# [Video] Broker Benchmark overview

3 minute to read

[DAT iQ Benchmark for Brokers: Are you Overpaying?](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3mqE30aEUI)

## iQ Benchmark Overview

iQ Benchmark is an analytics tool within the IQ Platform, designed to help broker customers evaluate performance against market data. You can access it from the left-hand navigation bar in the IQ interface.

iQ Benchmark currently supports two primary analytics use cases:

1. Comparing your buy cost versus the RateView rate
2. Evaluating your margin (sell rate vs. buy cost)

These insights allow for both managerial reporting and deep-dive analytical exploration.

### Benchmarking Buy Cost

When you select the **Buy Cost** setting, Benchmark compares your aggregated buy cost data to the RateView rate.

You’ll see:

- **Delta Cost** – The total dollar difference between your buy cost and the RateView rate
- **Position** – Whether your cost is above or below the market rate

This data is driven by your organization’s **contribution data**, allowing you to visualize how your costs compare to broader market trends.

#### Common Use Cases

- **Managerial Reporting:** View weekly or monthly performance to share with your organization.
    - Example: Generate a report showing last week’s buy cost vs. RateView rate.
- **Drill-Down Analytics:** Explore your data by **region, lane, carrier, or load planner**.

For example, you can:

- Drill into a specific market.
    
- Identify which load planners are performing above or below market.
    
- Review lane-level and carrier-level details.

#### Data Insights

Within the drill-down views, you’ll find:

- **Sell rate, margin, average miles, number of loads, carriers used**, and more
- **Blank fields** indicate missing data in your contribution dataset (e.g., carrier name, shipper name, office number, load planner).

**Tip:** _The **Load Planner** field is the most commonly used filter and highly useful for performance tracking._

### Benchmarking by Margin

The **Margin** setting compares your **sell rate** to your **buy cost**, displaying the resulting **company margin** both in dollar and percentage form.

#### Visual Indicators

Throughout the application, a **color legend** helps you quickly interpret performance:

- **Gray:** Average margin (around 13%)
- **Green:** Above average
- **Red:** Below average

You can immediately see:

- The **number of loads, lanes, and carriers** in your current filter set
- Which segments are performing above or below expectations

#### Trend Analysis

Use the **trend charts** to monitor performance over time:

- Track your **buy cost**, **sell rate**, or **margin** over the last **13 months**
- Identify trends in **gross margin** or **market position** relative to RateView

### Bubble Chart

The **bubble chart** view allows for **root cause analysis** and opportunity discovery.

You can visualize:

- **Total margin (vertical axis)** vs. **company cost/freight spend (horizontal axis)**
- Margin performance using the same **color-coded legend**

Switch between:

- **Margin by Load Planner**
- **Benchmark vs. RateView**

Use this chart to uncover:

- Areas to reduce cost or increase sell rate
- Markets or planners with the greatest potential for improvement
- Opportunities to shift volume strategically between segments

### Data Validation and Downloads

Benchmark includes **data validation tests** (explained in a separate video) to ensure accuracy.

You can also **download your full load-level detail** at any time using the **Download** option in the **upper right corner** of the screen.