Cost Accountant

Joseph Transportation Group is the largest transporter of bulk materials in the Southern Ontario Golden Horseshoe and Greater Toronto corridor. Our fleet of 200 units – consisting of dump trailers, tri-axles, pony pups, live-bottoms, walking-floors, flatbeds and tankers – is at the ready to serve you 24 hours a day, every day.

It took more than a stroke of good luck for this family operated business to grow to become a 38 year-old, federally regulated industry leader. We have invested over 50 years of combined knowledge, experience and labour into building a work force that you can depend on in any economic climate. At Joseph Haulage, we’re sticklers for safety and quality. We understand and appreciate that our customers can’t afford down-time, so we ensure our drivers and equipment consistently meet or exceed the highest industry standards.

Whatever your business demands, we’ll get the job done with dedication and accountability that you’ll only find with Joseph Haulage. Need a supply of sand or gravel? We’ve got you covered. Want someone to do the dirty work on an environmental site clean-up? We’re there. Looking for a go-to company to haul materials to and from your plant? We won’t let you down. “Late” simply isn’t in our vocabulary, so you can always count on us to deliver on-time and on-budget.

Job Summary

Reporting to the VP Finance, the role of Cost Accountant is responsible for tracking, analyzing and controlling operational costs associated with fleet, personnel, maintenance, fuel, routes, equipment usage, and other overheads. This role supports pricing decisions, margin analysis, budgeting/forecasting and cost‑efficiency initiatives specific to transportation operations. The incumbent will collaborate closely with operations, fleet management, logistics, procurement and finance to ensure cost accuracy and support strategic decisions.

Key Responsibilities

- Develop and maintain cost accounting models for transportation activities: fleet (trucks, trailers), fuel, driver labour, maintenance, depreciation, route‑overhead allocation.
- Analyse actual vs standard costs for major cost centres (e.g., fuel, maintenance, driver wages/OT, equipment lease/depreciation) and prepare variance analyses with explanations and recommendations.
- Assist in setting standard costs or rate per km, rate per hour, per trip cost models for transportation services, review periodically for accuracy and update.
- Work with operations/logistics to collect cost data (fuel consumption, idle time, maintenance events, driver hours, route inefficiencies) and feed this into cost models.
- Support pricing and contract negotiations by providing cost inputs (e.g., cost per mile/trip, cost of downtime, maintenance reserve) to sales/operations.
- Assist with budgeting and forecasting of transportation/route costs, as well as scenario modelling (e.g., fuel price increases, route changes, driver wage changes).
- Prepare internal management reports and dashboards showing key cost metrics (e.g., cost per mile, cost per hour, cost per load, fleet utilisation, maintenance cost per vehicle) for senior management.
- Collaborate with procurement/fleet management to identify cost saving opportunities (e.g., maintenance scheduling optimisation, fuel programme, route/asset utilisation improvement).
- Support month‑end, quarter‑end and year‑end close processes related to cost of operations: allocate overhead, reconcile cost centres, ensure accuracy of cost‑related GL accounts.
- Ensure cost accounting practices comply with Canadian accounting standards (e.g., Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada / CPA guidelines) and company policies.
- Ad‑hoc cost projects such as fleet renewal cost modelling, cost of downtime analysis, route profitability analysis, and equipment lease vs buy cost modelling.
- Ensure the Company financial information adheres to Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (ASPE)
- Develop, administer, and apply Company accounting policies, procedures, authorities guide and internal controls.
- Monthly balance sheet reconciliations.
- Prepare monthly journal entries and monthly requiring payables (fuel, leasing, payroll), as well as ensuring other team members have posted their relevant entries to assist a clean month end close.
- Ensure appropriate cut-off at month end with accruals including proper supporting documentation for revenues, expenses, and capital items as well as accurate inventory

Reporting and KPI’s

- Create, analyze, and report to senior management on monthly KPI’s
- Identify key areas of improvement through reporting for operations
- Develop and maintain SOP’s on key reporting KPI’s

Analytical Thinking

- Ability to interpret complex financial data and perform detailed analysis to identify trends, variances, and opportunities for improvement.
- Strong problem-solving skills with the capability to develop actionable insights from financial information.

Attention to Detail

- Meticulous in reviewing financial data, reports, and documents to ensure accuracy and compliance with accounting standards.
- Ability to identify discrepancies and correct errors promptly.
- Deep understanding of financial principles, including budgeting, forecasting, financial modeling, and variance analysis.
- Ability to apply financial knowledge to support decision-making and strategic planning.

Communication Skills

- Strong written and verbal communication skills to effectively convey complex financial information to non-financial stakeholders.
- Ability to present financial reports, analysis, and recommendations clearly and persuasively.

Technical Proficiency

- Advanced proficiency in financial software, including Excel, ERP systems, and financial reporting tools.
- Familiarity with data visualization tools (e.g., Power BI, Tableau) for creating dashboards and reports.

Time Management:

- Ability to manage multiple tasks, meet deadlines, and prioritize work effectively in a fast-paced environment.
- Strong organizational skills to handle complex financial projects and reporting requirements.
- Ability to work effectively with cross-functional teams, including finance, operations, and senior management, to support financial planning and analysis.
- Willingness to share knowledge and collaborate on projects to achieve common goals.
- Flexibility to adapt to changing financial conditions, business priorities, and regulatory environment
- Openness to learning new financial tools and techniques to stay current with industry trends.
- Successfully enrolled and in good standing with CPA, and actively working towards the accreditation, is considered an asset but not a requirement
- Operational finance experience in transportation is an asset with strong technical accounting skills.
- A minimum of 2+ years’ work experience with a proving track record of deliverables
- Experience working hands‑on in a fast‑paced environment
- High level of proficiency with Microsoft Office365 is a must.
- Crystal and BI reporting is an asset, but not a must
- Experience in a fully integrated ERP environment
- Work‑related characteristics will include being a team player, attention to detail, results driven, strong initiative & reliability.
- Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills with a focus on delivering high quality work products

We ask interested candidates to complete the Cultural Index survey through the following link

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