Even after the rise and explosion of telehandlers on the material handling industry, rough terrain lift trucks and vertical mast lift trucks could be found lifting and transporting different goods and materials on jobsites all around the world. There have been numerous other traditional lift trucks which lost market share to telehandlers. This happened especially 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 again because of their greater production, lower cost and alteration of some telehandler-like features.
The straight mast lift truck could complete double the work as a telehandler because of their excellent handling and maneuverability in addition to their better ground speed. Interestingly enough, rental outfits are beginning to charge higher rates on straight-mast units.
In the rough-terrain forklift business, rental purchasers have been having a greater influence. Over 50 percent of all vertical-mast lift trucks are presently being sold to a rental yard. These acquisitions are usually driven mostly by utilization, that is a factor closely followed by acquisition price.
In the material handling industry, the telehandler has become the darling new machinery. Its popularity has enhanced its advantage 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 as opposed to traditional rough-terrain forklifts for loading and unloading repetitive tasks. This means that although competition among telehandler marketers has lowered their prices, many choose the RT forklifts that have been working well for decades.
In comparison, the telehandler is ganglier, a little slower to operate and needs a higher level of skill to finish the job. On the upside, they get the reach if they require it. There will continuously be a place within the industry for forklifts however, as there are locations which you will not be able to access with a telehandler.
The rough-terrain lift truck is small, compact and could lift a heavier load vertically compared to the telehandler. Essentially, so as to use the right machine for your application, you would need to determine what tasks precisely you will be completing, the type of conditions and setting you would be operating in and what your load capacity is. These factors will help you choose what the best alternatives available are.