Why is my furniture a high freight class?

Many furniture items are classed by density, and assembled pieces weigh little for the space they fill. Flat-packing lowers the space the piece takes.

Do you offer white glove or inside delivery?

No. GET Express does not offer white glove, inside delivery, room placement or assembly. Ask us first if the receiver needs more than curbside or dock delivery.

Can you deliver to a residential address?

Yes, as a residential accessorial. Send the heaviest and longest piece so the carrier can confirm liftgate handling.

What should I do if a piece arrives damaged?

Note the damage on the delivery receipt before signing and take photos. That record supports a claim.

Furniture Freight Shipping by LTL

At a glance

Upholstered and assembled furniture is light for the space it takes, so many pieces fall in a higher freight class than dense freight of the same weight.
Finished wood, glass and fabric damage when pieces touch, so each item should be boxed or crated and fixed to a pallet before pickup.
Deliveries to homes are residential accessorials, and inside delivery is a service to ask us about before you book.

How is furniture freight shipping priced?

Furniture freight shipping is priced on the lane, weight, freight class, accessorial services and fuel. Class carries extra weight in furniture quotes because sofas, chairs and cabinets take a lot of trailer space for their weight.

Give each piece's packed dimensions and weight, and say whether it arrives assembled or flat-packed. Flat-packed furniture takes less space than the same piece assembled, which changes both the density and the price.

What freight class does furniture fall in?

Furniture falls in the class set by the NMFC item for the piece. Many items use the 13-tier density scale from NMFTA Docket 2025-1, effective July 19, 2025, and some keep a commodity class, so name the piece and its material on the bill of lading.

Low density raises class, and assembled upholstered pieces tend to be the lightest for their size. The density scale and worked example on this page work through a crated armchair.

Freight class by density (lb per cubic foot)

0 to 1 lb/ft³Class 400
1 to 2 lb/ft³Class 300
2 to 4 lb/ft³Class 250 example below
4 to 6 lb/ft³Class 175
6 to 8 lb/ft³Class 125
8 to 10 lb/ft³Class 100
10 to 12 lb/ft³Class 92.5
12 to 15 lb/ft³Class 85
15 to 22.5 lb/ft³Class 70
22.5 to 30 lb/ft³Class 65
30 to 35 lb/ft³Class 60
35 to 50 lb/ft³Class 55
50 or more lb/ft³Class 50

Denser freight lands in a lower class, the basis for a lower rate. Source: NMFTA Docket 2025-1, 13-tier density scale, effective July 19, 2025. The scale applies to items the NMFC classes by density; some items keep a commodity class, so confirm the NMFC item for your product.

Worked example: a crated upholstered armchair on a pallet

Measure the loaded pallet, pallet included: 40 × 40 × 44 inches = 70,400 cubic inches.
Convert to cubic feet: 70,400 ÷ 1,728 = 40.7 cubic feet.
Divide the weight by the cubic feet: 120 lb ÷ 40.7 = 2.9 lb per cubic foot.
Read the class off the density scale: 2.9 lb per cubic foot falls in class 250.

Run your own pallet through the freight class calculator, or read how freight class works.

Illustrative numbers, not a quote or a class ruling. Class depends on the NMFC item for the product; the scale is NMFTA Docket 2025-1, 13-tier density scale, effective July 19, 2025.

How should furniture be packed to avoid damage?

Furniture should be boxed, crated or blanket-wrapped and then strapped to a pallet, with corners and legs protected. Loose pieces on a trailer get scuffed, and finished surfaces mark from contact with other freight.

Pad glass tops and mirrors in their own crate and mark the fragile side. Photos of the packed pallet before pickup support a claim if damage shows up at delivery.

Which service fits: LTL, volume LTL, partial or full truckload?

Standard LTL fits most palletized shipments that can share a trailer; volume LTL, partial truckload and full truckload fit larger loads or loads that need their own truck. Price the same shipment details across the four services, and confirm the points in the table before you book.

Service	Fits	Confirm before booking
Standard LTL	Palletized freight that shares a trailer and moves through carrier terminals	NMFC item and class, pickup and delivery accessorials, delivery appointment
Volume LTL	Larger LTL shipments quoted as a one-off price for that shipment	Quote terms, space the freight takes, whether it still moves through terminals
Partial truckload	Shipments that share a truck with a few others	Whether the freight stays on one trailer, any planned transfers, transit estimate
Full truckload	Freight that fills a trailer, reaches its weight limit, or needs its own truck	Trailer type, loading and unloading time, appointments at both ends

Can furniture be delivered to a home or inside a building?

Furniture can be delivered to a home as a residential delivery, which most carriers bill as an accessorial and many handle with a liftgate truck. Liftgates have platform-size and weight limits that vary by carrier, so send the heaviest and longest piece.

Inside delivery, room placement, white glove service and assembly are services GET Express does not offer or promise. Ask us first if the receiver needs more than curbside or dock delivery.

What do you send for a furniture and home goods freight quote?

A furniture and home goods freight quote needs the 8 details below. Complete details let the carrier rate the shipment once, without a reweigh or reclass after pickup.

Each piece named, with material and whether assembled or flat-packed
Packed dimensions and weight of each pallet or crate
NMFC item number, if you know it
Delivery address type: home, store, showroom or warehouse
Liftgate needs at pickup and delivery, with the heaviest piece
Fragile items such as glass tops or mirrors marked
Stackable or not for each pallet
Declared value, if you want to discuss cargo coverage

What do the freight terms on this page mean?

Flat-packed: Furniture shipped disassembled in a flat box for the receiver to assemble.
Blanket wrap: Padding blankets wrapped around a piece to protect its finish in transit.
Inside delivery: Carrying freight past the entrance of a building, a service we do not offer.
Freight class: The rating carriers use to price freight, taken from the product's NMFC item.

Furniture freight shipping