Abstract: The self-propelled freight handling truck is comprised of a manually guided wheeled frame on which is mounted a mast and lifting forks, with a motor for supplying power to raise, lower, and tilt the forks, to propel the vehicle, to move front wheels laterally outboard to straddle a load or laterally inboard under the load while the load is being carried, and to extend or retract the front wheels telescopically the guide handle and said forks being foldable into a collapsed, compact storage position. A beverage handling system is also provided comprising a side-loading highway truck for transporting a driver, unitized loads of beverages and freight, and the self-propelled fork lift truck mentioned above. The truck and system of this invention is particularly useful in the handling of full or partially unitized beverage loads between the side-loading highway truck and the delivery facility.