Rough-terrain and vertical-mast lift trucks keep lifting and placing different construction supplies on various jobsites even through the rise and evolution of telehandlers on the market. There are a lot of traditional-style lift trucks available in the material handling business that lost market share to telehandlers. This occurred specially when the challenger broke onto the construction scene. Since that time, sales numbers have become stable. Vertical-mast forklifts have re-emerged and seem to be becoming more popular again due to their greater efficiency, alteration of some telehandler-like features and low cost.
Straight-mast machines would complete two times the job that a telehandler would do due to their ground speed and maneuverability. Interestingly enough, rental outfits are beginning to charge higher rates on straight-mast models.
In the rough-terrain lift truck industry, rental buyers have been having a greater influence. Over half of all vertical-mast lift trucks are presently being sold to a rental yard. These acquisitions are usually driven mainly by use, which is a factor closely followed by purchase price.
In the material handling industry, the telehandler has become the darling new machinery. Its popularity has improved its benefit in the rental market as well. Their overall expansion has been moderated by their higher price. There is some forklift users who feel that telehandlers are not practically as useful as opposed to conventional rough-terrain lift trucks for loading and unloading repetitive jobs. This means that although competition among telehandler marketers has lowered their prices, a lot prefer the RT lift trucks which have been working well for decades.
The telehandler is a bit slower machinery in comparison to a rough terrain forklift unit. They are also ganglier to operate and needs a higher level of skill to complete the job. On the upside, they get the reach if they require it. There would always be a place in the business for lift trucks though, as there are places that you would not be able to access with a telehandler.
The rough-terrain forklift is compact, small and could carry a heavier cargo vertically as opposed to the telehandler. Essentially, so as to utilize the right machinery for your application, you should determine what jobs precisely you would be completing, the type of setting and conditions you will be operating in and what your load capacity is. All these factors would help you decide what the right alternatives available are.