A method and system for measuring a profile of a strip of material produced in a reversing mill in which a direction of travel of the strip is reversible includes a single thickness gauge that measures the thickness of the strip and generates the thickness signals, and a moving device coupled to the gauge. The moving device controllably moves the gauge transversely to the strip so that the gauge measures the thickness of the strip and different points across a width of the strip in one pass of the strip through the gauge. The moving device maintains the gauge in a stationary position in another pass of the strip through the gauge such that the gauge measures the thickness of the strip and different points along the longitudinal lines of the strip. The measurements of the thickness of the strip at the different points are interpreted into profile data. This profile data can be either displayed or used by a mill computer to control the processing of the strip.