrier who they should bill for the shipment. If you are shipping through a freight broker, you want to make sure that the freight broker is charged by the carrier so you (the customer) are not charged twice. The only way you can ensure this occurs is to hand the truck driver the BOL that the freight broker (Shipping & Freight) issues to you. When this procedure is followed, you will not be charged by the freight carrier.

Weekend Pickups

We get many questions about the possibility of weekend pickups from our customers. In general, freight carriers do not have regular freight services on the weekends. We normally recommend that our customers try to plan ahead and set up their pickup on a weekday. If that is not possible, our carriers do provide expedited services that will pickup on a weekend, but it is normally much more expensive.

Trade Shows

At Shipping & Freight, we set up many shipments for Trade Shows. Having the following information normally makes the process for setting the shipment up much quicker.

- The Trade Show's preferred carrier
- The delivery deadline
- Specified delivery & pickup times
- Booth #

Many Trade Shows are on the weekend, so make sure to know if your items need to be shipped that weekend or if they can be shipped prior to the weekend. The answer could potentially save you hundreds of dollars!

If you need any help with any of the following topics, do not hesitate to call us at 727-230-9048 or toll free at 877-618-6058.

Common Freight Terms

Today we would like to define some common freight terms that come up on a day-to-day basis when doing business in the freight industry. These will help the "first-time shipper" better understand the overall process of shipping freight.


Accessorial Fee- Fees that are charged for any services that go above and beyond the standard transportation services provided by the carrier. Examples of these fees include charges for residential pick-ups or lift gate services.


Bill of Lading (BOL)- Document issued by the carrier describing the terms of the shipment. Information on the BOL includes the names and addresses of both shipping and receiving parties, but also a description of the freight being shipped. The form also holds the terms of the shipment and acts as a receipt, proving that the stated goods have been delivered. When shipping through a freight broker, ALWAYS use the BOL issued by the freight broker to ensure that you are only charged the discounted price stated by the broker.


Common Carrier- A transportation company that transports people or goods on designated routes at published rates.


Common Freight- Items or goods to be shipped, typically by a freight carrier. Items shipped by freight carriers normally weight 150 pounds or more.


Detention Fee- Fees charged by carrier for holding shipped cargo or containers for time past a specified pick-up date. Typically, persons receiving freight have about 7 days to pick up the freight if picking up the freight from the carrier.


Dimensional Weight- Technique of charging for freight that is large in size, but low in weight. The formula is Length x Height x Weight / Factor between 166 and 250 (determined by freight carrier).


Dispatch- To coordinate the movement of freight from origin to destination.


Flatbed- Trailer used for transporting goods having no sides. Flatbeds are typically used for shipping items that are too large to fit within a standard trailer.


Freight All Kinds (FAK)- Various items that are shipped together, but can be shipped under the same freight classification.


Freight Broker- Company that matches the shipping needs of an individual or company to the services of a freight carrier that can best handle those needs. These brokers use the volume of business they receive to negotiate large discounts with the freight carriers, in which, they pass along their customers.

Freight Forwarder- Company that facilitates the movement of goods between a shipper and a freight carrier.


Freight Quote- A preliminary cost estimate for a particular freight shipment, normally based off limited information.

Full Truckload (FTL)- Shipping with a truck at its full capacity, or at a level in which the freight carrier provides a truckload rate.


Hazardous Material- An item that can be dangerous to ship. The item must be shipped in a way that meets the rules and standards of the Department of Transportation.


Intermodal Container- Standardized freight shipping containers that can be used for all modes of transportation, including sea, train, and motor freight. Are generally 20 or 40 feet long.


Interline Freight- Freight moving through territories in which more than one freight carrier must be used to transport it.


Less Than Truckload (LTL)- Shipping of items that are too large to be considered parcel shipments (150lbs +) and too small to be considered a full truckload.


Lift gate- Machine at the rear of the truck used for loading and unloading freight. Usually used for items that are too large to be lifted by hand.


Reefer Trailer- A refrigerated trailer used for shipping temperature sensitive items.


Supply Chain- The life cycle of a product from raw material stage until it reaches the hands of the end-user. All stages of the supply chain should add value to the product.


Third Party Logistics (3PL)- Company that uses its vast logistics resources to outsource and coordinate logistics services for individuals and businesses.


Transit Time- Time taken for a shipped item to travel from its point of origin to its final destination.


Volume Shipping- Alternative shipping rate typically used for LTL items that are of a high density.

