A telescopic handler is similar to a forklift. It has a single telescopic boom that extends both upwards and forwards from the truck, and a counterweight within the back. It functions more like a crane than a forklift. The boom can be outfitted with various types 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 type of machinery is normally used in industry and agriculture.
When it is difficult for a standard forklift to access places, a telehandler is frequently used to transport loads. Telehandlers are commonly used to unload pallets from inside a trailer. They are also more handy compared to a crane for carrying loads onto other high locations and rooftops.
There is just one major limitation in using telehandlers. Despite counterweights at the back, the weight-bearing boom can cause the equipment to destabilize while it extends. Hence, the lifting capacity lessens when 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 largely on articulated cross country forklifts used in forestry. Early versions consisted of a centrally mounted boom on the front and a driver's cab on the back section, but today the design that is most common has a strong chassis with a rear mounted boom and side cab.