It takes a highly skilled operator to control a crane. This is especially true for the varried cranes that are used on construction sites, as they are often tasked with a variety of different jobs.
Construction cranes themselves are divided into mobile cranes and tower cranes. The mobile cranes are mounted on either trucks or crawlers so they can travel between lifting sites. An articulating crane is a mobile crane in which there is a joint between two sections of the boom, allowing it to move in a way similar to a knuckle in a human finger.
When articulating cranes are used it’s often so that they can lift and move objects over short distances. However the advantage of an articulating crane comes in the form of its wide range of motion. Telescping cranes are designed so that two or more sections of its boom can extend and retract. This alllows its boom to become longer when the situation demands it. Telescoping cranes are less versatile than articulating cranes, but are usually able to lift heavier objects that are located a greater distance away.