Rough-terrain and vertical-mast lift trucks keep lifting and positioning various building supplies on different jobsites even through the rise and evolution of telehandlers on the market. There are many traditional-style lift trucks available within the material handling industry which lost market share to telehandlers. This occurred particularly when the challenger broke onto the construction scene. Ever since that time, sales numbers have become stable. Vertical-mast forklifts have re-surfaced and seem to be becoming more popular once more because of their greater efficiency, lower cost and adaptation of certain telehandler-like features.
The straight mast lift truck can complete two times the job as a telehandler due to their excellent handling and maneuverability along with their better ground speed. Fascinatingly enough, rental companies are starting to charge higher rates on straight-mast models.
Rental buyers are having major influence within the rough-terrain lift truck industry. Over half of all vertical-mast forklifts are currently being sold to a rental yard. These acquisitions are usually driven mostly by use, that is a factor closely followed by purchase price.
The telehandler has become a very common machine in the material handling industry. Their popularity has given them a super advantage in terms of rental utilization. Their overall expansion has been moderated by their higher price. There is some forklift users who feel that telehandlers are not practically as helpful compared to conventional rough-terrain lift trucks for unloading and loading repetitive tasks. This means that even though competition amongst telehandler marketers has lowered their prices, a lot choose the RT lift trucks that have been working well for decades.
In comparison, the telehandler is ganglier, a little slower to operate and requires a higher level of skill to complete the task. On the upside, they get the reach if they require it. There would continuously be a place within the industry for forklifts however, because there are locations which you can not access with a telehandler.
Rough terrain forklifts are usually compact equipment, smaller but more able to lift a heavier load vertically compared to the telehandler. Essentially, in order to use the best machinery for your application, you should determine what jobs exactly you will be completing, the type of setting and circumstances you would be operating in and what your load capacity is. These factors would help you decide what the best alternatives available are.