A telescopic handler is similar to a forklift. It has a single telescopic boom that extends forwards and upwards from the truck, and a counterweight located within the rear. It functions more like a crane than a forklift. The boom can be equipped with a variety of attachments. The most common attachment is pallet forks, but the operator could also attach a lift table, bucket or muck grab. Also called a telehandler, this particular kind of equipment is normally utilized in industry and agriculture.
When it is difficult for a conventional forklift to access places, a telehandler is commonly utilized to transport loads. Telehandlers are frequently utilized to unload pallets from in a trailer. They are also more handy than a crane for lifting loads onto rooftops and other high areas.
The telehandler has one major limitation. Even with counterweights at the back, the weight-bearing boom could cause the vehicle to destabilize when it extends. Therefore, the lifting capacity decreases as 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 mostly on articulated cross country forklifts utilized in forestry. Early models had a centrally mounted boom on the front and a driver's cab on the rear section, but nowadays the most popular design has a rigid chassis with a rear mounted boom and side cab.