A telescopic handler is like a forklift. It possesses a single telescopic boom which extends forwards and upwards from the truck, and a counterweight situated within the rear. It functions much more like a crane than a forklift. The boom could be outfitted with a variety of attachments. The most popular attachment is pallet forks, but the operator can also attach a lift table, bucket or muck grab. Also called a telehandler, this particular kind of machine is commonly used in agriculture and industry.
A telehandler is often employed to move loads to and from areas which would be difficult for a standard forklift to access. Telehandlers are frequently used to unload pallets from inside a trailer. They are also more handy compared to a crane for lifting loads onto rooftops and other high places.
There is only one major limitation in utilizing telehandlers. Despite rear counterweights, 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.
Telehandlers were developed within England by the Matbro company. Their design was based on articulated cross country forklifts used in forestry. Initial models consisted of a driver's cab on the rear section and a centrally mounted boom on the front, but these days the most popular design has a rigid chassis along with a side cab and rear mounted boom.