Wheel bearings are an important part of the braking mechanism. The wheel bearings are, quite simply, what keep your wheels turning, and with minimal friction. They’re one of those unsung components - they don’t stand out the way something like an engine does, but they still have a role to play in uptime, vehicle performance and even fuel efficiency.

For this episode of On the Road, I sat down with Michael Hartman, senior director of the heavy duty sales vehicle aftermarket for North America at SKF. We talked about the role of the wheel bearing, what to look for in an inspection, and what equipment fleets can use to spot wheel bearing issues before they happen.