Much information has been circulating about the changes coming to the National Motor Freight Classification (NMFC®) , and while we understand the uneasiness, these changes will benefit third-party logistics providers (3PLs), shippers, and carriers in the long term.
Feedback is essential to us at NMFTA, and we never make changes for the sake of change. These updates were made with users of NMFC in mind to simplify their workflows and streamline the classification process.
Why is NMFC changing?
Currently, the NMFC classifies a commodity based on the type of item that it is. This means that for an apparel business, for example, you could be using several different classes—one for shirts, one for shoes, one for handbags, etc. To determine the freight class, you need to be sure what it is in each shipment, and you’ll need to spend time identifying them in advance.
When items have the same density and no special shipping concerns, it makes sense to use the same freight class. The 2025 NMFC changes seek to resolve this concept.
What is not changing?
For items with handling, storability, or liability concerns, we will still classify them separately from commodities where density is the only relevant characteristic. We will not use straight density across the board.
We plan to phase out the NMFC book, but it will still be available as a print-on-demand option if you prefer the print copy over digital. However, with significant changes coming to ClassIT®, including improved search functionality and compatibility across other devices, we highly recommend adding ClassIT+™ to your workflows.
What is changing?
The freight class may change those items to accommodate the new density scale sub-provisions for businesses that ship commodities with no handling, storability, or liability concerns.
Sub-provisions 1-10 won’t change, but we will update sub-provision 11 and add sub-provisions 12 and 13.
If items were classified properly before, following the path to the new class should be fairly simple. We want to make this process easy for 3PLs, so we’ll provide the change logs from the old class to the new class so you can track any changes made to existing classes you might use frequently for your clients.
When are these changes going to take effect?
We expect the first round of changes to appear on the supplement in May 2025 and go into effect on July 19, 2025.
In this first docket, we are focusing only on class updates for items with no handling, storability, or liability issues. Future dockets will address commodities with complex shipping concerns.
How will 3PLs be impacted?
With these changes, it will be easier to identify the freight class when you have several different items with similar characteristics. You can use the same class if they fall within the same density range.
The process for preparing LTL shipments may change. You'll need to know the handling unit dimensions and weight to calculate density using length, width and height, cube, and weight. This may require educating shippers and staff on what is needed to class the item accurately.
How can 3PLs prepare?
The best way for 3PLs to prepare is to stay involved. NMFTA has offered several listening sessions to keep you updated on what to expect. Bookmark our central hub for NMFC updates at www.nmfcchange.com, and visit it now if you haven’t already for even more info.
Also, NMFTA has created a page specifically for you: https://info.nmfta.org/2025-nmfc-changes/3PLs.
