What You Need to Know About Upcoming NMFC Changes

NMFC Changes Are Coming in July 2025: Here’s What You Need to Know

The National Motor Freight Classification (NMFC®) system is getting a major update this year. If you’re a shipper, carrier, or 3PL, it’s important to understand how these changes will affect the way freight is classified and rated, starting July 19, 2025, when the first phase of the launch takes effect.

More updates are planned throughout the year, which means now is the time to review your processes and systems. At Freightera, we’re here to help you navigate these bumpy roads, so scroll on down to learn everything you need to know.

What Is the NMFC and Why Is It Changing?

The NMFC is a voluntary standard that assigns freight classes based on four factors:

• Density (Denser products such as bricks have a lower class, while lighter and more brittle cargo, like lightbulbs, have a higher class)

• Handling (How easy your cargo is to maneuver; how cumbersome it is)
  
• Stowability (Does your cargo have unusual dimensions, or how close it is to the industry standard of 48 x 48 x 48 inches)

• Liability (The value and risk of damage to your cargo, or the possibility your cargo has to cause damage to other freight)

The goal of the 2025 changes is to bring the system closer in line with modern shipping reality via better clarity and accuracy when it comes to how commodities are grouped and rated. And where there are changes and accuracy, there is also (at least temporary) complexity, which could increase the risk of disputes or delays if you’re not prepared.

What This Means for Carriers

Whether you’re operating nationally or you ship cross-border, these changes will likely affect how you rate and bill shipments.

Key things to keep in mind:

• New classification structures will likely mean changes in how some commodities are priced.

• Your rating tools and internal policies should be updated to reflect the new classification updates.

• Staff, especially your pricing, sales, and operations teams should be trained to prevent avoidable disputes that are likely to arise with the new changes.

How can Freightera help you, the carrier?

Freightera’s Client Care team is known for its professionalism and cared. Our customers get help with their commodity class directly from us, so they are unlikely to have outdated information. And any possible disputes would be going through our team, which have an understanding of both sides. We’ll do our best to avoid stressful situations for both carriers and customers.

What This Means for Shippers

Although Freightera’s Rate Defense™ program protects you from unfair carrier charges, incorrect freight class is one of the most common causes of additional charges and delays, and it’s completely fair. And as if getting the class right wasn’t important enough, the new update makes it even more so.

Wrong cargo classification may lead to reclass charges or even refused freight. And if the dock workers notice that your cargo doesn’t match the class provided (and they will), then delays are likely, along with the additional fees. It’s best to avoid disputes and corrections altogether by checking your class with our Client Care team!

Along with that, make sure that your team is informed of the changes and pay extra attention in the coming several weeks until the dust settles down.

How does Freightera help you, the shipper?

When you are quoting and booking shipments on Freightera, our customer care professionals give you the class themselves. No guesswork or lookups online needed. You get verified, reliable information that will help you prevent any unfair or unforeseen charges. And of course, our 5-star Client Care team is here to help you every step of the way. No needless arguments, no stress. Don’t take our word for it, see what our customers say about us.

What This Means for 3PLs

As a 3PL, your clients count on you to get rates right and shipments moving on time. That means staying up to date with NMFC changes and helping your clients do the same.

Just like the carriers and shippers, you want to stay up to date on the changes and observe them closely. Make sure your teams and clients are aware that the changes are coming and that they’ll need to pay extra attention until the dust settles down.

How does Freightera help your 3PL business?

We work with hundreds of verified carriers and integrate NMFC updates directly into our quoting platform. So you know that with Freightera, you get answers quickly and easily. You get the security of working with a team of professionals, and you get most of your work done without ever having to ask for it.

ClassIT+ Launches July 15

To help carriers, shippers, and logistics providers navigate the upcoming NMFC changes, NMFTA is rolling out ClassIT+™, its next-generation version of the freight classification tool. This new platform is meant to make it easier to look up and apply NMFC codes correctly.

Older ClassIT tools will be phased out and left without support soon, so if you rely on third-party systems, it’s a good time to prepare your team for the switch.

Staying Ready with Freightera

We know changes like this can disrupt your workflow, but you don’t have to figure it out alone. Our platform is built to support you through any industry changes. We don’t just simplify the quoting and booking processes. We’re here to help you manage your shipping right from start to finish, and to remove friction between your business and the shipping world.

Freightera is here to support you.

Contact us anytime via email at [email protected], via online chat, or by phone at (800) 886 4870, or get a free quote to see what easy, accessible, and green really look like, even in the middle of industry-wide changes.