Telescopic handlers are somewhat similar to forklifts. It possesses one telescopic boom which extends both upwards and forwards from the truck, and a counterweight situated within the rear. It functions a lot more like a crane than a forklift. The boom could be outfitted with different kinds of attachments. The most popular attachment is pallet forks, but the operator can also attach a bucket, muck grab or lift table. Also called a telehandler, this type of equipment is normally utilized in agriculture and industry.
A telehandler is most frequently employed to move loads to and from areas which would be hard for a conventional forklift to access. Telehandlers are normally utilized to unload pallets from within a trailer. They are also more practical compared to a crane for carrying loads onto other high areas and rooftops.
The telehandler has one major limitation. Even with counterweights at the rear, the weight-bearing boom could cause the equipment to destabilize while it extends. Therefore, the lifting capacity decreases when the distance between the center of the load and the front of the wheels increases.
The Matbro company developed telehandlers within England. Their design was based mainly on articulated cross country forklifts used in forestry. Early models consisted of a driver's cab on the back section and a centrally mounted boom on the front, but these days the design that is most popular has a strong chassis along with a rear mounted boom and side cab.