Telescopic handlers are somewhat similar to forklifts. It has a single telescopic boom that extends upwards and forwards from the truck, and a counterweight within the rear. It works more like a crane than a forklift. The boom can be outfitted with different kinds of attachments. The most popular attachment is pallet forks, but the operator could also attach a bucket, muck grab or lift table. Also called a telehandler, this kind of equipment is usually used in agriculture and industry.
A telehandler is most frequently employed to transport loads to and from places that will be hard for a conventional forklift to access. Telehandlers are normally used to unload pallets from within a trailer. They are also more practical than a crane for lifting loads onto rooftops and other high locations.
The telehandler has one major limitation. Even with rear counterweights, the weight-bearing boom can cause the machine to destabilize as it extends. Hence, the lifting capacity decreases as the distance between the front of the wheels and the centre of the load increases.
Telehandlers were developed within England by the Matbro company. Their design was based mainly on articulated cross country forklifts utilized in forestry. Early models had a driver's cab on the back section and a centrally mounted boom on the front, but these days the design that is most popular has a strong chassis along with a rear mounted boom and side cab.