Tuesday February 22, 2000 8:26 a.m. EST

Truckers Caravan to Washington to Protest Soaring Fuel Prices

Washington-AP -- As many as 500 big-rig trucks could cause traffic headaches in the nation's capital today.

The trucker protest is aimed at calling attention to the skyrocketing cost of diesel fuel.

Authorities and protest organizers say they're working to avoid traffic tie-ups. Police in the District of Columbia have arranged parking for most of the rigs. Truckers say they have no interest in disrupting traffic.

The truck drivers complain that soaring fuel prices are eating up the low rates they're getting for hauling freight. The high prices have forced many independent owner-operators to park their rigs.

The American Trucking Association says diesel prices in the central Atlantic and New England have risen at least 43 percent in recent weeks.

-- Old Git (anon@spamproblems.com), February 22, 2000

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-- I'm Here, I'm There (I'm Everywhere@so.beware), February 22, 2000.

Boy, how much diesel is that going to burn up!

-- matt (rfp@mail.com), February 22, 2000.

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http://www.msnbc.com/news/373101.asp

Truckers to protest rising fuel prices
Drivers say their D.C. demonstration aims to save livelihoods

WASHINGTON, Feb. 22, AP  Organizers of a trucking protest say a demonstration Tuesday in the nations capital against soaring diesel fuel prices is a part of a fight to save their livelihoods.

Hopefully, Congress is going to come out and not ignore us, Bill Dickens Jr., an owner-operator from Baltimore, said Monday.

ORGANIZERS IN New Jersey and Pennsylvania said 300 to 500 trucks might participate.

A convoy of 60 rigs could stretch a mile, but police and protest organizers said attempts would be made to avoid traffic disruptions.

Police in the District of Columbia have arranged parking for most of the rigs as some of the truckers visit the Capitol. But many lawmakers will not be in town. Although the Senate was returning from its Presidents Day recess Tuesday, the House is out until Feb. 29.

The truckers are frustrated by soaring fuel prices in recent weeks that have added to long-standing disenchantment among truckers over what they view as low freight rates and the condition of cargo equipment provided by freight companies.

State police in New Jersey and Maryland have agreed to escort convoys through their states. The main group of protesting drivers headed out from New Jersey at dawn.

Diesel prices in the central Atlantic and New England regions have risen 43 percent and 55 percent respectively in the past six weeks, according to the American Trucking Association, the freight hauler trade group. The high prices have forced many independent owner-operators to park their rigs.

The trade group has taken no position on the demonstration.

It used to cost an owner-operator $220 to go a distance, now it costs $500, said Jackquie Medaglia, whose husband is a second-generation owner-operator.

Despite trucker assurances that they have no interest in disrupting Washington traffic, some motorists feared the worst.

We could be in a situation where were at complete gridlock, said Mantill Williams, a spokesman for Mid-Atlantic Region of the American Automobile Association.

-- Ashton & Leska in Cascadia (allaha@earthlink.net), February 22, 2000.