Rough-terrain and vertical-mast forklifts keep lifting and positioning different construction supplies on various jobsites even through the evolution and rise of telehandlers on the market. There are many traditional-style lift trucks available within the material handling market that lost market share to telehandlers. This happened specially when the competition broke onto the construction scene. Since that time, sales numbers have become stable. Vertical-mast lift trucks have re-surfaced and seem to be becoming more popular once more because of their greater production, lower cost and alteration of some telehandler-like features.
The straight mast lift truck can complete two times the job as a telehandler because of their excellent handling and maneuverability in addition to their better ground speed. Fascinatingly enough, rental companies are beginning to charge higher rates on straight-mast models.
Rental buyers are having significant influence within the rough-terrain forklift industry. Over half of all vertical-mast lift trucks are presently being sold to a rental yard. These acquisitions are generally driven mainly by utilization, which is a factor closely followed by purchase price.
The telehandler has become an extremely popular machinery within the material handling business. Their popularity has given them a better advantage in terms of rental utilization. Their overall expansion has been moderated by their higher price. There is several forklift users who feel that telehandlers are not practically as productive compared to traditional rough-terrain forklifts for unloading and loading repetitive jobs. This means that even if competition amongst telehandler marketers has lowered their prices, a lot choose the RT forklifts which have been working well for decades.
The telehandler is a little slower equipment in comparison to a rough terrain lift truck unit. They are also ganglier to use and requires a higher level of skill to finish the task. On the upside, they get the reach if they require it. There will always be a place in the business for forklifts however, as there are locations that you can not access with a telehandler.
The rough-terrain lift truck is small, compact and could lift a heavier cargo vertically as opposed to the telehandler. Essentially, so as to use the right equipment for your application, you should determine what jobs exactly you would be completing, the type of environment and circumstances you will be operating in and what your load capacity is. All these factors will help you decide what the right alternatives available are.