Congestion Pricing is coming! To beat the tolls, let's team up to beat the clock with unattended early morning deliveries.
Like it or not, congestion pricing is coming - and as much as the tolls present a real challenge to the industry, we have a way to get around them and actually make everyone's life easier and more efficient in the process.
Here’s how it goes:
Congestion Pricing in a nut shell:
Beginning in June, we’ll be hit with a $24-$36 toll every time our trucks cross below 60th street in Manhattan. The toll will be enforced between 5AM and 9PM. This may be great for the environment and the MTA (who’s supposedly getting the $), but it’s going to be tough on our delivery schedules and our collective wallets. Here’s the full rundown from the MTA.
To beat the tolls, beat the clock.
We’ve got a plan to sidestep these tolls. How? By making our deliveries before 5:00 AM when tolls are discounted 75%. This early bird strategy helps us skip the fees and get our deliveries done with fewer trucks on the road. Toll-free ingredients never sounded so good.
How You Come In
We need a little help from our partners (that’s you!). If you let us into your kitchens to drop off our goods before the sun’s up, we can make this work seamlessly. It’s all about trust and teamwork. You don’t need to be there; just give us the keys or access code to the kitchen, and we’ll handle the rest.
Nervous about not being there?
We get it – this is a different way of doing business than you may be used to. But it works – we already make unattended deliveries to over 100 kitchens across New York.
Our drivers follow your specific instructions about how to access your space, where to leave your product, and how to lock up. We send your invoice via email and take a picture of your products properly stored away. If you discover any issues with your delivery when you arrive, we will fix it the same day. Here's a link to an IG reel showing our drivers in Dark Drop Action.
And did we mention we’re fully insured?
Why It’s Worth It
- Save Money: No tolls mean lower costs. We can keep prices friendly for both of us.
- Save Time: Your ingredients arrive before your chefs even clock in. Everything’s ready to go when your kitchen buzzes to life.
- Greener Deliveries: Dark Drops enable us to make more timely deliveries with fewer truck loads. This means we’re both doing our part for a smaller carbon footprint.
Let’s Make It Happen
Join us in turning this challenge into an opportunity. Dark Drops are a chance to be faster, cleaner, and more efficient without new congestion tolls biting into margins – yours and ours. Interested? Let’s chat about setting up Dark Drops and make our mornings count. Ask your sales representative or email sales@lobsterplace.com to get the ball rolling.