What is freight class 500?
Density cannot produce class 500.
The NMFC density scale effective July 19, 2025 has 13 sub-provisions, and class 500 is not one of them. It now applies only where a commodity's own NMFC item assigns it — typically for handling, stowability or liability reasons rather than density. If a calculator returned class 500 from your dimensions and weight, it is running the retired 18-row table.
What typically ships at class 500
- Ping pong balls
- Gold dust and high-value low-density goods
- Commodity-specific NMFC items only
Examples are illustrative of typical density, not classification rulings. A commodity's actual class comes from its NMFC item; density decides it only where that item is density-based.
The class 500 mistake worth knowing
Class 500 is the most expensive class and is no longer reachable by density at all. The 2025 scale bottoms out at class 400 for anything under 1 lb/ft³, so 500 now applies only where an NMFC item assigns it — typically for high value or extreme handling difficulty, not for being light.
Measure your actual shipment with the freight class calculator — it applies the July 19, 2025 scale and shows how far you are from the next class in both directions.