[ CASE STUDY ]
HiRail Leasing
Mechanical Design Standardization & Custom Truck Configuration
HiRail Leasing, based in Ontario, Canada, specializes in converting standard truck chassis — from Ford F350s to Freightliner 10-wheelers — into rail-ready maintenance vehicles for Canadian National (CN). ONMOTIO stepped in to elevate their design workflows, ensuring compliance with PDM best practices, regulatory standards, and industry expectations, while playing a hands-on role in mechanical integration, weight & balance analysis, and manufacturing support.
Industry
Railroad / Transportation
Year
2018
Areas of Expertise
Product Data Management•PDM•Railway Design•Heavy Equipment•Mechanical Integration•Hydraulics•Electrical Integration•Manufacturing Support•CAD•Technical Documentation
[ 01 / DESIGN STANDARDIZATION ]
Design Standardization & Product Data Management (PDM)
HiRail Leasing was initially operating with a manual, artisan approach to configuration and documentation. To meet **Canadian National (CN)**'s new requirements, we implemented:
- A structured PDM system, ensuring consistent tracking of configurations, drawings, and revisions
- Standardized configuration drawings, defining truck lengths, components, and weight distribution
- Regulatory-compliant drawing templates, aligned with industry standards for rail safety approvals
- Improved version control, preventing outdated specs from being used in production
These improvements streamlined workflows and enhanced documentation accuracy, ensuring each truck configuration met regulatory and operational requirements.
[ 02 / CONFIGURATION ]
Custom Truck Configuration & Design
Beyond documentation, ONMOTIO worked hands-on in defining the optimal truck configurations for CN's requirements. This included:
Every configuration was validated against rail safety load standards and adapted to the specific chassis platform, from Ford F350s to Freightliner 10-wheelers.
- Weight and balance calculations, ensuring trucks met rail safety load standards
- Component selection and mechanical integration, covering rail drivetrain systems for track operation, custom tool beds for maintenance equipment storage, protective chassis elements to withstand rail operations, and hydraulic systems for onboard cranes and auxiliary functions
- Custom part design, adapting elements like toolboxes, crates, and brackets to the specific truck platform
This phase ensured each HiRail truck was optimized for both road and rail operation, meeting CN's performance and safety requirements.
[ 03 / HYDRAULIC & ELECTRICAL ]
Hydraulic & Electrical Integration
Complex onboard systems, integrated to spec.
Rail maintenance trucks require complex hydraulic and electrical systems for their onboard equipment. ONMOTIO assisted with:
This level of integration was critical to delivering fully operational, reliable maintenance vehicles.
- Hydraulic system design, ensuring proper power distribution for onboard cranes (e.g. Palfinger PK 26002 EH) and hydraulic stabilizers for rail-road transition
- Electrical integration, covering control panels and safety systems, plus auxiliary lighting and signaling for rail operation
- Compatibility validation, ensuring all systems worked seamlessly within HiRail's truck platforms
[ 04 / MANUFACTURING SUPPORT ]
Manufacturing Support & Process Optimization
To further enhance HiRail Leasing's production efficiency, ONMOTIO provided:
We worked directly on the production floor to align fabrication methods with the new engineering documentation and train the team on CN-compliant standards.
- Manufacturing drawings and assembly manuals, ensuring smooth fabrication and assembly
- On-site process assessment, helping HiRail refine assembly methods and workflow efficiency
- Training and best practices, ensuring teams followed CN's newly required engineering standards
These efforts reduced errors, improved production efficiency, and ensured repeatability across different truck configurations.
[ 05 / VISUALIZATION ]
Product Visualization & 3D Renders
To support design documentation, client presentations, and marketing, ONMOTIO developed:
- High-fidelity 3D product renders, visualizing the full truck assembly with all integrated components
- Exploded views and technical visualizations, illustrating the relationship between the truck chassis, rail drivetrain, and equipment installations
- Configuration-based renders, showcasing different setups based on customer requirements and CN standards
These visual assets played a key role in both technical validation and stakeholder communication, helping streamline approval processes and enhance HiRail Leasing's presentation materials.
[ Results ]
From manual process to structured engineering operation.
ONMOTIO played a critical role in helping HiRail Leasing evolve from a manual, artisan process to a structured, design-driven operation.
Upgraded design standards, meeting CN's documentation and compliance requirements
Standardized configuration drawings, improving accuracy and repeatability
Optimized weight and balance calculations, ensuring safety on rail operations
Seamless mechanical, hydraulic and electrical integration, for fully functional HiRail trucks
Improved manufacturing efficiency, through process refinement and training
[ Project gallery ]
HiRail Leasing Project Gallery
[ RELATED SERVICES ]
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