NMFC Code

The National Motor Freight Classification (NMFC) is a catalog, maintained by the NMFTA, that assigns a unique item number to virtually every commodity moved by LTL carriers. Each NMFC item number ties a commodity to a freight class and, in many cases, to sub-provisions that set the class by density.

The NMFC code belongs on the bill of lading alongside the freight class. Carriers use it to verify that the class billed matches what was actually shipped. A missing or incorrect NMFC is a common trigger for inspection and reclassification.

Some items have a fixed class; others are “density-based,” meaning the class is determined by the shipment’s pounds per cubic foot at the time of shipping.