Vertical-mast and rough-terrain lift trucks keep picking up and positioning different building supplies on various jobsites even through the evolution and rise of telehandlers on the market. There are many traditional-style forklifts offered in the material handling business which lost market share to telehandlers. This occurred specially when the competition broke onto the construction scene. Since that time, sales numbers have become stable. Vertical-mast forklifts have re-surfaced and seem to be becoming more popular again because of their greater productivity, lower cost and modification of some telehandler-like features.
Straight-mast machinery will complete twice the work which a telehandler would do because of their ground speed and maneuverability. Interestingly enough, rental companies are beginning to charge higher rates on straight-mast models.
Rental buyers are having major influence within the rough-terrain forklift industry. Over 50 percent of all vertical-mast forklifts are currently being sold to a rental yard. These acquisitions are normally driven mainly by utilization, that is a factor closely followed by acquisition price.
Within the material handling business, the telehandler has become the darling new machinery. Its popularity has improved its benefit in the rental market as well. Their overall expansion has been moderated by their higher price. There is some forklift users who feel that telehandlers are not nearly as useful compared to traditional rough-terrain forklifts for unloading and loading repetitive tasks. This means that although competition amongst telehandler marketers has lowered their prices, many prefer the RT forklifts which have been performing well for decades.
In comparison, the telehandler is ganglier, a little slower to operate and needs a higher level of skillfulness to complete the job. On the upside, they get the reach if they require it. There will always be a place within the industry for forklifts however, as there are places which you can not access with a telehandler.
Rough terrain forklifts are generally compact equipment, smaller but more able to lift a heavier load vertically as opposed to the telehandler. Essentially, so as to utilize the best machine for your application, you will have to determine what jobs precisely you will be completing, the type of circumstances and setting you will be operating in and what your load capacity is. These factors would help you choose what the right options available are.