Telescopic handlers are somewhat like forklifts. It possesses one telescopic boom that 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 common attachment is pallet forks, but the operator can also attach a muck grab, lift table or bucket. Also known as a telehandler, this type of equipment is normally used in agriculture and industry.
A telehandler is commonly employed to transport loads to and from areas which would be hard for a conventional forklift to access. Telehandlers are commonly utilized to unload pallets from within a trailer. They are also more handy compared to a crane for carrying loads onto rooftops and other high places.
The telehandler has one major limitation. Despite rear counterweights, the weight-bearing boom could cause the machine to destabilize as it extends. Thus, the lifting capacity decreases 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 largely on articulated cross country forklifts used in forestry. First versions had a driver's cab on the back section and a centrally mounted boom on the front, but these days the design that is most popular has a strong chassis together with a side cab and rear mounted boom.