Telescopic handlers are somewhat similar to forklifts. It has a single telescopic boom which extends both upwards and forwards from the truck, and a counterweight in the rear. It works 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 muck grab, lift table or bucket. Also called a telehandler, this particular kind of equipment is usually used in industry and agriculture.
When it is difficult for a conventional forklift to access places, a telehandler is commonly used to transport loads. Telehandlers are frequently utilized to unload pallets from inside a trailer. They are also more handy compared to a crane for carrying loads onto rooftops and other high areas.
The telehandler has one major limitation. Despite rear counterweights, the weight-bearing boom can cause the equipment to destabilize as 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 within England. Their design was based on articulated cross country forklifts utilized in forestry. First models had a driver's cab on the rear section and a centrally mounted boom on the front, but nowadays the most popular design has a rigid chassis along with a side cab and rear mounted boom.