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 rear. It functions more like a crane than a forklift. The boom could be outfitted with different kinds of attachments. The most popular attachment is pallet forks, but the operator can also attach a lift table, bucket or muck grab. Also referred to as a telehandler, this kind of equipment is usually used in agriculture and industry.
When it is hard for a conventional forklift to access areas, a telehandler is commonly used to move loads. Telehandlers are normally utilized to unload pallets from in a trailer. They are also more practical compared to a crane for carrying loads onto rooftops and other high locations.
The telehandler has one major limitation. Even with counterweights at the back, the weight-bearing boom can cause the equipment 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 used in forestry. First versions had a centrally mounted boom on the front and a driver's cab on the rear section, but today the design that is most common has a strong chassis together with a side cab and rear mounted boom.