Vertical-mast and rough-terrain lift trucks keep lifting and positioning various building supplies on different jobsites even through the evolution and rise of telehandlers on the market. There are a lot of traditional-style lift trucks existing within the material handling business that lost market share to telehandlers. This happened specially when the challenger broke onto the construction scene. Ever since that time, sales numbers have stabilized. Vertical-mast forklifts have re-surfaced and seem to be becoming more popular once more due to their greater production, adaptation of certain telehandler-like features and low cost.
The straight mast lift truck could finish two times the work as a telehandler because of their excellent handling and maneuverability in combination with their better ground speed. Interestingly enough, rental companies are starting to charge higher rates on straight-mast units.
Rental purchasers are having major influence in the rough-terrain lift truck industry. More than 50 percent of all vertical-mast lift trucks are presently 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 improved its benefit in the rental market as well. Their overall expansion has been moderated by their higher price. There is several forklift users who feel that telehandlers are not nearly as productive as opposed to conventional rough-terrain lift trucks for loading and unloading repetitive jobs. This means that even if competition amongst telehandler marketers has lowered their prices, many prefer the RT lift trucks that have been performing well for decades.
In comparison, the telehandler is a little slower, ganglier to operate and needs a higher level of skill to finish the job. On the upside, they get the reach if they need it. There would continuously be a place within the business for forklifts however, as there are locations which you can not access with a telehandler.
The rough-terrain lift truck is small, compact and could lift a heavier load vertically as opposed to the telehandler. Basically, so as to use the right machinery for your application, you would need to determine what tasks precisely you would be completing, the type of conditions and environment you will be operating in and what your load capacity is. These factors would help you choose what the best alternatives available are.