Telescopic handlers are a bit similar to forklifts. It possesses one telescopic boom that extends upwards and forwards from the truck, and a counterweight in the rear. It functions a lot more like a crane than a forklift. The boom could be outfitted with a variety of attachments. The most popular attachment is pallet forks, but the operator can also attach a bucket, muck grab or lift table. Also known as a telehandler, this type of equipment is normally used in industry and agriculture.
When it is hard for a conventional forklift to access areas, a telehandler is usually utilized to move loads. Telehandlers are usually 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 locations.
There is only one major limitation in using telehandlers. Even with counterweights at the rear, the weight-bearing boom can cause the machine to destabilize as it extends. Hence, the lifting capacity decreases as 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 mainly on articulated cross country forklifts utilized in forestry. First models consisted of a driver's cab on the back section and a centrally mounted boom on the front, but nowadays the most popular design has a strong chassis with a rear mounted boom and side cab.