2023 Trusted Advisers: Teri Wingo

As senior director of transportation at Abacus CPAs LLC, Teri Wingo’s job is to take care of the entire department, which includes over 4,000 clients, primarily in the trucking industry.

“It is often overlooked that these professionals make significant sacrifices every day,” she says.

“Drivers miss out on the firsts of life – first steps, first words, birthdays, holidays – that we enjoy at home, unaware of the forfeiture it took to get us what we need.”

Her team provides accounting and financial services to truck drivers from around the country.

Wingo says through her leadership, she has been a trailblazer as a woman in the niche world of transportation accounting.

“Since taking on the role of director in 2016, I have been driven by a vision to support these drivers in the best way possible: by alleviating their accounting burden and equipping them with the tools and knowledge they need to excel,” she says.

Abacus CPAs has expanded its services to grow and better meet the needs of their transportation client base. Wingo says since she has been director, the client count has increased to 4,000 from 1,200. Helping tax management for clients, Wingo says she started weekly classes especially for drivers.

“These interactive training courses, conducted by our knowledgeable Abacus employees, equip drivers with valuable insights on managing their taxes effectively,” she says.

She has also helped expand programs, she says, such as audit assurance, drug and alcohol clearinghouse compliance, payroll management, business growth planning, tax consulting and assistance with federal forms.

Wingo says in her role at Abacus, she has been able to help the underserved, aiding clients with business development and financial planning.

She says Abacus is up to date on artificial intelligence and automation, cloud data storage and remote work. As AI and other technology advance, Wingo says, so do the capabilities with accounting.

“When AI features recently took the world by storm, people questioned the need for the human touch in industries like accounting,” she says. “AI can automate highly repeatable tasks, but humans will never be entirely replaced by technology. Integrating AI into our day-to-day tasks can allow for more time to develop human relationships and provide the personal touch of the Abacus experience for our clients.”  

Wingo is an allied member of the Missouri Trucking Association and volunteers for Truckers Against Trafficking, the Missouri Truck Driving Championship and other Prime Inc. events.

“I make an intentional effort to be involved in the community,” she says, noting her work with Court Appointed Special Advocates of Southwest Missouri, Ozarks Food Harvest, Child Advocacy Center, Diaper Bank of the Ozarks and Ronald McDonald House.

“I am a leader of our community involvement committee at Abacus, in which we create opportunities for the firm to give time and resources to local organizations,” she says.