A telescopic handler is similar to a forklift. It possesses a single telescopic boom that extends upwards and forwards from the truck, and a counterweight within the back. It works 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 referred to as a telehandler, this particular kind of equipment is usually utilized in industry and agriculture.
When it is hard for a standard forklift to access places, a telehandler is usually used to move loads. Telehandlers are normally used to unload pallets from inside a trailer. They are also more handy than a crane for lifting loads onto other high areas and rooftops.
The telehandler has one major limitation. Despite counterweights at the rear, the weight-bearing boom can cause the vehicle to destabilize when it extends. Hence, the lifting capacity decreases when the distance between the front of the wheels and the centre of the load increases.
Telehandlers were developed in England by the Matbro company. Their design was based mostly on articulated cross country forklifts utilized in forestry. Initial versions consisted of a driver's cab on the rear section and a centrally mounted boom on the front, but nowadays the design that is most popular has a rigid chassis with a side cab and rear mounted boom.