Telescopic handlers are a bit similar to forklifts. It possesses one telescopic boom which extends both forwards and upwards from the truck, and a counterweight located within the rear. It functions more like a crane than a forklift. The boom could 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 kind of machinery is normally utilized in agriculture and industry.
A telehandler is often utilized to transport loads to and from areas which would be difficult for a standard forklift to access. Telehandlers are usually used to unload pallets from within a trailer. They are also more practical than a crane for lifting loads onto other high locations and rooftops.
The telehandler has one major limitation. Despite counterweights at the rear, 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.
Telehandlers were developed in England by the Matbro company. Their design was based on articulated cross country forklifts utilized in forestry. Early versions consisted of a centrally mounted boom on the front and a driver's cab on the rear section, but today the design which is most common has a strong chassis with a rear mounted boom and side cab.