Even after the rise and explosion of telehandlers on the material handling market, rough terrain forklifts and vertical mast forklifts can be found lifting and moving various goods and supplies on jobsites around the world. There have been numerous other standard lift trucks which lost market share to telehandlers. This happened especially when the competition broke onto the construction scene. Ever since that time, sales numbers have become stable. Vertical-mast forklifts have re-emerged and seem to be becoming more popular once more thanks to their greater efficiency, lower cost and adaptation of certain telehandler-like features.
Straight-mast equipment 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.
In the rough-terrain forklift industry, rental purchasers have been having a greater influence. More than half of all vertical-mast forklifts are presently being sold to a rental yard. These purchases are usually driven mostly by use, that is a factor closely followed by acquisition price.
In the material handling industry, the telehandler has become the darling new equipment. Its popularity has improved its benefit in the rental market too. 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 loading and unloading repetitive jobs. This means that even though competition amongst telehandler marketers has lowered their prices, many prefer the RT forklifts that have been working well for decades.
In comparison, the telehandler is a little slower, ganglier to operate and requires a higher level of skill to finish the task. On the upside, they get the reach if they require it. There will continuously be a place in the industry for lift trucks however, because 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 carry a heavier cargo vertically compared to the telehandler. Basically, so as to use the right equipment for your application, you must determine what tasks precisely you will be accomplishing, the type of environment and conditions you would be operating in and what your load capacity is. All these factors will help you choose what the right options available are.