Even after the rise and explosion of telehandlers on the material handling market, rough terrain lift trucks and vertical mast lift trucks could be found picking up and moving various goods and materials on jobsites all around the world. There have been many other standard lift trucks that lost market share to telehandlers. This occurred particularly when the challenger broke onto the construction scene. Ever since that time, sales numbers have stabilized. Vertical-mast lift trucks have re-surfaced and seem to be becoming more popular once more because of their greater production, modification of some telehandler-like features and low cost.
Straight-mast machinery would complete two times the job which a telehandler would do due to their maneuverability and ground speed. Interestingly enough, rental companies are starting to charge higher rates on straight-mast models.
Rental buyers are having significant influence in the rough-terrain forklift industry. Over 50 percent of all vertical-mast lift trucks are presently being sold to a rental yard. These purchases are normally driven mainly by use, which is a factor closely followed by acquisition price.
Within the material handling business, the telehandler has become the darling new equipment. Its popularity has improved its advantage in the rental market too. Their overall expansion has been moderated by their higher price. There is several lift truck users who feel that telehandlers are not practically as productive as opposed to traditional rough-terrain lift trucks for unloading and loading repetitive tasks. This means that although competition amongst telehandler marketers has lowered their prices, many choose the RT lift trucks which have been working well for decades.
The telehandler is a little slower equipment in comparison to a rough terrain lift truck unit. They are also ganglier to utilize and needs a higher level of skillfulness to complete the task. On the upside, they get the reach if they require it. There will continuously be a place within the industry for forklifts however, as there are locations which you would not be able to access with a telehandler.
Rough terrain forklifts are usually compact machines, smaller but more able to carry a heavier load vertically as opposed to the telehandler. Essentially, in order to utilize the best equipment for your application, you would have to determine what tasks precisely you would be accomplishing, the type of environment and circumstances you would be operating in and what your load capacity is. These factors would help you choose what the right options available are.