Abstract: A telescopic mast for a fork lift truck is disclosed. The telescoping sections of the mast are arranged with the innermost section as the base section, which remains attached to the frame of the truck. The telescoping hydraulic tubes or cylinders are arranged so that the innermost tube is associated with the outermost mast-section. This outside-to-inside arrangement makes it possible for the mast sections to be provided with cross-braces and rails, and still to be telescope-able. The resulting mast-sections are very rigid and stable, yet are light in weight. As the sections are raised, the area exposed to hydraulic pressure becomes progressively less, with the result that the height to which a load can be raised is automatically limited.