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 transporting different products and materials on jobsites all over the world. 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. Ever since that time, sales numbers have stabilized. Vertical-mast lift trucks have re-emerged 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 machinery would finish two times the job 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 units.
Within the rough-terrain forklift industry, rental buyers have been having a greater influence. Over half of all vertical-mast lift trucks are currently being sold to a rental yard. These acquisitions are usually driven mainly by utilization, which is a factor closely followed by purchase price.
Within the material handling industry, the telehandler has become the darling new machine. Its popularity has improved its benefit in the rental market as well. Their overall expansion has been moderated by their higher price. There is several lift truck users who feel that telehandlers are not practically as useful compared to traditional rough-terrain forklifts for loading and unloading repetitive tasks. This means that even though competition among telehandler marketers has lowered their prices, many prefer the RT lift trucks which have been performing well for decades.
The telehandler is a bit slower equipment in comparison to a rough terrain forklift model. They are also ganglier to operate and requires a higher level of skill to complete the job. On the upside, they get the reach if they require it. There will continuously be a place within the industry for forklifts though, since there are locations that you will not be able to access with a telehandler.
Rough terrain forklifts are usually compact machines, smaller but more able to lift a heavier load vertically as opposed to the telehandler. Basically, in order to utilize the best machinery for your application, you must determine what tasks precisely you will be accomplishing, the kind of environment and circumstances you would be operating in and what your load capacity is. All these factors would help you decide what the best alternatives available are.