Uhaul is going to start charging customers a $1-$5 fee to defray the cost of throwing away the various nasty junks associated with its rental business, according to an anonymous store manager. It will be called an "Environmental Fee." Ok, whatever, but we like the rebuttal supplied in the Q & A for Uhaul managers in case a customer complaints: "Do you want clean air and water thirty or fifty years from now? If so, pitch in." Nice, avoid raising upfront prices and get customers to cover your operating expenses through the power of guilt. Full text of the announcement, inside...

ENVIRONMENTAL FEE Effective the week of March 4, 2008, Web BEST will begin charging an "Environmental Fee". This will be charged on all truck rentals. It is $1 per day on an In-Town with max of $5 and it is $5 per rental on a One-Way. This money will be set aside and spent on waste disposal and related activities.

Most auto part, tire stores and auto repair facilities have charged a similar fee for several years. Both Penske and Budget charge similar fees. The customer expects U-Haul as the industry leader to deal responsibly with these matters and we are.