Rough-terrain and vertical-mast lift trucks keep lifting and positioning various construction supplies on different jobsites even through the rise and evolution of telehandlers on the market. There are numerous traditional-style lift trucks offered in the material handling business which lost market share to telehandlers. This happened especially when the challenger broke onto the construction scene. Since that time, sales numbers have stabilized. Vertical-mast forklifts have re-emerged and seem to be becoming more popular again due to their greater production, alteration of some telehandler-like features and low cost.
Straight-mast machinery would complete two times the job which a telehandler would do because of their maneuverability and ground speed. Fascinatingly enough, rental outfits are beginning to charge higher rates on straight-mast models.
Rental buyers are having significant influence in the rough-terrain lift truck business. More than half of all vertical-mast forklifts are now being sold to a rental yard. These purchases are normally driven mostly by utilization, that is a factor closely followed by purchase price.
The telehandler has become a very popular machinery in the material handling business. Their popularity has given them a better advantage when it comes to rental utilization. Their overall expansion has been moderated by their higher price. There is some forklift users who feel that telehandlers are not practically as productive as opposed to traditional rough-terrain lift trucks for unloading and loading repetitive tasks. This means that although competition amongst telehandler marketers has lowered their prices, many prefer the RT forklifts that have been performing well for decades.
The telehandler is a little slower equipment in comparison to a rough terrain lift truck model. They are also ganglier to operate and requires a higher level of skillfulness to complete the task. On the upside, they get the reach if they require it. There would always be a place in the industry for forklifts though, since there are places which you will not be able to access with a telehandler.
Rough terrain forklifts are usually compact equipment, smaller but more able to lift a heavier load vertically compared to the telehandler. Essentially, in order to utilize the right machinery for your application, you must determine what jobs precisely you would be completing, the type of environment and conditions you will be operating in and what your load capacity is. All these factors would help you decide what the best alternatives available are.