Vertical-mast and rough-terrain forklifts keep lifting and positioning different construction materials on different jobsites even through the evolution and rise of telehandlers on the market. There are many traditional-style forklifts offered in the material handling industry that lost market share to telehandlers. This happened especially when the competition broke onto the construction scene. Since that time, sales numbers have become stable. Vertical-mast lift trucks have re-surfaced and seem to be becoming more popular again due to their greater efficiency, lower cost and adaptation of certain telehandler-like features.
The straight mast forklift can complete double the work as a telehandler due to their excellent maneuverability and handling along with their better ground speed. Fascinatingly enough, rental outfits are starting to charge higher rates on straight-mast models.
In the rough-terrain forklift industry, rental purchasers have been having a greater influence. Over half of all vertical-mast lift trucks are currently being sold to a rental yard. These purchases are usually driven mostly by use, that is a factor closely followed by purchase price.
The telehandler has become an extremely common equipment in the material handling business. Their popularity has given them a better advantage when it comes to rental use. Their overall expansion has been moderated by their higher price. There is some lift truck users who feel that telehandlers are not practically as helpful as opposed to traditional rough-terrain forklifts for loading and unloading repetitive jobs. 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.
In comparison, the telehandler is ganglier, a little slower 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 would always be a place within the business for forklifts however, as there are locations which you can not access with a telehandler.
The rough-terrain forklift is compact, small and able to lift a heavier load vertically as opposed to the telehandler. Basically, so as to use the right machine for your application, you would need to determine what tasks exactly you would be completing, the type of environment and conditions you will be operating in and what your load capacity is. These factors will help you decide what the best alternatives available are.