A telescopic handler is similar to a forklift. It has a single telescopic boom which extends both forwards and upwards from the truck, and a counterweight situated in the rear. It works a lot more like a crane than a forklift. The boom could be equipped with different types 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 kind of machine is normally used in agriculture and industry.
When it is hard for a conventional forklift to access places, a telehandler is usually utilized to move loads. Telehandlers are commonly used to unload pallets from in 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 using telehandlers. Even with rear counterweights, the weight-bearing boom could cause the equipment to destabilize while it extends. Thus, the lifting capacity lessens when the distance between the center of the load and the front of the wheels increases.
The Matbro company developed telehandlers within England. Their design was based on articulated cross country forklifts utilized in forestry. Early models had a driver's cab on the back section and a centrally mounted boom on the front, but these days the design which is most popular has a rigid chassis along with a rear mounted boom and side cab.