Telescopic handlers are somewhat like forklifts. It possesses a single telescopic boom that extends forwards and upwards from the truck, and a counterweight situated within the rear. It functions more like a crane than a forklift. The boom can be equipped with various kinds of attachments. The most common attachment is pallet forks, but the operator could also attach a bucket, muck grab or lift table. Also known as a telehandler, this type of machine is commonly used in agriculture and industry.
When it is difficult for a standard forklift to access places, a telehandler is usually utilized to move loads. Telehandlers are normally used to unload pallets from inside a trailer. They are also more handy than a crane for lifting loads onto other high areas and rooftops.
There is only one major limitation in utilizing telehandlers. Despite counterweights at the rear, the weight-bearing boom can cause the vehicle to destabilize when it extends. Hence, the lifting capacity decreases when the distance between the front of the wheels and the centre of the load increases.
Telehandlers were developed in England by the Matbro company. Their design was based mainly on articulated cross country forklifts used in forestry. First versions had a driver's cab on the back section and a centrally mounted boom on the front, but these days the most common design has a rigid chassis with a rear mounted boom and side cab.