Rush Orders, Payroll Access, and Packaging Questions: What I've Learned Handling Emergencies at a Paper Products Company

I'm a logistics coordinator at a packaging distribution company. I've handled 200+ rush orders in eight years, including same-day turnarounds for retail clients who forgot they had a product launch. These are the questions I get asked most often—some about International Paper specifically, some about the broader world of packaging and paper products. I'm answering them the way I'd answer a colleague who just started.

How do I access my paystub through the My IP login portal?

If you're an International Paper employee trying to access your paystub, you'll need to go through the My IP employee portal. The direct route: navigate to the company's internal employee services site (your HR department should have provided the exact URL during onboarding—it's not something I can verify from outside the company).

Here's what trips people up: the login credentials are usually your employee ID plus a password you set during initial registration. Not your email. Not your name. Your employee ID number. I've watched three different colleagues get locked out because they kept trying their email address.

If you're locked out, don't keep trying—most systems lock you out after 3-5 attempts, and then you're waiting on IT. Contact your HR representative or the employee helpdesk first. Looking back, I should have written down my credentials somewhere secure during onboarding. At the time, I figured I'd remember. I didn't.

Can a shipping label actually be too big?

Yes. This one surprised me too.

According to USPS Business Mail 101, carriers have specific requirements for label placement and size. For most standard shipments, labels should be placed on the largest flat surface of the package, and they need to fit without wrapping around edges or covering seams.

The practical problem I've seen: oversized labels (usually printed on 8.5×11 sheets when a 4×6 would do) end up folding over box edges. Scanners can't read them properly. Your package gets delayed or—worse—returned.

My rule: match your label size to your package size. For anything under 12 inches on its longest side, a 4×6 thermal label is probably right. For larger boxes, you have more flexibility, but keep the label on one flat surface. Calculated the worst case: package returned, deadline missed, client furious. Best case: saves $3 on labels. The expected value said don't risk it, but honestly (ugh), I've been tempted to use whatever labels were handy.

What's the difference between corrugated packaging and regular cardboard?

This is one of those questions people are embarrassed to ask, but it matters for ordering.

Corrugated packaging—the kind International Paper and similar manufacturers produce—has a fluted (wavy) layer sandwiched between flat linerboards. That's what gives it strength and cushioning. What most people call "cardboard" (meaning the thinner stuff, like a cereal box) is actually paperboard—single-layer, no fluting.

Why does this matter? Corrugated is what you want for shipping. It handles stacking, impacts, and moisture better. Paperboard is for product packaging that doesn't need to survive a FedEx facility.

I've had clients order "cardboard boxes" expecting corrugated and receiving something that crushed under the weight of a few product units. Getting the terminology right in your specifications upfront saves that phone call (i.e., the one where you explain why their shipment arrived damaged).

How do I know if my packaging supplier actually specializes in what I need?

The vendor who said "custom die-cuts aren't our strength—here's who does it better" earned my trust for everything else. That's my litmus test now.

Big integrated companies like International Paper offer corrugated packaging, containerboard, pulp, paper bags, and specialty papers. They're strong on scale and supply chain reliability—if you need consistent volume across multiple facilities, that matters. But "integrated" doesn't mean "best at everything."

I'd rather work with a specialist who knows their limits than a generalist who overpromises. When I'm triaging a rush order, I need to know: can this supplier actually deliver on the specific thing I need, in the timeframe I have? A supplier who says "we can do anything" makes me nervous. A supplier who says "we're excellent at X, adequate at Y, and you should probably go elsewhere for Z" tells me they understand their own operation.

One of my biggest regrets: not building these relationships earlier. The goodwill I'm working with now took three years to develop—and it's saved me in genuine emergencies.

What's the real cost of rush fees on packaging orders?

Rush printing and production premiums vary, but here's what I've seen in practice:

• Next business day: +50-100% over standard pricing
• 2-3 business days: +25-50% over standard pricing
• Same day (limited availability): +100-200%

Based on major online printer and packaging supplier fee structures, 2025. These are typical ranges—verify current rates with your specific supplier.

In March 2024, 36 hours before a deadline, a client called needing 2,000 corrugated mailers. Normal turnaround is 7-10 days. We found a regional supplier with rush capability, paid $1,200 extra in rush fees (on top of the $3,800 base cost), and delivered on time. The client's alternative was canceling a $45,000 product launch.

The upside was keeping the client relationship. The risk was eating that $1,200 if something went wrong. I kept asking myself: is maintaining this account worth potentially $1,200 out of pocket? It was. But I still remember that knot in my stomach while waiting for delivery confirmation.

Are sustainable packaging options actually reliable for shipping?

This comes up constantly now. The short answer: yes, but with caveats.

Fiber-based packaging solutions—the kind International Paper and similar manufacturers focus on—have improved significantly. Modern corrugated packaging using recycled content can meet the same performance specs as virgin fiber for most applications. The sustainability story is real: paper and corrugated are among the most recycled materials in the US.

Per FTC Green Guides (16 CFR Part 260), environmental claims like "recyclable" must be substantiated. A product claimed as "recyclable" should be recyclable in areas where at least 60% of consumers have access. So when a supplier says their packaging is recyclable, that's a regulated claim—not just marketing.

Where I've seen problems: moisture resistance. Some eco-friendly coatings don't perform as well in humid conditions. If you're shipping to Florida in August, ask specifically about moisture testing. I think sustainable options are worth it for most use cases—but that's a judgment call based on your specific shipping conditions.

What should I actually do when a packaging order goes wrong at the last minute?

After 3 failed rush orders with discount vendors, we now only use suppliers we've pre-vetted for emergency capability. That's the lesson.

But when you're already in the emergency, here's my triage process:

First: How many hours until deadline? Be honest. "End of week" means Friday 5pm, not "sometime Friday."

Second: What's the minimum viable solution? Maybe you don't need custom printing—maybe plain corrugated with a label gets the job done.

Third: What's the worst case cost of failure vs. the cost of the rush solution? Missing that deadline would have meant a $15,000 penalty clause for one client. We paid $800 extra in rush fees and saved the project. The math was obvious (thankfully).

Our company policy now requires 48-hour buffer because of what happened in 2023. A supplier delay cascaded into a missed trade show deadline. We lost the client. That buffer exists because I learned the hard way that "on time" from a supplier means "shipped on time," not "arrived on time."

If I could redo that decision, I'd invest in redundant supplier relationships from day one. But given what I knew then—that our primary supplier had never missed a deadline in two years—my choice was reasonable. Probably.