Shipping Dryers Freight Class Guide
Dryers typically classify around Class 85, in the 11-15 lb/ft³ density range. Electric and gas clothes dryers.
Calculate Dryers Freight Class
Enter your actual shipment dimensions and weight below. Typical dryers run 120-180 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 Dryers the Right Way
Hollow Drum Space Lowers Density
A dryer's cabinet is mostly open drum space around a comparatively light motor and heating element, which is why dryers class higher than the denser washing machines they're usually shipped alongside, even though the two appliances look similar in size.
Venting and Gas Fittings Need Protection
Exterior venting components and, on gas models, the gas connection fitting are more exposed and delicate than the sealed drum inside, so these should be capped, padded, and checked for damage separately from the general cabinet inspection.
Pairs Well With Washer Freight
Washers and dryers are frequently ordered and shipped together, so carriers hauling appliance freight regularly plan loads that pair the two, balancing the dryer's higher class against the washer's denser, heavier profile for a more efficient combined load.
Dryers: What Carriers and Shippers Look For
Dryers ship alongside washers on most appliance loads, but they're noticeably less dense, landing around Class 85 rather than the washer's Class 70. Most of a dryer's cabinet is hollow drum space with a comparatively light motor and heating assembly, so it takes up more cube per pound than its washer counterpart. Venting components and control panels are the main fragile points, and gas dryers need their gas connection fittings capped and protected separately from the general packaging.
Why Dryers Classify Around Class 85
A boxed clothes dryer typically runs 11 to 15 pounds per cubic foot, noticeably less dense than a washing machine of similar external size, since a dryer's drum houses a comparatively light heating element and motor rather than a washer's dense, spring-mounted tub assembly. That density lands most dryer shipments around Class 85, a step up from the washer's typical Class 70 even though the two appliances are frequently ordered and shipped as a pair.
Packaging Tips That Protect the Class
Original factory packaging protects the exterior venting hardware and, on gas models, the gas connection fitting, both of which are more exposed than anything inside a washer's sealed drum assembly. These components should be capped and padded separately rather than left loose inside the general packaging.
Keeping the dryer upright throughout handling protects the drum bearing and the heating assembly from the kind of shock damage that a sideways drop or hard-braking shift can cause, damage that often isn't apparent until the unit is installed and running.
Equipment and Handling Notes
Dry van is standard. Dryers pair naturally with washer freight on mixed appliance loads, and balancing the dryer's lighter, higher-class profile against the washer's denser one helps carriers plan a more space-efficient combined load. Gas dryers should have their connection fittings inspected and capped before loading to prevent damage to the threads.
Common Shipping Mistakes
The most common mistake is treating a dryer's packaging requirements as identical to a washer's, when the fragile points, venting hardware and gas fittings versus a sealed drum, are actually different. The second is laying a dryer on its side to save space, which risks the drum bearing and heating assembly in ways that aren't visible from outside the carton.
Related Appliances
Carriers Hauling Dryers
“Dryers and washers ride together on most of my appliance runs. I load the dryers a little more carefully since the venting parts stick out more.”
“Gas dryer fittings get checked every time before I load one. A bent fitting at delivery is a headache nobody wants.”