Telescopic handlers are somewhat like forklifts. It has one telescopic boom which extends upwards and forwards from the truck, and a counterweight within the back. It works more like a crane than a forklift. The boom can be outfitted with a variety of attachments. The most common attachment is pallet forks, but the operator could also attach a muck grab, lift table or bucket. Also known as a telehandler, this type of machine is usually used in industry and agriculture.
When it is hard for a standard forklift to access places, a telehandler is usually utilized to move loads. Telehandlers are commonly utilized to unload pallets from inside a trailer. They are also more practical than a crane for lifting loads onto other high places and rooftops.
There is only one major limitation in using telehandlers. Even with rear counterweights, the weight-bearing boom can cause the machine to destabilize as 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 rear section, but today the design which is most common has a strong chassis along with a side cab and rear mounted boom.