The best bridge is the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge. It will also help you avoid the CT traffic and all the parkways in the south end. It is farther but sometimes actually faster. Definitely less stressful.
The second best is the Tappan Zee. You will run into traffic but, if you time it right, it might not be too bad.
I have always avoided the GWB, even when I lived in the area. The bridge and the Hen Hud Parkway are the absolute worst. Hen Hud used to have potholes that swallowed cars. As far as I know though, no trailers on the parkways of NY anyway.