Frequently asked questions

Supply chain tools are calculators, lookup databases, and reference resources that help logistics and operations teams make decisions with numbers instead of guesses. Typical examples include freight class and dimensional weight calculators, pallet and container load planners, reorder point and safety stock models, landed cost estimators, and carrier or NMFC code lookups.

Shippers, freight brokers, 3PL account managers, warehouse and inventory planners, procurement and sourcing teams, e-commerce operators, and students studying logistics. Anyone who quotes freight, plans stock levels, or moves physical goods benefits from having the math standardized.

Freight class is a standardized NMFC classification from 50 to 500 that carriers use to price LTL shipments. It is driven mainly by density (pounds per cubic foot), plus stowability, handling, and liability. A misclassified shipment is the single most common cause of surprise reclassification fees on an LTL invoice.

Dimensional weight (DIM weight) prices a shipment by the space it occupies rather than its actual weight. Carriers divide the cubic size of the package by a DIM divisor and bill whichever is greater: actual or dimensional weight. Light, bulky freight is almost always billed on DIM weight.

Safety stock is the buffer inventory held to absorb demand and lead-time variability. Reorder point is the inventory level that triggers a new purchase order, and it equals expected demand during lead time plus safety stock. You need safety stock to calculate a reliable reorder point.

A third-party logistics provider handles warehousing, fulfillment, transportation, or freight management on your behalf. A 3PL usually makes sense when volume is growing faster than your internal capability, when you need geographic coverage you cannot build economically, or when you want to convert fixed logistics costs into variable ones.

SupplyChain.tools is a free reference platform for supply chain, logistics, and inventory professionals. It brings calculators, code lookups, a glossary, and practical guides together in one place so you do not have to hunt through spreadsheets and PDFs to get an answer.

Yes. The core calculators, lookup tools, glossary, and blog are free to use, with an optional free account for saving your work and unlocking pro calculators. Some advanced features may be offered as paid options in the future.

No account is needed for the standard calculators, glossary, and articles. Creating a free account lets you save calculations, manage a profile, and access the pro calculators such as EOQ, landed cost, container loading, and truckload versus LTL comparison.

The calculators use published industry formulas and standard definitions, such as NMFC density breaks for freight class and carrier DIM divisors for dimensional weight. Results are intended for planning and estimation. Always confirm rated class, accessorials, and final pricing with your carrier or broker before committing.

Tools, glossary terms, and articles are reviewed and expanded on an ongoing basis, and new calculators and lookup datasets are added as they are built. If something looks out of date or wrong, we would rather hear about it than leave it in place.

Yes, and it is genuinely useful. Use the contact page to request a calculator, flag an incorrect result, suggest a glossary term, or point out a data problem in one of the lookup tools.

You are welcome to use the outputs in your own analysis, quotes, and internal documents. The tools are provided for informational purposes without warranty, so treat them as decision support rather than a substitute for your carrier contracts or professional judgment. See the terms of service for details.