Your heavy septic-hauling rig is propelled down the highway every day on several rubber tires. You routinely face heavy traffic, the potential for hitting debris on the roadway and the remote possibility of catastrophic tire failure. Pumpers almost always make their appointed rounds and return safely to the yard at night. Tragically, Werner Karl Letterman didn’t make it back from his route in Florida Dec. 27, and authorities blamed a blown tire for the crash that claimed his life.

According to a story in the West Palm Beach Post, Letterman, 41, of Greenacres, Fla., was driving his Mr. Rooter truck northbound on Interstate 95 during rush hour when a front tire blew out. The truck went off the shoulder, hit a tree and rolled over, then started on fire. Rescue workers were unable to control the blaze and Letterman died at the scene.

During this week when we pause to celebrate the holidays and look forward to the New Year, it’s difficult to fathom the kind of loss being faced by Letterman’s family and friends. When someone in the pumping industry dies under circumstances like this, we all take it a little personally and our thoughts go out to those who knew Letterman.

We don’t know what led to the tire failure; it may not have been preventable. But tragedies like this provide a stark reminder about the importance of vehicle inspections and diligent maintenance of your rigs. Don’t let a day go by where you neglect to do a morning walk-around of your service truck. Look over the tires regularly, check them for uneven wear and make sure they are inflated properly. Get the truck in the shop often and take a closer look at the critical components like brakes and suspension that keep you safe.

Safety is job No. 1. The better we do as an industry to promote safety and follow through on routine inspection and maintenance, the fewer times we’ll have to read about a member of our team dying on the job.