Why did my LTL shipment get reclassed?

The carrier inspected it and found the class on the bill of lading did not match the goods or their density. It re-rates the shipment at the right class and usually adds a fee.

How much is a reweigh or reclass fee?

Each tariff sets its own: USD 40 at FedEx Freight, USD 25 per reclass at Old Dominion, and USD 47.85 at XPO when a correction raises the linehaul by USD 1 or more.

Who pays for a reclass?

The party paying the freight charges. Old Dominion's tariff says so in terms, and the re-rated freight, fuel and accessorial charges follow the corrected bill.

Term

Reweigh and reclass

A reweigh or reclass is an LTL carrier correcting the bill when it finds a shipment heavier, or in a different freight class, than the bill of lading says. It re-rates the freight and usually adds a fee: FedEx Freight charges USD 40, Old Dominion USD 25 a reclass. Whoever pays the freight charges pays it.

Also called freight reclassification, LTL reclass, reweigh fee, weight and inspection, inspection correctionApplies in USUpdated 13 October 2026

What triggers it

Old Dominion's tariff lists what its inspectors may do when a bill of lading looks wrong: reweigh the product, inspect it, or compute its density. FedEx Freight's may open packages, verify the gross weight or the declared density; when the information is wrong, the freight bill is corrected.

Carrier	When the fee applies	Fee
FedEx Freight, Item 981	Weight 50 lb or more over the bill, 200 lb or more under it, or an inspection that changes the charges	USD 40, once per shipment
Old Dominion, Item 367	An inspection that reclassifies the shipment	USD 25 per shipment
XPO	A correction that raises the linehaul charge by USD 1 or more	USD 47.85

Correction fees in 2025–2026 rules tariffs

Worked example: a pallet reclassed

48 × 40 × 45 in = 50 ft³ · 450 lb ÷ 50 = 9 lb/ft³ → class 100 on the NMFC density scale, not the class 70 on the bill · re-rated at class 100 + USD 40 at FedEx Freight

NMFTA's own example pallet. It applies only where the NMFC classes the item by density; many items have a fixed class.

In Europe

International road carriage works the other way round. Under the CMR convention the sender may require the carrier to check the gross weight or quantity of the goods, and the carrier may claim the cost of checking.

The mistake people make

Guessing dimensions. Since the NMFC moved more items to density classes in 2025, NMFTA has urged shippers to capture accurate handling-unit dimensions and weight wherever the class depends on density, to reduce classification changes. Measure every pallet with its overhang, and weigh it.

FAQ