Even after the rise and explosion of telehandlers on the material handling market, rough terrain forklifts and vertical mast forklifts can be found picking up and moving various items and supplies on jobsites around the globe. There have been numerous other standard lift trucks that lost market share to telehandlers. This occurred specially when the competition broke onto the construction scene. Ever since that time, sales numbers have become stable. Vertical-mast forklifts have re-surfaced and seem to be becoming more popular once more thanks to their greater production, lower cost and modification of certain telehandler-like features.
Straight-mast machines will complete two times the job which a telehandler would do because of their ground speed and maneuverability. Fascinatingly 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. More than 50 percent of all vertical-mast forklifts are now being sold to a rental yard. These acquisitions are normally driven mostly by use, that 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 too. Their overall expansion has been moderated by their higher price. There is several forklift users who feel that telehandlers are not nearly as productive compared 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 prefer the RT lift trucks which have been working well for decades.
In comparison, the telehandler is ganglier, a little slower 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 within the industry for forklifts though, as there are places that you can not access with a telehandler.
Rough terrain lift trucks are normally compact machines, smaller but more able to carry a heavier cargo vertically as opposed to the telehandler. Essentially, in order to utilize the best machinery for your application, you will have to determine what jobs exactly you would be accomplishing, the kind of environment and conditions you will be operating in and what your load capacity is. These factors will help you choose what the best options available are.