Corrugated boxes with identical ECT and/or BCT can provide remarkably different long term compression performance, which is not well addressed by typical end user specification practices. An examination of critical properties of corrugated board and its component papers provides insights for increasing useful box life. This presentation will examine issues associated with current end user specification methods, identify key factors which accelerate loss of box compression strength, and propose new approaches for improving long term box compression performance. More relevant specifications should result in lower cost and reduced environmental impact.