Truckers who came to the capital this week to protest high fuel prices suffered a setback when their vehicles were impounded.

The towing company demanded $2,000 for their return.

"I paid $1200 in fuel to get here from Little Rock, Arkansas," said D.J. Brown, who's truck was towed. "Our trucks are gone! That's my business! I don't have that truck, I can't haul no freight!"

Two semi-trailers and an entire big rig were locked up at Henry's Wrecker Service in Hyattsville. The vehicles were towed at about 2 a.m. Wednesday from a vacant lot in Landover Hills. The truckers say multiple managers at Comfort Inn where they were staying told them they could park there.

"There were no signs on that property when we turned into park them trucks," said driver Dennis Zylvitis. 

But the drivers say there was a shiny new sign posted in the lot when they awoke Wednesday morning, after their trucks were towed. 

Management at the motel and at the towing lot refused to comment on the matter.

The stranded drivers called a trucker in Pennsylvania for help. He drove through the night to bring the truckers cash, even though his wife was diagnosed with cancer on Wednesday.

"He took it out of his own personal account to try and save three of his brothers so we can go back to work and try supporting our families," said Zylvitis.

But that wasn't the end of their problems. The towing lot demanded cash to return the vehicles, sight-unseen, according to the truckers. They refused to pay until they had made sure their rigs hadn't been damaged.

At last check, the truckers had called in police to mediate the situation.

The drivers are members of Truckers and Citizens United, a group that claims to represent the interests of thousands of trucking employees and drivers. They had planned to meet with lawmakers on Capitol Hill, complaining about high gas prices.