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 more like a crane than a forklift. The boom can be outfitted with different kinds of attachments. The most common attachment is pallet forks, but the operator could also attach a muck grab, lift table or bucket. Also called a telehandler, this particular type of machine is commonly utilized in industry and agriculture.
A telehandler is often utilized to move loads to and from places which will be hard for a conventional forklift to access. Telehandlers are frequently utilized to unload pallets from within a trailer. They are also more handy than a crane for carrying loads onto rooftops and other high locations.
The telehandler has one major limitation. Even with rear counterweights, the weight-bearing boom can cause the equipment to destabilize when it extends. Therefore, the lifting capacity decreases as the distance between the center of the load and the front of the wheels increases.
The Matbro company developed telehandlers in England. Their design was based mostly on articulated cross country forklifts used in forestry. First versions had a centrally mounted boom on the front and a driver's cab on the back section, but these days the most common design has a strong chassis with a side cab and rear mounted boom.