Shipping Refrigerators Freight Class Guide
Refrigerators typically classify around Class 77.5, in the 11-16 lb/ft³ density range. Full-size residential refrigerators, crated.
Calculate Refrigerators Freight Class
Enter your actual shipment dimensions and weight below. Typical refrigerators run 200-350 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 Refrigerators the Right Way
Crating Quality Drives Claims
Refrigerators are tall, top-heavy, and finish-sensitive, so weak or reused crating is the single biggest cause of damage claims on this commodity, more than rough handling in transit.
Measure the Crate, Not the Unit
Freight class is based on the crated dimensions and weight, not the appliance's spec-sheet size, so a loosely built crate with extra void space can bump a shipment into a higher, more expensive class.
Upright Transport Matters
Most residential refrigerators need to stay upright or settle for a set period before use if laid down, so carriers hauling mixed loads should keep refrigerator crates loaded and blocked in their intended orientation.
Refrigerators: What Carriers and Shippers Look For
Refrigerators sit in an odd spot for freight classification: they're bulky enough to eat up trailer space but dense enough, once crated, to avoid the steep pricing that lighter, boxier appliances see. Most shipments move as full truckload or partial truckload rather than small parcel, since a single crated refrigerator already fills a meaningful footprint, and damage claims are common enough that packaging quality gets scrutinized more than on most general freight.
Why Refrigerators Classify Around Class 92.5
A crated refrigerator typically lands between 11 and 16 pounds per cubic foot once you account for the compressor, shelving, and insulation packed inside a relatively large box. That density puts most shipments in the Class 92.5 to Class 100 range under the standard density table, meaningfully cheaper than bulkier, lower-density appliances but still far from the tightest, most efficient freight classes.
Packaging and Crating Tips
A well-built crate with foam corner protection and minimal internal void space keeps the shipment's measured density as high as reasonably possible, which works in the shipper's favor on class and rate. Reused or damaged crating is the fastest way to see a reclassification at the terminal, since carriers measure the outer footprint of whatever protective packaging is actually on the unit.
Manufacturers and appliance retailers who ship refrigerators regularly tend to standardize on a single crate design precisely because it keeps density, and therefore freight class, predictable shipment to shipment.
Equipment and Handling Notes
Dry van is standard for refrigerator freight. Because units are tall and often top-heavy even crated, proper load bars and blocking matter more here than on denser, lower-profile freight, and a driver hauling a mixed load should plan refrigerator placement so nothing shifts or crushes the crate during transit.
Common Shipping Mistakes
The most common error is estimating freight class from the appliance's published dimensions rather than the actual crated footprint, which almost always understates the real class since crating adds volume without adding much weight. The second most common issue is inadequate blocking on multi-unit loads, which leads to shifted, tipped, or dented crates that generate claims even when the crate itself was solid.
Related Appliances
Carriers Hauling Refrigerators
“Refrigerator loads are predictable once you know the class. The only surprises come from bad crating, so I always check that before I sign the BOL.”
“I block refrigerator crates differently than most freight since they're top-heavy. A little extra time securing the load saves a claim later.”