A telescopic handler is like a forklift. It has a single telescopic boom which extends both forwards and upwards from the truck, and a counterweight within the rear. It functions much more like a crane than a forklift. The boom could be outfitted with a variety of attachments. The most common attachment is pallet forks, but the operator could also attach a lift table, bucket or muck grab. Also called a telehandler, this kind of machine is commonly used in agriculture and industry.
A telehandler is most frequently used to transport loads to and from places that will be difficult for a conventional forklift to access. Telehandlers are usually utilized to unload pallets from in a trailer. They are also more handy than a crane for carrying loads onto other high locations and rooftops.
The telehandler has one major limitation. Even with rear counterweights, the weight-bearing boom can cause the equipment to destabilize when it extends. Thus, 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 mostly on articulated cross country forklifts used in forestry. First versions consisted of a driver's cab on the back section and a centrally mounted boom on the front, but today the most popular design has a rigid chassis with a side cab and rear mounted boom.