A telescopic handler is like a forklift. It has one telescopic boom that extends upwards and forwards from the truck, and a counterweight in the back. It works much 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 lift table, bucket or muck grab. Also called a telehandler, this particular type of equipment is commonly used in industry and agriculture.
When it is difficult for a conventional forklift to access places, a telehandler is usually utilized to move loads. Telehandlers are commonly utilized to unload pallets from within a trailer. They are also more handy compared to a crane for carrying loads onto other high places and rooftops.
There is only one major limitation in utilizing telehandlers. Despite counterweights at the rear, the weight-bearing boom can cause the machine to destabilize as it extends. Therefore, the lifting capacity lessens as the distance between the center of the load and the front of the wheels increases.
Telehandlers were developed in England by the Matbro company. Their design was based mainly on articulated cross country forklifts utilized in forestry. First models consisted of a centrally mounted boom on the front and a driver's cab on the back section, but these days the most popular design has a strong chassis together with a side cab and rear mounted boom.