Have you ever wondered why trailers, particularly in Australia, are often described in feet rather than meters? You’ll hear us talk about our popular 6×4 trailers or 8×5 trailers, and while Australia uses the metric system for most measurements, the use of imperial units for trailers is a bit of a throwback to an older standard. Understanding this dual measurement system is helpful when you’re hiring a trailer and trying to figure out what size you need.

Let’s start with the conversion. The basic conversion is: 1 foot (ft) is equal to 0.3048 meters (m).
So, a 6×4 trailer is not 6 meters by 4 meters—that would be a huge trailer! Instead, a 6×4 trailer is 6 feet by 4 feet.

6 feet x 0.3048 m/ft = 1.83 meters

4 feet x 0.3048 m/ft = 1.22 meters
Therefore, a 6×4 trailer is approximately 1.83m x 1.22m.

Similarly, an 8×5 trailer is 8 feet by 5 feet:

8 feet x 0.3048 m/ft = 2.44 meters

5 feet x 0.3048 m/ft = 1.52 meters
So, an 8×5 trailer is approximately 2.44m x 1.52m.

The reason for this common usage is largely historical. The imperial system (feet, inches, pounds) was the standard across many English-speaking countries, including Australia, for a very long time. While Australia officially adopted the metric system in the 1970s, certain industries, like construction and some types of manufacturing, have retained the use of imperial measurements, particularly for standard product sizes. The dimensions of trailers, as well as timber and some building materials, were standardized in feet and inches long before metrication, and this convention has simply stuck around. It’s a legacy measurement that continues to be the common language for trailer sizes.

For our customers at TrailerLink, understanding this helps you choose the right trailer. While our website and booking system will often provide the metric dimensions as well, knowing that a “6×4” is a standard size that everyone understands makes it easier to compare and select the right option. When you’re standing in front of a pile of materials at the hardware store or planning to transport furniture, thinking in terms of feet can be a useful shorthand for judging whether an item will fit.

So, when you see those numbers, just remember they refer to a common standard measurement that has been around for decades. It’s a testament to the enduring simplicity of these measurements, and at TrailerLink, we make sure to provide both metric and imperial measurements to ensure you’re always confident in your choice.