A telescopic handler is similar to a forklift. It has one telescopic boom that extends upwards and forwards from the truck, and a counterweight situated in the rear. It functions more like a crane than a forklift. The boom could be equipped with a variety 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 particular kind of machinery is usually used in industry and agriculture.
When it is difficult for a conventional forklift to access places, a telehandler is usually utilized to transport loads. Telehandlers are normally utilized to unload pallets from inside a trailer. They are also more practical than a crane for lifting loads onto other high areas and rooftops.
The telehandler has one major limitation. Despite counterweights at the back, the weight-bearing boom can cause the vehicle to destabilize while it extends. Hence, the lifting capacity decreases when the distance between the front of the wheels and the centre of the load increases.
Telehandlers were developed within England by the Matbro company. Their design was based mainly on articulated cross country forklifts utilized in forestry. Initial models had a centrally mounted boom on the front and a driver's cab on the rear section, but nowadays the design which is most popular has a strong chassis together with a rear mounted boom and side cab.