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Oklahoma trucker solves problem of loneliness on the road

Question: What has 16 legs, four arms and five heads and can be found almost any day of the week on one of the nation’s many highways?



Answer: Stephen and Rosemary Grennell and their three dogs, Laci, 6; Frannie, 8; and Sooner, 7.



Stephen Grennell, a professional trucker since 1994, drives for Miller Truck Lines out of Stroud, Okla. Wife Rosemary, herself a former driver, and the three Grennell pooches (none of which has a Commercial Drivers License as yet) are constant road companions these days.



A native of New York, Stephen got into the industry after working for several years in the retail lumber business and driving a school bus.



Rosemary, a native of Minnesota, was a long-haul driver from 1994 to 2000. She said she got out of the business because of a bad case of night blindness, and because she wanted to spend more time in the new home she and her husband built near Stroud in the city of Drumright, Okla.



That arrangement was all fine and dandy with Stephen. For a while, at least. But then he started missing not having his wife beside him during those long and lonely hours on the road.



One day, after returning home from a particularly lengthy run, the couple talked it over. It turned out that Rosemary was just as lonely as Stephen and the two decided there was no reason why she and the three little doggies couldn’t share life on the road with a home to return to between loads.



“It’s a lot better this way, believe me,” said Stephen. “Before Rosemary started accompanying me, I couldn’t believe how much I missed her. I started praying about it and, bottom line, I felt like God was really urging me, telling me in my heart, to do whatever was necessary to make it possible for her to join me.



“The dogs were just part of the package,” he added. “But, hey, we’re family and we’re together all the time now and that’s what matters.”



Grennell said he truly enjoys driving for Miller Truck Lines. “It’s a great company to work for,” he said. “The pay is decent. After all, working for Miller is what paid for our new house. And I get plenty of time off.”



Grennell said another plus when it comes to driving for Miller is that “you don’t have a boss breathing down the back of your neck all the time.”



“The only thing is,” he added, “I wish we could get more loads to the great Northwest. Rosemary and I both love that part of the country and it would be outstanding if we could get up that way more often.”



A company spokeswoman told The Trucker that Miller Truck Lines “is currently working on that request.”  



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