Telescopic handlers are a bit similar to forklifts. It possesses one telescopic boom which extends upwards and forwards from the truck, and a counterweight within the rear. It functions more like a crane than a forklift. The boom can be equipped with different types of attachments. The most popular attachment is pallet forks, but the operator could also attach a bucket, muck grab or lift table. Also referred to as a telehandler, this particular kind of equipment is usually used in industry and agriculture.
When it is difficult for a standard forklift to access areas, a telehandler is commonly used to move loads. Telehandlers are commonly used to unload pallets from inside a trailer. They are also more handy compared to a crane for carrying loads onto rooftops and other high places.
There is only one major limitation in using telehandlers. Despite rear counterweights, the weight-bearing boom could cause the vehicle to destabilize when it extends. Thus, 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 within England. Their design was based on articulated cross country forklifts used in forestry. Initial models consisted of a driver's cab on the rear section and a centrally mounted boom on the front, but nowadays the most popular design has a strong chassis together with a side cab and rear mounted boom.