Vertical-mast and rough-terrain lift trucks keep lifting and placing various building supplies on various jobsites even through the evolution and rise of telehandlers on the market. There are numerous conventional-style forklifts offered within the material handling industry which lost market share to telehandlers. This occurred especially when the challenger broke onto the construction scene. Since that time, sales numbers have stabilized. Vertical-mast lift trucks have re-emerged and seem to be becoming more popular once more thanks to their greater productivity, adaptation of certain telehandler-like features and low cost.
Straight-mast equipment will finish twice the job that 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 business, rental purchasers have been having a greater influence. Over 50 percent of all vertical-mast forklifts are now being sold to a rental yard. These purchases are normally driven mainly by utilization, which is a factor closely followed by purchase 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 lift truck users who feel that telehandlers are not nearly as productive compared to conventional rough-terrain lift trucks for loading and unloading repetitive jobs. This means that although competition amongst telehandler marketers has lowered their prices, a lot choose the RT lift trucks which have been performing 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 lift trucks though, since there are locations which you will not be able to access with a telehandler.
The rough-terrain forklift is small, compact and could carry a heavier cargo vertically compared to the telehandler. Essentially, in order to use the best machine for your application, you must determine what tasks exactly you would be accomplishing, the type of circumstances and environment you would be operating in and what your load capacity is. All these factors will help you decide what the best options available are.