Medium & Heavy Commercial Vehicle Bearing Market - Global Industry Size, Share, Trends, Opportunity, and Forecast, 2021-2031

The Global Medium & Heavy Commercial Vehicle Bearing Market is projected to expand from USD 9.45 Billion in 2025 to USD 13.34 Billion by 2031, registering a CAGR of 5.91%. These bearings are essential mechanical components designed to minimize friction and sustain substantial axial and radial loads within engines, transmissions, wheel hubs, and steering mechanisms of massive transport vehicles. The industry's growth is largely fuelled by the rising global need for freight logistics, increased government investment in infrastructure projects, and stringent emission standards that demand the updating of older commercial fleets. These primary factors guarantee a steady demand for durable bearings that can withstand rigorous operational cycles.

Nevertheless, the industry encounters a major hurdle in the form of fluctuating raw material prices, especially steel, which can interrupt supply chains and increase production expenses. To demonstrate the potential market scale, the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association reported that new EU truck registrations reached 249,708 units during the first nine months of 2024. This data underscores the significant and ongoing manufacturing activity that supports the requirement for commercial vehicle bearings, even amidst wider economic instability.

Market Drivers

The surge in e-commerce and freight logistics networks acts as a primary stimulant for the market by requiring fleet operations with minimal downtime. As logistics companies grow to satisfy online retail needs, the increased usage of heavy-duty trucks hastens the wear on drivetrain and wheel hub bearings, thereby boosting replacement orders. This growth in freight movement is supported by industry forecasts; the American Trucking Associations’ 'Freight Transportation Forecast 2024 to 2035', released in January 2025, predicted a 1.6% rise in truck freight volumes for 2025, emphasizing the essential need for robust bearing components to handle heavier loads.

Additionally, the rising global production of medium and heavy commercial vehicles serves as a second key driver, especially in emerging economies focusing on industrial transport. This increase in OEM manufacturing directly elevates the demand for original equipment bearings for new vehicle assemblies. The Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers noted in October 2025 that commercial vehicle sales in India hit 240,000 units in the second quarter of the 2025-26 fiscal year, marking an 8.3% increase. Moreover, the market is undergoing a technological evolution; Daimler Truck reported in November 2025 that battery-electric vehicle sales rose to 1,833 units in the third quarter, indicating a budding segment that demands specialized low-friction bearings.

Market Challenges

The instability of raw material costs, specifically steel, presents a significant obstacle to the market's growth. Because high-quality steel is the primary material for bearing rings and rolling elements, erratic price changes directly disrupt manufacturing budgets. Producers often face the dilemma of absorbing these higher costs, which lowers profit margins, or passing them on to Original Equipment Manufacturers, potentially reducing order quantities. This financial unpredictability makes long-term contract negotiations difficult and deters investment in production capabilities, thereby hindering the sector's capacity to satisfy future demand.

Illustrating the wider effect of these cost strains on the industrial supply chain, consumption data points to a tangible deceleration. The World Steel Association reported that in 2024, global steel demand decreased by 0.9% to 1.75 billion tonnes, mainly due to elevated manufacturing expenses and tightening economic circumstances. This reduction in material demand highlights the constraining atmosphere caused by input cost instability, which directly impedes the operational expansion and financial security of commercial vehicle bearing manufacturers.

Market Trends

The implementation of ceramic hybrid bearings in electric commercial vehicle powertrains is growing quickly as manufacturers manage the unique technical hurdles of high-voltage electric drive systems. Electric truck motors produce stray electrical currents that frequently arc across steel bearing races, resulting in erosion, pitting, and early component failure. As a result, the industry is moving towards electrically insulated and ceramic hybrid options that naturally withstand these currents while handling the higher rotational speeds needed for electric axles. This shift to specialized e-mobility hardware is evidenced by substantial order volumes; Schaeffler’s 'Annual Report 2024' from March 2025 noted that order intake at their E-Mobility division reached 4.7 billion euros in 2024, showing the massive demand for these advanced components.

Concurrently, the incorporation of IoT-enabled smart bearings for real-time condition monitoring is transforming fleet maintenance by favoring predictive analytics over scheduled replacements. Fleet managers are increasingly seeking bearings fitted with embedded sensors that relay data on vibration, temperature, and load to avert catastrophic hub or transmission breakdowns during long-distance trips. This push for digital reliability and optimized uptime is prompting significant research investment from leading suppliers. For instance, SKF’s 'Annual Report 2024' released in March 2025 revealed an investment of SEK 3.33 billion in R&D for 2024, using these resources to further develop smart bearing technologies and AI-driven monitoring systems for high-growth industrial uses.

Key Players Profiled in the Medium & Heavy Commercial Vehicle Bearing Market

• SKF Group
• Schaeffler Group
• Timken Company
• NSK Ltd.
• NTN Corporation
• JTEKT Corporation
• Nachi-Fujikoshi Corp.
• Koyo Seiko Co., Ltd.
• RBC Bearings Inc.
• Iljin Co., Ltd.

Report Scope

In this report, the Global Medium & Heavy Commercial Vehicle Bearing Market has been segmented into the following categories:

Medium & Heavy Commercial Vehicle Bearing Market, by Application Type:

• Engine
• Transmission
• Wheel
• Steering
• Others

Medium & Heavy Commercial Vehicle Bearing Market, by Bearing Type:

• Ball
• Roller
• Plain

Medium & Heavy Commercial Vehicle Bearing Market, by Region:

• North America
• Europe
• Asia-Pacific
• South America
• Middle East & Africa

Competitive Landscape

Company Profiles: Detailed analysis of the major companies present in the Global Medium & Heavy Commercial Vehicle Bearing Market.

Available Customization

The analyst offers customization according to your specific needs. The following customization options are available for the report:

• Detailed analysis and profiling of additional market players (up to five).

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