A telescopic handler is similar to a forklift. It has a single telescopic boom which extends forwards and upwards from the truck, and a counterweight situated within the back. It functions much more like a crane than a forklift. The boom could be equipped with various kinds of attachments. The most common attachment is pallet forks, but the operator could also attach a lift table, bucket or muck grab. Also known as a telehandler, this type of machinery is normally utilized in industry and agriculture.
When it is hard for a conventional forklift to access areas, a telehandler is usually used to transport loads. Telehandlers are normally used to unload pallets from inside a trailer. They are also more handy than a crane for carrying loads onto rooftops and other high locations.
There is only one major limitation in utilizing telehandlers. Even with rear counterweights, the weight-bearing boom could cause the machine to destabilize as it extends. Thus, the lifting capacity lessens as the distance between the center of the load and the front of the wheels increases.
The Matbro company developed telehandlers within England. Their design was based largely on articulated cross country forklifts utilized in forestry. Initial versions 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 rigid chassis with a side cab and rear mounted boom.