Some independent truckers who spent three days protesting at the Port of Oakland reported to work May 5 after the port established a committee to address their concerns, according to local press reports.

The protests had slowed port operations to a crawl. The announcement of the committee was made just a half-hour after some protesting truckers threw rocks at working truckers, which prompted Oakland Police to call in about 50 reinforcements, who arrived in full riot gear.

But news of the committee diverted further trouble.

"The basic premise is that the committee will address rate structure, fuel surcharges and working conditions within the harbor area," port spokesman Harold Jones told the Contra Costa Times.

The first meeting is slated to take place May 6.

Even with the tentative agreement in Oakland, drivers and trucking firms were still grappling with similar protests in the Stockton, CA, area, The Sacramento Bee reported.

About 300 truck drivers protested at the Port of Oakland Friday, Monday and Tuesday to call attention to rising diesel fuel prices and carrier charges. Together, drivers say, the rates have squeezed the margins out of their business.

The drivers are also annoyed with having to wait for hours to enter a maritime terminal to receive goods. While the rising costs for insurance, truck registration and maintenance have been a longtime concern for truckers, the recent spike in fuel prices set off the protests, which began last week at a railroad depot in Lathrop, CA.

The drivers have asked for a 30 percent increase in freight rates to cover increasing maintenance, Department of Motor Vehicles registration and insurance rates, and a 10 percent increase in surcharges to compensate for increasing diesel rates, said James Steens, the owner of a Modesto trucking company, who spoke to the Times.

The agreement does not specifically address rate increases but establishes a process for reaching accord, the paper reported. All of the port's major players will attend, including the independent truckers, trucking companies, ocean carriers, brokers, terminal operators, railroad representatives and port officials, Jones said.

"It's a significant agreement because they have a forum, but it doesn't mean anything in the end analysis unless they can agree," said Chuck Mack, the port division director with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, which has been supporting the drivers and wants to organize them.