Freight Brokers VS Freight Carriers

Individuals and companies tasked with sending LTL or Truckload shipments are often faced with the decision of choosing to ship through a freight broker or a freight carrier. Many ask themselves, "Why would I use a freight broker over a freight carrier?". Well, unless you are a large business making many large shipments, it normally does not pay to deal with a freight carrier directly. The more business you give a freight carrier, the more discounts they will normally give you. Most companies out there, or even individuals, do not ship with the size or scope required to receive these discounts.

This is where the freight broker comes in. The freight broker is able to negotiate large discounts with the freight carriers because of the large volume of customers and available shipments the broker has. This equates to BIG SAVINGS for the clients of the freight broker. The broker also deals with a large pool of carriers in order to provide their clients with a large range of coverage, services, and options. These options also include the choice of using the cheapest carrier in the broker's pool of carriers. These small to medium-sized businesses can now achieve economies of scale that would otherwise be impossible on their own without adding new fixed costs.

Besides lowering your overall shipping costs, using a broker is like adding a shipping expert to your team. Your broker will assist you in making the right decisions for each individual shipment. They will lay out the appropriate services and options to get the job done right and on time. They also take care of all the other tasks, such as, creating the BOL (Bill of Lading) and dispatching the shipment. Freight brokers are here to make your life easier and allow you more time to take care of the parts of your business that you do best!

If you feel like you need to see it to believe it, then I challenge you to get a quote for your next shipment from your regular freight carrier and compare it to a discount freight quote from Shipping & Freight, Inc. Odds are that we will not only be able to use the same carrier, but also at a much lower rate! Oh, and make sure to tell your friends!

Freight Shipping Tips: Freight Classification

I am writing here today to address another common question we receive from customers at Shipping & Freight. When filling out the quote form on our website or speaking to an agent, customers are often confused by what Freight Classification is and two questions normally come to mind.

1. What is Freight Classification?

Every item that is shipped through a freight carrier is given a classification called a NMFC (National Motor Freight Classification) #. This number is a tool that carriers use in order to determine the classification for a specific item and to determine what they will charge their customer for moving that item. Some things that are taken into consideration when determining a classification are:

• What the commodity actually is


• What the commodity is made of (Wood? Metal? Ect.)


• How the commodity is packaged (Pallet? Crate? Ect.)


• What the weight and dimensions of the commodity are (Density)


• How easily the commodity is moved


• What is the liability for moving that commodity (Is the item expensive or cheap?)

For example:

A customer that is shipping a heavy dense item, such as a car engine on a pallet (Class 85), will pay a relatively cheaper per-pound cost than a customer that is shipping a fiberglass jeep top in a box (can be up to a Class 300). In essence, the lower the class number of an item, the cheaper it is per-pound to ship that item. I am sure there are one or two exceptions out there, but normally this is the case.

2. How do I figure out the Freight Class for the items I am shipping?

Freight classifications can be found in the most current NMFC catalogue. Unless you are trained in doing so, I would suggest letting a logistics professional handle this for you. If your classification is not correct, the freight carrier will end up rebilling you when the shipment is completed and this does not normally leave most customers very happy. If you are not trained in classifying commodities, I do suggest calling a freight broker so they can do it for you. With the correct information, they can give you an accurate classification and also give you a better shipping rate than you could get from a freight carrier alone!

If you have any questions on how to class a particular item, do not hesitate to give us a call! We can be reached at (727) 230-9048 or toll free for landlines at (877) 618-6058. We strive to make shipping freight a quick and easy experience for our customers!

Freight Shipping Tips: Motorcycle and ATV Shipping

Every month, Shipping & Freight ships many motorcycles and ATV's for dealers, Ebay sellers, and individuals. If you are looking to ship a motorcycle or ATV, there are several things you may want to consider in order to get the lowest shipping rates possible and ensure that your shipment arrives safe and secure.

First, you want to make sure you have the proper information. This includes having the correct dimensions, weight, and classification. This will ensure that your freight agent will give you an accurate price. Make sure that your given weight includes the added weight for the crate that the motorcycle or ATV is in to avoid any re-bills after the shipment. Your freight agent will give you the proper classification for your bike or ATV using the weight and dimensions that you provide.

Next, per carrier requirements, you will need to drain your ATV or Motorcycle of all fluids in preparation for shipment. LTL carriers also require that the vehicle be crated. The following are some examples of ATV and motorcycle crates:






Here are some more examples for MOTORCYCLES and ATV's.

These crates can be built, bought, or possibly picked up from a local motorcycle dealer. The purpose of the crate is to minimize liability for the carrier and to protect the vehicle from the many other items on the LTL Shipment.

With this information, you are not ready to ship your motorcycle or ATV. Feel free to call our freight agents with any questions, concerns, or to receive your Free Freight Quote!
727-230-9048 or toll free at 877-618-6058