Leigh White & Our Revenue Accounting Department
Hi Leigh, tell us what your title is and what that means you do day to day with TOTAL.
As the Director of Revenue Accounting, I am responsible for revenue recorded for TOTAL. That includes the billing and collection of invoices, cash application, detention and payroll.
How long have you been with TOTAL and how did you come to work here?
I began my career with TOTAL at the young age of 16. I worked part-time while finishing high school and attending junior college. I then took a year off to finish my degree at the University of Southern Mississippi but ended up returning right after college, I began working full-time in early 2003. That was sixteen years ago now but it seems like just yesterday.
How many people are in the Accounting Department?
We have a total of 21 people in the Accounting Department. This includes six on the payroll staff, two in Finance, four in Billing and Cash Application, five in Accounts Receivable and three in Detention and Rating.
What is your objective for the next year and how do you facilitate that?>
My objective for 2020 is to automate some manual processes that we are currently doing. Our team is working hard to improve the efficiency of our billing and payroll processes and that will have to include teamwork from our drivers. The faster all signed BOLs and receipts are sent in, the faster we can invoice, and the faster our drivers will be paid.
What is your department’s greatest challenge?
Accounting faces many challenges but maintaining constant accuracy and peak efficiency is definitely the top of the list. Obviously, it is very important that we report the most accurate data in a timely manner. With TOTAL going public this year, accuracy has become even more critical. There were many preparations made in order for our company to become compliant with the Sarbane Oxley practices. This included hiring additional personnel and training our current staff. We’ve proudly risen to the challenge of serving a publicly-traded company and continue to pride ourselves on producing accurate numbers.
What do you think is TOTAL’s greatest strength?
I believe our greatest strength is compassion. What makes TOTAL different from most is we have an open door policy. We are face to face with our biggest assets, our drivers. They can come to any office personnel and we will help with any situation. Even if their problem is unrelated to that department they will be helped. If I were on the road and away from my friends and family this would speak volumes to me.
How are you planning for the years to come?
We plan to use our technology in the best ways available to us. We are continuously offering new apps and programs that help streamline our processes. Recently, the Driver Pay app was enabled and allows our drivers access to view what is going to be on their paychecks at their fingertips. With that in place, drivers are able to view if their loads are not scheduled for payment because documents are not uploaded. From this app, they are able to upload their documents and even ask questions directly to the payroll department.
>What do you want the drivers to know about you?
I’m a mother of 3 boys and have a natural care-giver attitude. I am glad to lend an ear if you need help with any matter. My husband and I enjoy traveling, ocean view’s and watching our 3 little men play baseball.
How does what you do directly affect our drivers?
Payroll directly affects our drivers. Everyone likes to be paid and paid correctly, right? We strive to do just that! Use the Driver Payroll App to view your payment status. We must have all paperwork scanned for payment to be issued.