Telescopic handlers are a bit similar to forklifts. It possesses a single telescopic boom which extends forwards and upwards from the truck, and a counterweight within the back. It functions more like a crane than a forklift. The boom can be equipped with a variety of attachments. The most popular attachment is pallet forks, but the operator can also attach a muck grab, lift table or bucket. Also called a telehandler, this particular type of equipment is normally used in agriculture and industry.
When it is hard for a conventional forklift to access places, a telehandler is commonly used to move loads. Telehandlers are usually used to unload pallets from inside a trailer. They are also more handy compared to a crane for lifting loads onto other high areas and rooftops.
There is only one major limitation in utilizing telehandlers. Despite counterweights at the rear, the weight-bearing boom can cause the vehicle to destabilize when it extends. Hence, the lifting capacity lessens when the distance between the center of the load and the front of the wheels increases.
Telehandlers were developed in England by the Matbro company. Their design was based on articulated cross country forklifts utilized in forestry. Initial models consisted of a driver's cab on the rear section and a centrally mounted boom on the front, but these days the design that is most popular has a rigid chassis with a side cab and rear mounted boom.