--- title: Choosing your cargo type and commodity when quoting description: What cargo type should I choose? --- [Skip to content](https://help.mothership.com/choosing-your-cargo-type-and-commodity-when-quoting#main-content) [![](https://help.mothership.com/hs-fs/hubfs/unnamed-1.png?width=150&height=15&name=unnamed-1.png)](https://mothership.com) Open main navigation Close main navigation How can we help you? - There are no suggestions because the search field is empty. 1. [Mothership Help Center](https://help.mothership.com/?hsLang=en) 2. [General](https://help.mothership.com/general?hsLang=en) 3. [Quoting and Booking](https://help.mothership.com/general?hsLang=en#quoting-and-booking) # Choosing your cargo type and commodity when quoting ### What cargo type should I choose? Pick the option that matches how your freight is actually packaged and handled: - **Pallet** — goods stacked and secured on a pallet (shrink-wrapped or banded) for forklift handling. The most common choice. - **Crate / flight case** — freight in a wooden crate or hard case. - **Loose boxes** — individual boxes not on a pallet. **[Accepted on the Mothership Carrier Network (local delivery)](https://help.mothership.com/accepted-and-prohibited-freight-mothership-carrier-network?hsLang=en).** For **National LTL Partner Carrier** shipments, loose boxes are **not** accepted — they must be palletized first. Enter each cargo type on its own line (use **Add another** for mixed freight), with quantity, weight, and dimensions per unit. See [How to get a quote](https://help.mothership.com/how-to-get-a-quote?hsLang=en) for how the Quantity and Piece count fields work. ### Freight class & NMFC — enter them on every LTL shipment Every LTL shipment is billed on its **NMFC commodity number** and **freight class** (driven by density — pounds per cubic foot). If a shipment goes out without an NMFC, with an incorrect class, or with a description that doesn't match the actual commodity, the carrier can inspect it, reclassify it, and issue a **rebill**. This is an industry-wide carrier requirement, not a Mothership rule. When you enter dimensions and weight, Mothership suggests an **estimated class as a starting point**. It's a helpful guide — **not a substitute for your actual NMFC number and verified class.** Only you know exactly what's on the pallet. The Class and NMFC fields are labeled "optional" in the dashboard (carriers will still move the freight without them), buttreat them as **strongly recommended on every LTL shipment.** Shipping without them puts you at high risk of a rebill.  > **Important — rebill policy (effective Monday, July 27, 2026):** Carrier rebills caused by commodity reclassification, or by a missing or incorrect NMFC number or class, are passed through to your account. Most rebills come from one of three things: accepting the auto-calculated class without verifying it, leaving the NMFC blank, or shipping commodities that differ from the description. **To avoid rebills:** 1. Add the correct **NMFC number** to every LTL shipment. 2. **Verify the freight class** rather than defaulting to the suggested one. 3. Keep **commodity descriptions accurate** to what's actually shipping — e.g. "steel shelving brackets," not "parts" or "freight." 4. **Review your frequently shipped items** against the updated NMFC. **Why this matters now:** The NMFTA recently completed the biggest overhaul of freight classification in decades. As of **July 19, 2025**, thousands of commodities shifted to **density-based** classification on a new **13-tier scale**, and **Docket 2026-1** (Feb 2026) removed more legacy items. Carriers enforce the new rules closely, often with automated dimensioning equipment at their terminals — so classifications that used to be fine may now trigger a rebill. | Helpful official resources: - [NMFC Classification FAQs](https://help.nmfta.org/hc/en-us/articles/32790591446427-NMFC-Classification-FAQs) - [Official NMFC lookup (ClassIT+)](https://classit.nmfta.org) ### Is my commodity accepted? Most general commodities ship fine. Some require a declaration or are restricted: - **Hazmat** must be declared and fully documented (see [Hazmat Service](https://help.mothership.com/hazmat-service?hsLang=en)). Hazmat under 1,000 lbs ships on the Mothership Carrier Network (local); via LTL only on approved partner carriers. - **Alcohol** must be declared with the alcohol accessorial. - **Prohibited items** (refrigerated/temperature-controlled freight, firearms, live animals, cannabis/THC, hazardous waste, precious metals, etc.) can't ship on the network — full list in [Accepted and prohibited freight](https://help.mothership.com/accepted-and-prohibited-freight-mothership-carrier-network?hsLang=en). - [FAQs](https://help.mothership.com/faqs?hsLang=en#main-content) - [Technical Questions](https://help.mothership.com/faqs?hsLang=en#technical-questions) - [Getting started](https://help.mothership.com/getting-started?hsLang=en#main-content) - [Access Plan](https://help.mothership.com/getting-started?hsLang=en#access-plan) - [General](https://help.mothership.com/general?hsLang=en#main-content) - [Billing](https://help.mothership.com/general?hsLang=en#billing) - [Quoting and Booking](https://help.mothership.com/general?hsLang=en#quoting-and-booking) - [Shipping](https://help.mothership.com/general?hsLang=en#shipping) - [Tracking](https://help.mothership.com/general?hsLang=en#tracking) - [Support](https://help.mothership.com/general?hsLang=en#support) - [Claims and Insurance](https://help.mothership.com/general?hsLang=en#claims-and-insurance) - [Reports](https://help.mothership.com/reports?hsLang=en) - [Integrations](https://help.mothership.com/integrations?hsLang=en) - [Glossary](https://help.mothership.com/glossary?hsLang=en) - [Account](https://help.mothership.com/account?hsLang=en#main-content) - [Notifications](https://help.mothership.com/account?hsLang=en#notifications) - [Podcast](https://help.mothership.com/podcast?hsLang=en) - [Product Updates / Changelog](https://help.mothership.com/product-updates-changelog?hsLang=en) - [Terms & Policies](https://help.mothership.com/terms-policies?hsLang=en) Copyright © 2026, Mothership Technologies, Inc.