Telescopic handlers are a bit like forklifts. It has a single telescopic boom which extends both forwards and upwards from the truck, and a counterweight within the rear. It functions a lot more like a crane than a forklift. The boom can be outfitted with a variety of attachments. The most common attachment is pallet forks, but the operator can also attach a bucket, muck grab or lift table. Also referred to as a telehandler, this type of equipment is usually utilized in agriculture and industry.
When it is hard for a standard forklift to access areas, a telehandler is commonly utilized to transport loads. Telehandlers are usually utilized to unload pallets from inside a trailer. They are also more practical compared to a crane for lifting loads onto other high places and rooftops.
The telehandler has one major limitation. Despite rear counterweights, the weight-bearing boom could cause the equipment to destabilize while it extends. Hence, the lifting capacity lessens when the distance between the center of the load and the front of the wheels increases.
The Matbro company developed telehandlers in England. Their design was based largely on articulated cross country forklifts used in forestry. Early versions consisted of a driver's cab on the rear section and a centrally mounted boom on the front, but today the design which is most popular has a strong chassis together with a rear mounted boom and side cab.