JCB is celebrating a major milestone with its unique JCB Teletruk industrial forklift – the production of the 7,500th machine. The JCB Teletruk was launched to the UK market in 1997 and since then its appeal has widened to include customers across the world, including Brazil, South Africa and the USA. The latest new export dealers to order Teletruks are based in New Zealand and Australia.

The machine, produced at JCB Utility Products, Cheadle, Staffordshire, was launched after almost two years of secret development work and thanks to its telescopic boom, which enables it to reach forwards and place loads, it is much more versatile than traditional masted forklifts.

JCB Industrial General Manager Chris Nowell said: “Manufacturing 7,500 JCB Teletruks is a huge achievement for a unique JCB product which is now found at work around the world. Its appeal has grown because of its ability to do what ordinary forklifts cannot by virtue of its telescopic boom.”

The Teletruk utilises the telescopic boom well-known on larger JCB Loadall telescopic handlers which are used in the construction and agricultural sectors. But this boom design is fitted to a small chassis with a rear counterweight, allowing the machine to lift large loads of up to 3.5 tonnes. The majority of Teletruks produced at the Cheadle factory are four-wheel-drive, another unique feature. Today, Teletruks are used in industries as diverse as waste, agriculture, builders merchants, ports, airports and fish farms.

The forward reach capability enables single side loading, saving up to 50% loading space in congested yards; the reaching over obstacles in busy storage yards and the reaching into Transit-type vans, reducing risk of damage. The Teletruk can also reach into ships, ferries and railway carriages from quaysides and platforms. It can be used with a range of more than 3,000 different attachments, which can be changed in minutes, maximising its efficiency and versatility. The JCB Teletruk has a maximum lift height of 5150mm and maximum forward reach of 3300mm.