A telescopic handler is like a forklift. It has a single telescopic boom which extends upwards and forwards from the truck, and a counterweight situated within the rear. It works a lot more like a crane than a forklift. The boom can be outfitted with different types of attachments. The most common attachment is pallet forks, but the operator can also attach a lift table, bucket or muck grab. Also known as a telehandler, this kind of equipment is usually utilized in agriculture and industry.
When it is difficult for a standard forklift to access areas, a telehandler is usually used to transport loads. Telehandlers are commonly utilized to unload pallets from within a trailer. They are also more handy than a crane for carrying loads onto rooftops and other high places.
The telehandler has one major limitation. Despite rear counterweights, the weight-bearing boom can cause the vehicle to destabilize when it extends. Therefore, 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 within England. Their design was based mainly on articulated cross country forklifts used in forestry. Early versions consisted of a driver's cab on the rear section and a centrally mounted boom on the front, but these days the design that is most popular has a strong chassis together with a side cab and rear mounted boom.