A telescopic handler is like a forklift. It possesses one telescopic boom which extends upwards and forwards from the truck, and a counterweight situated within the back. It works more like a crane than a forklift. The boom could be equipped with various types of attachments. The most popular attachment is pallet forks, but the operator could also attach a muck grab, lift table or bucket. Also called a telehandler, this kind of machine is normally utilized in agriculture and industry.
When it is hard for a conventional forklift to access areas, a telehandler is frequently used to transport loads. Telehandlers are frequently utilized to unload pallets from within a trailer. They are also more handy compared to a crane for lifting loads onto other high places and rooftops.
There is just one major limitation in utilizing telehandlers. Despite rear counterweights, the weight-bearing boom could cause the vehicle to destabilize when it extends. Hence, 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 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 design which is most common has a strong chassis together with a rear mounted boom and side cab.