Shearing transitions of multi-layer molecularly thin-film lubrication systems in variations of the film-substrate coupling strength and the load are studied by using a multiscale method. Three kinds of the interlayer slips found in decreasing the coupling strength are in qualitative agreement with experimental results. Although tribological behaviors are almost insensitive to the smaller coupling strength, they and the effective film thickness are enlarged more and more as the larger one increases. When the load increases, the tribological behaviors are similar to those in increasing coupling strength, but the effective film thickness is opposite. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.