The board foot is a unit of volume derived from the imperial system of units with the symbol FBM.
1 board foot is equal to the volume of an object one foot in length, one foot wide and one inch thick. It is therefore equal to 1/12 ft³.
The board foot is the unit used to measure rough or planed lumber. For example 2 x 4 timber when planed actually only measures 1.5 in x 3.5 in. This takes into account the wastage when planing. The board feet measurement in this case would represent the wholesale amount. Where the loss in board feet (and planing) only applies to width and thickness, the actual length is used - as there is no loss when cutting lengths.
The register ton is a unit of volume in the shipping world and uses the symbol GRT.
1 register ton is equal to 100 ft³ or 2.832 m³.
The register ton is used in shipping to measure the amount of cargo on a vessel. The phrase is often mistaken for a unit of mass or weight because of the term 'ton' but should not be confused.