A telescopic handler is like a forklift. It possesses a single telescopic boom that extends forwards and upwards from the truck, and a counterweight situated within the rear. 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 kind of equipment is usually used in agriculture and industry.
When it is difficult for a standard forklift to access places, a telehandler is usually used to transport loads. Telehandlers are commonly utilized to unload pallets from in a trailer. They are also more practical than a crane for carrying loads onto other high places and rooftops.
There is only one major limitation in utilizing telehandlers. Despite rear counterweights, the weight-bearing boom can cause the equipment to destabilize as it extends. Hence, the lifting capacity lessens as the distance between the center of the load and the front of the wheels increases.
The Matbro company developed telehandlers in England. Their design was based largely on articulated cross country forklifts used in forestry. Initial versions had a driver's cab on the rear section and a centrally mounted boom on the front, but today the most common design has a strong chassis together with a rear mounted boom and side cab.