A telescopic handler is like a forklift. It has one telescopic boom that extends forwards and upwards from the truck, and a counterweight located within the rear. It works more like a crane than a forklift. The boom could be outfitted with various types of attachments. The most common attachment is pallet forks, but the operator can also attach a bucket, muck grab or lift table. Also called a telehandler, this type of machine is usually used in agriculture and industry.
When it is hard for a standard forklift to access places, a telehandler is usually utilized to transport loads. Telehandlers are commonly utilized to unload pallets from within a trailer. They are also more practical compared to a crane for lifting loads onto rooftops and other high areas.
There is only one major limitation in using telehandlers. Despite counterweights at the rear, the weight-bearing boom can cause the machine to destabilize as it extends. Therefore, the lifting capacity decreases when 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 used in forestry. Initial models had a driver's cab on the rear section and a centrally mounted boom on the front, but nowadays the most popular design has a rigid chassis with a rear mounted boom and side cab.