Telescopic handlers are a bit like forklifts. It has one telescopic boom which extends upwards and forwards from the truck, and a counterweight located within the back. It works a lot more like a crane than a forklift. The boom can be equipped with a variety of attachments. The most common attachment is pallet forks, but the operator can also attach a muck grab, lift table or bucket. Also referred to as a telehandler, this type of machinery is commonly utilized in industry and agriculture.
A telehandler is often utilized to transport loads to and from places that will be difficult for a standard forklift to access. Telehandlers are frequently utilized to unload pallets from within a trailer. They are also more handy compared to a crane for carrying loads onto rooftops and other high places.
The telehandler has one major limitation. Even with rear counterweights, the weight-bearing boom can 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 in England. Their design was based mainly on articulated cross country forklifts used in forestry. First models had a driver's cab on the back section and a centrally mounted boom on the front, but nowadays the design which is most common has a rigid chassis with a rear mounted boom and side cab.