Even after the rise and explosion of telehandlers on the material handling industry, rough terrain lift trucks and vertical mast lift trucks can be found picking up and moving various items and supplies on jobsites around the world. There have been numerous other traditional lift trucks which lost market share to telehandlers. This occurred particularly when the challenger broke onto the construction scene. Since that time, sales numbers have become stable. Vertical-mast lift trucks have re-surfaced and seem to be becoming more popular again because of their greater production, alteration of some telehandler-like features and low cost.
Straight-mast machines would finish double the job that a telehandler will do due to their ground speed and maneuverability. Fascinatingly enough, rental companies are starting to charge higher rates on straight-mast units.
Within the rough-terrain forklift business, rental buyers have been having a greater influence. More than 50 percent of all vertical-mast forklifts are now being sold to a rental yard. These acquisitions are generally driven mostly by utilization, that is a factor closely followed by purchase price.
Within the material handling industry, the telehandler has become the darling new machinery. Its popularity has enhanced its advantage in the rental market as well. Their overall expansion has been moderated by their higher price. There is some forklift users who feel that telehandlers are not practically as helpful compared to conventional rough-terrain forklifts for unloading and loading repetitive tasks. This means that even if competition among telehandler marketers has lowered their prices, many prefer the RT lift trucks that have been working well for decades.
The telehandler is a little slower equipment in comparison to a rough terrain forklift model. They are also ganglier to utilize and requires a higher level of skillfulness to finish the task. On the upside, they get the reach if they need it. There would always be a place in the industry for lift trucks however, because there are locations which you will not be able to access with a telehandler.
Rough terrain forklifts are normally compact machinery, smaller but more able to lift a heavier cargo vertically compared to the telehandler. Basically, so as to utilize the right machinery for your application, you must determine what jobs precisely you will be accomplishing, the type of circumstances and environment you would be operating in and what your load capacity is. These factors will help you choose what the best options available are.