The National Motor Freight Classification changes for LTL shipments will go live July 19, 2025, rather than in May, as originally planned, the National Motor Freight Traffic Association announced last week.
The delay is intended to provide the industry more time to prepare for the significant changes, NMFTA Director of Operations Keith Peterson told Trucking Dive in an email. The overhaul of the system calls for shifting to more density-focused classifications.
“With extensive updates affecting carriers, shippers, and third party logistics (3PL) providers—requiring modifications to existing systems and processes—this adjustment reflects feedback from industry stakeholders,” Peterson said. “The additional time will enable thorough analysis and implementation of the changes, ensuring a smoother transition for all parties involved.”
Incorrectly classifying freight can lead to higher costs, and the updates to the LTL freight classification system aim to simplify the process and improve transparency for shippers, carriers and 3PL providers, the group said.
The new classification system, the result of a yearslong effort, seeks to increase the accuracy of the system on the first try, among other enhancements to transform and simplify the system.
Along with the changes, the NMFC’s online counterpart, ClassIT, will be renamed ClassIT+ and go live on Jan. 15, Peterson said.
“This will be a significant upgrade to the usability of our current product by improving the usability and providing API connections for those that need it as well,” he said.
The changes are designed to use a standardized approach to LTL pricing based on density, handling, stowability and liability. The NMFTA hosted three listening sessions for stakeholders in August, and another is scheduled for Dec. 4.
“These updates will increase the overall efficiency for classifying freight so that users can experience more accurate results on the first attempt,” NMFTA COO Joe Ohr said in the announcement. “This will, in part, be done via a new application programming interface (API).”
