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 situated within the back. It works 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 could also attach a muck grab, lift table or bucket. Also called a telehandler, this kind of machinery is normally utilized in industry and agriculture.
When it is difficult for a conventional forklift to access areas, a telehandler is commonly utilized to move loads. Telehandlers are usually utilized to unload pallets from in a trailer. They are also more handy compared to a crane for carrying loads onto other high places and rooftops.
The telehandler has one major limitation. Despite rear counterweights, the weight-bearing boom can cause the equipment to destabilize when it extends. Hence, the lifting capacity decreases as the distance between the center of the load and the front of the wheels increases.
The Matbro company developed telehandlers in England. Their design was based mostly on articulated cross country forklifts utilized in forestry. First models had a driver's cab on the rear section and a centrally mounted boom on the front, but nowadays the design which is most common has a strong chassis with a rear mounted boom and side cab.