A telescopic handler is similar to a forklift. It possesses one telescopic boom that extends both forwards and upwards from the truck, and a counterweight located in the back. It works much more like a crane than a forklift. The boom can be equipped with different kinds of attachments. The most common attachment is pallet forks, but the operator can also attach a muck grab, lift table or bucket. Also called a telehandler, this kind of machinery is usually used in industry and agriculture.
A telehandler is often employed to transport loads to and from areas which would be hard for a conventional forklift to access. Telehandlers are usually used to unload pallets from in a trailer. They are also more practical than a crane for carrying loads onto rooftops and other high areas.
There is only one major limitation in using telehandlers. Despite rear counterweights, the weight-bearing boom can cause the machine to destabilize as it extends. Thus, 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 on articulated cross country forklifts utilized in forestry. Early versions consisted of a driver's cab on the back section and a centrally mounted boom on the front, but today the most common design has a strong chassis together with a side cab and rear mounted boom.