Rough-terrain and vertical-mast forklift marketers have continued in spite of diminished overall sales. There are at least 19 different lift truck brands within North America, with over 100 various units available all around the world. In regards to manufacturers, there is practically the same number of telehandler manufacturers, even though their products are being marketed under 24 different brands. Understandably, several of the brands market both lift trucks and telehandlers. Several of the main players within the industry comprise names such as JCB, Case, Tovel, Lift King, Sellick, Manitou, Ingersoll Rand and Omega Lift.
Lift Truck marketers have increased their maneuverability advantages by borrowing some of the features that have increased the telehandler's fame. Like for example, Tovel, Manitou, Omega Lift and AUSA utilize hydraulic chassis-leveling systems which allow the operator to square up the truck's frame when it is sitting on uneven terrain in order for lifts to be made more safely. This feature is provided as an option by Swinger, Load Lifter, and Lift King lift trucks.
One more telehandler-like technology is the 4-wheel steer. Omega Lift, Lift King, Load Lifter and Tovel all offer extremely durable and rigid framed machines operating on 4 equal sized tires. These four-wheel coordinated steering and crab-steering modes offer the fantastic maneuverability which rivals the 4-wheeled steering standard lift truck models. There are additional flexibility options with the sideways shuttle crab-steer mode too.
The side-shifting mast or carriage sideshift could improve placement dexterity. A typical feature which is quite common is the mast sideshift. This is provided on the majority of lift trucks available. It allows the operator to move the mast hydraulically a few inches to either side of center. One more option is the carriage sideshift. This works by moving the carriage to either side of the center of the mast.