The paper describes the results of metal micrographic, durometric, and tribological tests of 45H14N14SV2M steel specimens with the laser-­applied coatings made of Co12 powder and a composite powder with tantalum nanocarbide. The performance of laser cladding process with an oscillating laser beam is 1.4–2.1 times higher than that of the process with a defocused laser beam. The Co12 coating microhardness was determined to be in the range of 4200–5800 MPa, while this parameter of the coatings with tantalum nanocarbide was 6400–7850 MPa. It was found that the introduction of tantalum nanocarbide into the furnace charge promotes the development of an ordered, finer-­grained structure. The distribution of elements over the cross-­section of the deposited coatings is fairly uniform. The wear resistance of the composite coating is 1.77 and 5.9 times higher than that of the Co12 coating and the base material, respectively. The critical sliding velocities of the coatings before seizure are significantly higher than the critical seizure velocities of the base steel across the entire pressure range being studied. The developed technology can be used for surfacing the diesel crankshaft journals, valves, camshafts, piston pins, and other diesel engine components.