Even after the rise and explosion of telehandlers on the material handling business, rough terrain forklifts and vertical mast lift trucks could be found picking up and transporting different goods and materials on jobsites all over the globe. There have been numerous other standard lift trucks which lost market share to telehandlers. This happened specially when the challenger broke onto the construction scene. Since that time, sales numbers have stabilized. Vertical-mast lift trucks have re-surfaced and seem to be becoming more popular once more because of their greater productivity, alteration of certain telehandler-like features and low cost.
Straight-mast equipment will complete double the work which a telehandler will do due to their ground speed and maneuverability. Interestingly enough, rental outfits are beginning to charge higher rates on straight-mast models.
In the rough-terrain lift truck industry, rental buyers have been having a greater influence. More than 50 percent of all vertical-mast forklifts are presently being sold to a rental yard. These acquisitions are normally driven mainly by use, which is a factor closely followed by acquisition price.
In the material handling business, the telehandler has become the darling new machine. 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 nearly as useful as opposed to traditional rough-terrain forklifts for loading and unloading repetitive jobs. This means that even though competition amongst telehandler marketers has lowered their prices, many choose the RT lift trucks that have been performing well for decades.
The telehandler is a little slower machine in comparison to a rough terrain lift truck model. They are also ganglier to use and needs a higher level of skill to finish the task. On the upside, they get the reach if they require it. There will 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.
The rough-terrain forklift is small, compact and able to lift a heavier cargo vertically as opposed to the telehandler. Essentially, so as to utilize the best machine for your application, you would have to determine what tasks exactly you will be completing, the kind of setting and conditions you would be operating in and what your load capacity is. These factors would help you choose what the right options available are.