Some trucking operations serving the Port of New York and New Jersey have stated imposing surcharges for delays they are experiencing due to congestion at container terminals.

The Journal of Commerce reports the delays have been happening since the start of the year and have only gotten worse in recent weeks due to severe winter weather. One carrier president described the winter delays at the facility the worst he has seen in his 35 years in the business.

One company the Journal of Commerce talked to said it is adding $175 on top of its normal rate to move containers from the port to Linden, N.J. while another said it is implementing a charge of $60 per hour for detention time, after the first three hours of waiting.

Trucking companies say the reason for these charges range from waiting and burning fuel that costs more than $4 per gallon to owner-operators demanding greater compensation for the time spent waiting because most are paid for each load they move.

The development comes as a group representing the nation’s retailers is urging officials with the Port of New York and New Jersey to do something about increasing delays at its terminals. The Retail Industry Leaders Association has sent a letter to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey in response to ongoing productivity issues impairing retailers’ ability to meet due dates on products and cargo moving through the port.