In the run of a day, a fuel hauler can make upwards of 90 trips in and out of a truck. From unwinding the hose to turning on the cargo pump to printing out the resulting fuel ticket, each task comes with its own set of power lunges in and out of the cab.

And while that might be great for the driver’s glutes, it’s sure hard on productivity.

Enter BASE ENGINEERING INC. The New Brunswick based firm has developed a slew of wireless remote products aimed at improving both safety and performance in the fuel transportation industry.

First, there’s a remote-control hand-held device that lets drivers automatically unwind the hose, engage the cargo pump, rev the engine to increase pump speed, take a meter reading and print out a fuel ticket. Base president Stephen Belyea says the remote increases a truck’s productivity by up to 20 percent.

“Trucks that once made up to 30 deliveries a day are now making up to 36,” he says.

Belyea, a former tanker driver himself, has been an innovator his entire adult life. But it was his timing that made him successful. Shortly after he founded Base he and his crew developed a wireless electronic control that enabled a driver to turn off a truck’s engine from a distance.The device went to market in 1998, just in time for new U.S. legislation that made the hardware mandatory for all propane trucks in the country.

BASE has also produced leak-detectors that shut off the engine as well as auto-shut offs that get triggered by a roll-over.

His most successful invention to date, however, was developed in the aftermath of September 11, 2001.

Because fuel trucks must be running during the delivery process, U.S. fleets became concerned about the possibility of their trucks being hijacked or stolen. A group of Belyea’s customers-who are based primarily in the States- approached the company with their worries.

The result is a device that requires drivers to enter a personal identification number (PIN) before the vehicle can be moved. If someone tries to drive the truck without entering the correct PIN, it will automatically stall. While this technology is not yet industry standard, Belyea says his sources tell him the hardware could soon be mandatory in the U.S.

Base remote devices are also applicable to vacuum-truck pumps and cranes, enabling operators to control the pump or crane from outside the truck.The company sells, services and installs its products across Canada and the U.S.