Using an atomic force microscope, the nano-scale tribological behavior of Colmonoy 6 (Ni-Cr-Si-B) coating deposited over SS304 steel using plasma transferred arc (PTA) cladding technique was studied. The coating primarily confirmed the presence of the second phases Cr6B3, Ni4B3, and Ni2B, which contributed to both dispersion and solid solution strengthening. Despite being four times harder than the substrate, the coating demonstrated increased wear and friction. The low wear resistance of the developed coating was due to their high interfacial shear strength, as determined by additional wear-less AFM experiments. Overall, the wear and friction behavior at nano-scale were found to be governed by interfacial shear strength rather than material hardness.