Telescopic handlers are somewhat similar to forklifts. It has one telescopic boom that extends both upwards and forwards from the truck, and a counterweight situated in the back. It functions more like a crane than a forklift. The boom can be outfitted with a variety 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 particular type of machine is normally utilized in agriculture and industry.
A telehandler is often utilized to transport loads to and from areas which would be hard for a conventional forklift to access. Telehandlers are normally utilized to unload pallets from inside a trailer. They are also more handy compared to 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 equipment to destabilize when it extends. Hence, the lifting capacity decreases as the distance between the front of the wheels and the centre of the load increases.
The Matbro company developed telehandlers in England. Their design was based mostly on articulated cross country forklifts used in forestry. Initial versions consisted of a driver's cab on the rear section and a centrally mounted boom on the front, but these days the most common design has a rigid chassis with a side cab and rear mounted boom.