A telescopic handler is similar to a forklift. It possesses a single telescopic boom which extends both upwards and forwards from the truck, and a counterweight located in the back. It functions more like a crane than a forklift. The boom can be outfitted with different kinds of attachments. The most common attachment is pallet forks, but the operator could also attach a bucket, muck grab or lift table. Also called a telehandler, this kind of machine is usually utilized in industry and agriculture.
A telehandler is most frequently utilized to move loads to and from areas that will be hard for a standard forklift to access. Telehandlers are normally used to unload pallets from inside a trailer. They are also more handy compared to a crane for lifting loads onto other high places and rooftops.
The telehandler has one major limitation. Despite counterweights at the back, the weight-bearing boom could cause the vehicle to destabilize when it extends. Therefore, the lifting capacity lessens when the distance between the front of the wheels and the centre of the load increases.
The Matbro company developed telehandlers within England. Their design was based on articulated cross country forklifts utilized in forestry. Early versions had a centrally mounted boom on the front and a driver's cab on the back section, but these days the most common design has a strong chassis together with a side cab and rear mounted boom.