For the same hypothetical pallet, the cited R+L rule path uses actual height and yields 11.9 lb/ft³, while Saia's 96-inch substituted-height rule yields 5.95 lb/ft³—half the density—because their height-trigger conditions differ.
| Carrier | Decision basis | Derived cube / density | Rounding rule | Common disagreement | Confirmed class | Source locator | Retrieved |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R+L Carriers[R1] · 2026-11-03 | Item 490: the 95-in option requires actual height >50 in; this pallet is 48 in.[R1] · 2026-11-03 | 48*40*48/1728 = 53.333333 ft3; 635/cube = 11.906250 pcf (derived).[R1] · 2026-11-03 | not located within Item 490.[R1] · 2026-11-03 | DO NOT STACK alone does not meet this height trigger.[R1] · 2026-11-03 | not located: NMFC exempt status not verified.[R1] · 2026-11-03 | Item 490, p33; Item 994, p128.[R1] · 2026-11-03 | 2026-11-03[R1] · 2026-11-03 |
| Saia[S1] · 2026-11-03 | Item 1001(3)(d): no top loading on BOL requires height >=96 in.[S1] · 2026-11-03 | 48*40*96/1728 = 106.666667 ft3; 635/cube = 5.953125 pcf (derived).[S1] · 2026-11-03 | not located within Item 1001.[S1] · 2026-11-03 | Minimum-height substitution, not rounding. Retrieved 2025 edition.[S1] · 2026-11-03 | not located: commodity item and governing edition not verified.[S1] · 2026-11-03 | Item 1001, pp131-132; 1001-A, pp132-133.[S1] · 2026-11-03 | 2026-11-03[S1] · 2026-11-03 |
| Magnum LTL[M1] · 2026-11-03 | Item 470(2): BOL/freight no-top-loading instructions require height >=96 in.[M1] · 2026-11-03 | 48*40*96/1728 = 106.666667 ft3; 635/cube = 5.953125 pcf (derived).[M1] · 2026-11-03 | not located within Item 470.[M1] · 2026-11-03 | Item 110 separately refers NMFC classification dimensions to NMFC.[M1] · 2026-11-03 | not located: density-rate rule is not a commodity class decision.[M1] · 2026-11-03 | Items 110 / 470, pp4 / 7.[M1] · 2026-11-03 | 2026-11-03[M1] · 2026-11-03 |
| FedEx Freight[F1] · 2026-11-03 | Public Cube Calculator only; comparable non-stackable tariff ruling: not located.[F1] · 2026-11-03 | ceil(48*40*48/1728) = 54 ft3; 635/54 = 11.759259 pcf (derived here).[F1] · 2026-11-03 | Dimension fractions up to inches; resulting cube up to whole ft3.[F1] · 2026-11-03 | Tool outputs cube, not the shipment’s classification or billing decision.[F1] · 2026-11-03 | not located: cube tool does not return class.[F1] · 2026-11-03 | Cube instructions; calculate()/round() code.[F1] · 2026-11-03 | 2026-11-03[F1] · 2026-11-03 |
- R+L versus Saia/Magnum: this 48-in-high non-stackable pallet yields 11.906250 versus 5.953125 lb/ft3 under the cited density-rate paths. The difference is a height trigger/substitution, not a different physical shipment. [R1, S1, M1; retrieved 2026-11-03]
- The substituted cube is twice the physical cube: (48*40*96)/(48*40*48) = 2; density becomes one half: 5.953125/11.906250 = 0.5. Inputs are hypothetical; substitutions come from the cited rules. [R1, S1, M1; retrieved 2026-11-03]
- FedEx comparison is limited to its public cube tool: the same whole-inch inputs produce 54 ft3 after rounding. This is not a comparable non-stackable tariff ruling. [F1; retrieved 2026-11-03]
- No row establishes a booked or billed freight class. The commodity item and governing customer terms remain unverified; applying one generic class chart to these rule paths would overstate the evidence. [R1, S1, M1, F1; retrieved 2026-11-03]
Edition-locked, reproducible comparison of published density rules and a public cube tool. This is not four carrier-confirmed classifications, quotes or a claim of global originality. Retrieved versions may be superseded.
Download CSV · Repository and citation notes · Freight class calculator
Official sources and editions
- R1 R+L Carriers official source. Item 490, PDF page 33; Item 994, PDF page 128. cover updated October 19, 2026; Item 490 effective October 5, 2026. Retrieved 2026-11-03 (Asia/Shanghai).
- S1 Saia official source. Item 1001, PDF pages 131-132; Item 1001-A, PDF pages 132-133. 170-D; cover and cited pages effective October 1, 2025; later-page amendments occur in the file; latest-version status not established. Retrieved 2026-11-03 (Asia/Shanghai).
- M1 Magnum LTL official source. Items 110 and 470, PDF pages 4 and 7. Rules Tariff 125 effective April 1, 2026; latest-version status not established. Retrieved 2026-11-03 (Asia/Shanghai).
- F1 FedEx Freight official source. Cube Calculator instructions and calculate()/round() JavaScript. undated public calculator; not a rules tariff. Retrieved 2026-11-03 (Asia/Shanghai).
How to reproduce
All shipment inputs are author-defined hypothetical inputs, not observed freight. Calculate cube as length × width × applicable height ÷ 1728; divide gross pounds by cube. Use exact values before display rounding. Six decimal places are our display choice. The FedEx row applies its standalone cube-tool rounding and does not establish its non-stackable billing rule.
not located means not established within the cited source scope; it does not mean no rule exists elsewhere. Missing verified NMFC items, governing customer terms and carrier decisions prevent confirmed class results. No fees or freight quotes are calculated.
Suggested citation
Freight Class Desk, One Non-Stackable Pallet: Carrier Density Rules Compared, sources retrieved 2026-11-03. Use a repository commit permalink to cite a fixed CSV version, and the carrier source for the underlying rule. Global originality has not been established.