Telescopic handlers are somewhat similar to forklifts. It possesses one telescopic boom that extends both upwards and forwards from the truck, and a counterweight located in the rear. It works much more like a crane than a forklift. The boom can be outfitted with different kinds of attachments. The most popular attachment is pallet forks, but the operator could also attach a lift table, bucket or muck grab. Also referred to as a telehandler, this particular kind of equipment is normally utilized in industry and agriculture.
A telehandler is often utilized to transport loads to and from places which would be hard for a conventional forklift to access. Telehandlers are frequently utilized to unload pallets from within a trailer. They are also more handy than a crane for carrying loads onto rooftops and other high places.
The telehandler has one major limitation. Even with counterweights at the back, the weight-bearing boom can cause the equipment to destabilize when it extends. Thus, the lifting capacity lessens as the distance between the front of the wheels and the centre of the load increases.
Telehandlers were developed in England by the Matbro company. Their design was based on articulated cross country forklifts used in forestry. Early models consisted of a centrally mounted boom on the front and a driver's cab on the back section, but these days the design that is most common has a rigid chassis along with a side cab and rear mounted boom.