Cluster vs. Frontier Strategy

Both are valid—our data chooses the winning approach per corridor

Two Philosophies, One Data-Driven Framework

Getty benefits from both cluster and frontier opportunities. Milepost's cohort data identifies which strategy maximizes return per corridor.

🎯 Cluster Strategy

Build near major incumbents when data shows demand overflow

Characteristics

  • Co-locate within 0–5 miles of Love's/Pilot clusters
  • HPMS baseline flows (typically 5,000+ AADTT)
  • Proven demand with existing competitive presence
  • Parking saturation signals unmet demand

Data Advantages

  • Easier to quantify demand with HPMS + cohort validation
  • Better mobile ping signal quality (denser device coverage)
  • Parking fill curves provide statistical confidence
  • Competition proximity increases data richness

Risk Profile

  • Lower risk: demand already proven by incumbents
  • Strong lender acceptance: Getty IC comfort with cluster logic
  • Predictable absorption: overflow demand captured immediately
  • Fallback resilience: high-traffic corners retain value

Getty IC Appeal

  • Transparent, defensible demand validation
  • Lower underwriting ambiguity
  • Easier comparable sales analysis
  • Strong NNN lease fundamentals

🚀 Frontier Strategy — Higher Risk, Higher Return

Build in high-flow corridors with clear supply deserts

Characteristics

  • Target corridors with 10+ mile supply gaps
  • Strong HPMS flows but low facility density
  • Unmet demand not visible to traditional analysis
  • Getty consideration: Less proven demand baseline than cluster

Data Limitations vs. Cluster

  • No nearby competitors = no comparative parking saturation data
  • Cannot validate overflow patterns (no neighbors to compare)
  • Demand inference requires stronger assumptions
  • Getty concern: Lower data confidence than cluster model

Risk Profile

  • Moderate risk: demand not pre-validated by incumbents
  • Higher alpha potential: uncrowded opportunities with pricing power
  • Corridor dependency: HPMS validation critical but insufficient alone
  • Getty reality: IC prefers cluster's proven-demand profile

Why Getty Prefers Cluster

  • Cluster provides validated overflow demand—frontier relies on inference
  • Parking saturation curves give statistical confidence cluster lacks
  • While frontier offers higher returns, cluster offers Getty-required certainty
  • Milepost focus: Cluster strategy for Getty partnership

Mobile Pings Provide Richer Signal Quality Near Clusters

High-traffic cluster areas generate denser mobile device coverage, enabling more precise demand modeling and validation.

  • Higher HPMS flows = more trucker devices in cohort sample
  • Competition proximity = comparative dwell and parking analysis
  • Statistical confidence increases with device density
  • Getty IC receives stronger validation for lower-risk opportunities
Signal Quality Analysis

Example Use Cases

How our data identifies the winning strategy for specific corridors

CLUSTER

I-80 West of Des Moines

Situation: Three major truck stops within 5 miles; parking saturation observed Wed–Fri evenings.

Data Signal: Parking fill curves show 95%+ occupancy 6pm–midnight. Overnight dwell exceeds capacity by 40 trucks/night.

Milepost Decision: Cluster strategy—build within 3 miles to capture overflow demand.

Getty IC Validation: HPMS 10,000 AADTT; phone cohort confirms 12,000+ trucker visits/month; gallons proxy 1.3M/month.

FRONTIER

US-30 Eastern Wyoming

Situation: 18-mile supply gap between two small independents; strong HPMS but no major brands.

Data Signal: Phone cohort shows 8,000+ trucker pass-throughs/month with refuel intent patterns; no facility within 15 miles.

Milepost Decision: Frontier strategy—first-mover advantage in proven demand corridor.

Getty IC Validation: HPMS 6,500 AADTT; cohort mobility confirms supply desert; gallons proxy 900K/month.

The Milepost View

While both cluster and frontier strategies can yield strong returns, Getty's risk posture strongly favors the cluster model. Cluster provides validated overflow demand through parking saturation analysis—something frontier cannot deliver without nearby competitors.

Our 180,000-device cohort, manual geofence precision, and parking saturation module enable cluster-strategy confidence that Getty's IC requires.

For Getty partnership: Cluster strategy delivers data-proven demand with the lowest risk profile.

Explore Parking Saturation Analysis

See how overnight dwell detection identifies cluster opportunities with statistical confidence.

Parking Saturation