Telescopic handlers are a bit similar to forklifts. It has one telescopic boom which extends forwards and upwards from the truck, and a counterweight in the back. It functions much more like a crane than a forklift. The boom could be outfitted with various kinds of attachments. The most common attachment is pallet forks, but the operator can also attach a lift table, bucket or muck grab. Also called a telehandler, this particular kind of machine is normally used in industry and agriculture.
When it is difficult for a standard forklift to access places, a telehandler is frequently used to transport loads. Telehandlers are normally utilized to unload pallets from inside a trailer. They are also more practical 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 equipment to destabilize while it extends. Hence, the lifting capacity decreases 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 largely on articulated cross country forklifts utilized in forestry. Early models consisted of 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 strong chassis with a side cab and rear mounted boom.