Telescopic handlers are a bit similar to forklifts. It possesses a single telescopic boom that extends both upwards and forwards from the truck, and a counterweight within the rear. It works much more like a crane than a forklift. The boom can be equipped with different kinds of attachments. The most popular attachment is pallet forks, but the operator could also attach a muck grab, lift table or bucket. Also called a telehandler, this type of machine is usually utilized in agriculture and industry.
A telehandler is most frequently utilized to move loads to and from places which will be hard for a standard forklift to access. Telehandlers are frequently used to unload pallets from inside a trailer. They are also more practical than a crane for carrying loads onto other high locations and rooftops.
There is only one major limitation in utilizing telehandlers. Even with counterweights at the back, the weight-bearing boom could cause the equipment to destabilize while it extends. Hence, the lifting capacity lessens as 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 on articulated cross country forklifts used in forestry. Initial models consisted of a driver's cab on the back section and a centrally mounted boom on the front, but nowadays the most popular design has a rigid chassis together with a rear mounted boom and side cab.