Shipping Curtains & Drapes Freight Class Guide
Curtains & Drapes typically classify around Class 175, in the 4-7 lb/ft³ density range. Boxed window treatments.
Calculate Curtains & Drapes Freight Class
Enter your actual shipment dimensions and weight below. Typical curtains & drapes run 300-500/pallet lb, but your exact class depends on your specific shipment's measured density.
Measure the full footprint including packaging, and include pallet weight in your total. Carriers will re-measure at the terminal.
Shipping Curtains & Drapes the Right Way
Folding Method Affects Both Class and Presentation
How curtains are folded before cartoning affects measured density and how wrinkled the fabric arrives at the retailer or installer. Flat, layered folds packed tightly into the carton improve density over loosely bunched fabric while also keeping the finished product presentable.
Lined Drapery Runs Denser Than Sheer Panels
Blackout and lined drapery panels are noticeably denser than sheer or unlined curtain panels, so a mixed shipment of both product types can span a wider density range than the average figure suggests. Separating product lines when calculating class avoids under- or over-declaring weight.
Retail and Installer Deliveries Both Common
Curtain freight moves to big-box retail distribution centers as often as directly to commercial installers outfitting hotels or offices, and each destination type has different unloading expectations, so confirming dock and appointment requirements ahead of delivery avoids detention time.
Curtains & Drapes: What Carriers and Shippers Look For
Curtains and drapes ship in a density band similar to bedding: folded window treatments trap a lot of air relative to their weight, especially heavier drapery fabrics with linings or blackout backing that still fold into a bulky, lightweight carton. Most curtain freight moves palletized LTL from manufacturer to retailer or installer, and because the fabric itself is often sensitive to wrinkling and creasing, packing method affects both the eventual retail presentation and the freight class the shipment lands in.
Why Curtains & Drapes Classify Around Class 175
Folded curtain panels typically run 4 to 7 pounds per cubic foot, similar to bedding in how much air the fabric traps once cartoned, which places most shipments in the Class 150 to Class 200 range. Lined and blackout drapery sits toward the denser end of that range, while lightweight sheer panels sit toward the lower end, so product mix matters when estimating class for a shipment.
Panel length also plays a role, since floor-length drapery for commercial spaces takes up proportionally more carton volume per panel than shorter residential curtains, which can push a large hospitality order toward a bulkier declared class than a comparable residential shipment of the same fabric weight.
Packing Tips
Flat-folding panels in even layers, rather than loosely bunching fabric into the carton, both improves measured density and reduces the wrinkling that can affect how the product looks once it's hung. Manufacturers shipping directly to hospitality or commercial installers in particular benefit from tighter folding since presentation matters more on those deliveries.
Separating sheer and lined product lines onto different pallets, rather than mixing them, makes density and class easier to calculate accurately and avoids a shipment being classed based on an average that doesn't reflect either product well. Labeling each pallet by product line also speeds up receiving at the destination, since staff can route sheer and lined inventory to different storage areas without having to open and sort cartons first, which matters on large hospitality orders with dozens of pallets.
Equipment and Handling Notes
Dry van is standard, and curtain cartons are light enough that special blocking usually isn't needed. Keeping cartons dry and away from anything that could snag or tear the outer box matters more than weight distribution, since a torn carton exposes fabric to dirt that affects resale presentation even when the product itself is undamaged.
Commercial and hospitality deliveries sometimes call for inside delivery to a specific floor or storage area rather than a standard dock drop, so confirming those requirements with the receiver ahead of time avoids a driver arriving without the appointment or access details needed to complete the delivery, which can otherwise turn into costly detention.
Common Shipping Mistakes
The most common mistake is loosely bunching fabric into cartons to save packing time, which lowers density and increases wrinkling that has to be steamed out before the product can be displayed or installed, adding labor cost at the destination that tighter folding would have avoided.
The second is averaging density across a mixed shipment of sheer and lined panels, which can misstate the class for either product type and lead to a reclassification once the shipment is actually measured. A third mistake is overlooking inside delivery or floor access requirements on commercial orders, which can turn a routine drop into a delayed or refused delivery.
Related Textiles
Carriers Hauling Curtains & Drapes
“Curtain freight is gentle on the trailer but not on the schedule. Hotel and installer deliveries want a tight appointment window, so I plan those stops carefully.”
“I've hauled enough drapery loads to know lined and sheer panels don't weigh the same. It's worth asking the shipper which is which before you estimate anything.”