A telescopic handler is similar to a forklift. It has a single telescopic boom that extends upwards and forwards from the truck, and a counterweight situated within the back. It functions a lot 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 could also attach a bucket, muck grab or lift table. Also called a telehandler, this particular kind of equipment is commonly utilized in industry and agriculture.
A telehandler is often utilized to transport loads to and from areas that would be hard for a standard forklift to access. Telehandlers are usually used to unload pallets from inside a trailer. They are also more practical compared to a crane for carrying loads onto rooftops and other high places.
There is only one major limitation in utilizing telehandlers. Despite rear counterweights, the weight-bearing boom can cause the equipment to destabilize when it extends. Therefore, the lifting capacity lessens when the distance between the front of the wheels and the centre of the load increases.
The Matbro company developed telehandlers in England. Their design was based largely on articulated cross country forklifts used in forestry. Early versions consisted of a driver's cab on the rear section and a centrally mounted boom on the front, but today the design that is most common has a rigid chassis with a side cab and rear mounted boom.