Vertical-mast and rough-terrain forklifts keep lifting and positioning different construction supplies on different jobsites even through the evolution and rise of telehandlers on the market. There are many conventional-style lift trucks existing in the material handling industry which lost market share to telehandlers. This happened particularly when the competition broke onto the construction scene. Since that time, sales numbers have become stable. Vertical-mast forklifts have re-emerged and seem to be becoming more popular once more because of their greater efficiency, lower cost and adaptation of some telehandler-like features.
Straight-mast machines would complete double the job that a telehandler will do due to their maneuverability and ground speed. Fascinatingly enough, rental companies are beginning to charge higher rates on straight-mast units.
Rental purchasers are having significant influence within the rough-terrain lift truck industry. Over half of all vertical-mast forklifts are now being sold to a rental yard. These purchases are normally driven mainly by use, which is a factor closely followed by acquisition price.
Within the material handling business, the telehandler has become the darling new machine. 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 productive as opposed to traditional rough-terrain forklifts for unloading and loading repetitive tasks. This means that even if competition amongst telehandler marketers has lowered their prices, a lot choose the RT lift trucks which have been performing well for decades.
The telehandler is a little slower machinery in comparison to a rough terrain forklift model. They are also ganglier to operate and requires a higher level of skillfulness to finish the task. On the upside, they get the reach if they need it. There will always be a place in the industry for lift trucks though, since there are places that you could not access with a telehandler.
Rough terrain lift trucks are generally compact machines, smaller but more able to lift a heavier cargo vertically compared to the telehandler. Basically, in order to use the right machine for your application, you would need to determine what tasks precisely you would be completing, the kind of setting and circumstances you would be operating in and what your load capacity is. These factors would help you choose what the best options available are.