A telescopic handler is similar to a forklift. It has one telescopic boom which extends upwards and forwards from the truck, and a counterweight situated within the rear. It functions more like a crane than a forklift. The boom could be outfitted with different kinds of attachments. The most popular attachment is pallet forks, but the operator can also attach a lift table, bucket or muck grab. Also called a telehandler, this type of machinery is normally utilized in industry and agriculture.
A telehandler is often used to transport loads to and from places that will be hard for a conventional forklift to access. Telehandlers are usually used to unload pallets from inside 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. Even with rear counterweights, the weight-bearing boom could cause the vehicle to destabilize as it extends. Therefore, the lifting capacity lessens when 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. Initial versions consisted of a centrally mounted boom on the front and a driver's cab on the rear section, but today the most popular design has a rigid chassis with a side cab and rear mounted boom.