New York City's congestion pricing began on January 5, leaving small trucking companies anxious about rising costs. Truckers entered Manhattan below 60th Street now face tolls as high as $32.

Impact on truckers: Joe Fitzpatrick, owner of Lightning Express Delivery, says the new costs are troubling. "We’ll need to raise our surcharge, but it might cost us business," he shared.

• Companies like Lightning Express depend heavily on NYC deliveries, making up about 20% of their operations.
• Larger companies may absorb these costs more easily, unlike smaller operators.

Industry reactions: The Trucking Association of New York (TANY) is pushing back. They argue the pricing unfairly targets trucking businesses, and they’ve even filed a lawsuit to challenge it.

Upside? Some believe congestion fees might speed up delivery times by clearing roads, potentially benefiting other sectors. However, this remains unproven, as reported by Spectrum News.

The outcome of the lawsuit and long-term effects on truckers are yet to be seen.