A telescopic handler is like a forklift. It possesses one telescopic boom which extends upwards and forwards from the truck, and a counterweight within the back. It works much more like a crane than a forklift. The boom can be outfitted with various 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 particular kind of machinery is normally utilized in industry and agriculture.
A telehandler is most frequently utilized to transport loads to and from areas that would be difficult for a conventional forklift to access. Telehandlers are commonly used to unload pallets from in a trailer. They are also more practical than a crane for lifting loads onto rooftops and other high places.
There is just one major limitation in utilizing telehandlers. Even with rear counterweights, the weight-bearing boom could cause the equipment to destabilize as it extends. Therefore, 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 largely on articulated cross country forklifts utilized in forestry. Early versions had a driver's cab on the rear section and a centrally mounted boom on the front, but nowadays the most common design has a rigid chassis together with a side cab and rear mounted boom.