A telescopic handler is similar to a forklift. It has one telescopic boom which extends both upwards and forwards from the truck, and a counterweight within the back. It functions much more like a crane than a forklift. The boom can be equipped with various kinds 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 particular type of machinery is normally utilized in agriculture and industry.
When it is difficult for a conventional forklift to access places, a telehandler is frequently utilized to move loads. Telehandlers are commonly used to unload pallets from inside a trailer. They are also more handy compared to a crane for lifting loads onto other high areas and rooftops.
There is just one major limitation in utilizing telehandlers. Despite rear counterweights, the weight-bearing boom could cause the vehicle to destabilize as 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 used in forestry. Initial versions had a driver's cab on the back section and a centrally mounted boom on the front, but today the most common design has a rigid chassis with a rear mounted boom and side cab.