Even after the rise and explosion of telehandlers on the material handling market, rough terrain lift trucks and vertical mast forklifts could be found lifting and moving various products and materials on jobsites all around the globe. There have been many other standard lift trucks that lost market share to telehandlers. This happened particularly when the competition broke onto the construction scene. Ever since that time, sales numbers have stabilized. Vertical-mast forklifts have re-surfaced and seem to be becoming more popular once more because of their greater production, lower cost and modification of some telehandler-like features.
Straight-mast machines would finish twice the work that a telehandler will do because of their ground speed and maneuverability. Interestingly enough, rental outfits are starting to charge higher rates on straight-mast units.
Within the rough-terrain forklift industry, rental buyers have been having a greater influence. More than 50 percent of all vertical-mast lift trucks are currently being sold to a rental yard. These purchases are normally driven mostly by use, that is a factor closely followed by acquisition price.
The telehandler has become a very common machinery in the material handling business. Their popularity has given them a super advantage in terms of rental use. Their overall expansion has been moderated by their higher price. There is some lift truck users who feel that telehandlers are not nearly as helpful compared to traditional rough-terrain lift trucks for unloading and loading repetitive tasks. This means that although competition among telehandler marketers has lowered their prices, a lot choose the RT lift trucks which have been performing well for decades.
In comparison, the telehandler is a little slower, ganglier to operate and requires a higher level of skillfulness to complete the job. On the upside, they get the reach if they need it. There would continuously be a place within the business for forklifts though, because there are locations that you will not be able to access with a telehandler.
The rough-terrain forklift is small, compact and able to carry a heavier cargo vertically as opposed to the telehandler. Essentially, in order to utilize the best equipment for your application, you would need to determine what tasks exactly you would be accomplishing, the type of setting and circumstances you would be operating in and what your load capacity is. These factors will help you decide what the best alternatives available are.