A telescopic handler is like a forklift. It has one telescopic boom that extends upwards and forwards from the truck, and a counterweight in the back. It functions a lot more like a crane than a forklift. The boom can be outfitted with a variety of attachments. The most common attachment is pallet forks, but the operator can also attach a lift table, bucket or muck grab. Also called a telehandler, this type of equipment is usually utilized in industry and agriculture.
When it is hard for a standard forklift to access areas, a telehandler is frequently used to transport loads. Telehandlers are normally utilized to unload pallets from within a trailer. They are also more practical compared to a crane for lifting loads onto other high locations and rooftops.
There is only one major limitation in utilizing telehandlers. Despite counterweights at the back, the weight-bearing boom can cause the machine to destabilize while 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 within England by the Matbro company. Their design was based on articulated cross country forklifts utilized in forestry. Early versions consisted of a centrally mounted boom on the front and a driver's cab on the back section, but nowadays the design which is most common has a rigid chassis with a side cab and rear mounted boom.