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February 22, 2000 3:55 PM, EST

WASHINGTON – More than 250 truckers parked their rigs today in the nation's capital and took to the steps of the Capitol to ask for federal relief from spiraling diesel fuel prices.

The National Owner-Operator Trucking Association planned the rally, which began in New Jersey early this morning and gathered trucks along the way on Interstate 95 enroute to Washington.

Organizers said many more independent truckers wanted to participate, but they could not afford the fuel and tolls it would have cost to drive down.

The group called for:

• A temporary suspension of the 24-cent federal fuel tax.
• A release of some of the 575 million barrels stockpiled for the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.
• A federal program that would give truckers a 15-cent a gallon rebate on diesel fuel purchases.
• The establishment of smaller regional oil reserves across the country that could be released in the event of a shortage.

The association also demanded federal and state investigations into possible oil manipulation and price gauging by members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and other oil producers.

"A lot of guys are going out of business and having trouble putting food on the table," said Tom Pokrywka, president of NOOTA. "We need action by April or there's going to be a lot more people who are forced to just shut down."

Pokrywka said many shippers are refusing to pay owner-operators the surcharges larger fleets are using to offset fuel costs, which have risen to 10-year highs nationally.

After the demonstration, truckers headed home with police escort via I-495.