How Uber Driver David Osgood turned Smart Strategy into Higher Earnings

Meet one of London’s Top-Earning Uber Drivers, David Osgood

If you're a PCO-licensed driver in London trying to increase your Uber earnings, you're not alone. With rising costs and growing competition, many on demand drivers are looking for new ways to stay ahead. Meet David Osgood — one of London’s top-earning Uber drivers who knows how to make every trip count. Through smart planning, clever use of data, and strong local knowledge, David has found simple ways to boost his income.

We caught up with him to learn more about his proven rideshare strategies — all while driving the all-electric Volkswagen ID.4.

From maximising the time spent waiting for airport rides to building your own custom maps of Central London, you can boost your full time Uber income.

David's tactics don’t just help you earn more — they help you drive smarter, reduce downtime, and stay ahead of the curve.

Mastering London's Streets: Smart Mapping for Uber Drivers

Earning more as an Uber driver in London starts with one key skill, according to David: knowing the city inside out. Mastering this skill can help you can plan your routes effectively during peak times.

“I’ve split London into smaller, manageable zones,” he explains. “NW, SE, Central — I’ve mapped them all myself, first by hand, now digitally.”

He began with laminated postcode maps for quick access during trips. Later, he created custom overlays in Google Maps, which he can now use straight from his phone and sync to his EVs navigation screen. These overlays include:

Surge pricing hotspots
EV charging stations
Optimal pickup/drop-off points
Public toilets & driver-friendly cafes
Wi-Fi zones for breaks
Zone boundaries to minimise dead miles

Pro Tip: Use Google Maps’ custom layers to create weekday/weekend overlays or peak vs. off-peak patterns.

David recommends blending offline knowledge with real-time apps.

Google Maps: For daily navigation and custom overlays.
Waze: For real-time traffic updates.
Offline maps: When signal drops in tunnels or dead zones.
Zone alerts: Set reminders when you’re leaving high-profit areas.

Learning from other likeminded drivers can seriously boost your earnings, especially when you use these map tips them alongside your existing knowledge of the roads.

“Apps can’t replace street smarts. I mark my shortcuts, know which one-way systems matter, and memorise seasonal traffic patterns.”

Driver WhatsApp Groups: Real-Time Intel from the Road

David swears by driver community collaboration.

“The best PCO drivers in London share info. Road closures, event traffic, quiet EV stations — we drop those into private WhatsApp groups.”

If you're not in one, join or create a local driver WhatsApp group. That intel helps you avoid wasted time and catch better fares faster.

Using AI and Predictive Tools to Plan Routes & Pickups

What’s next for PCO drivers? AI-powered route prediction. Splend’s own tech team suggests exploring tools that can:

Learn your preferred zones
Predict high-demand routes
Recommend best pickup spots at different times of day

Below are some David's highly recommended AI tools to boost driving efficiency and rideshare earnings.

Google Maps Timeline + Location History: Learn your own driving patterns and compare them to high-demand areas. Use the timeline feature to analyse past trips and optimise future routes.
Gridwise: Use local demand data, airport queue estimates, and event tracking to understand when and where to drive.
Waze with User Reports: Use the Waze app for real-time driver-generated traffic updates and alternate route suggestions. Ideal for dodging congestion and finding efficient paths through the city.

Boosting Earnings with Airport Pickups: A London Strategy

One of David’s biggest earners? Airport trips.

But unlike most drivers who queue and hope, he uses FlightRadar24 to sync arrivals and estimate ideal positioning times. He also focuses on airport drop-offs, often picking up another passenger nearby instead of waiting in long lines.

“I text the rider before they even book. A quick message confirming I’m nearby, making the airport pickup smoother and faster.”

Pro Tip: Track your own airport ride history and calculate the best dayparts for profitable pickups.

The Reverse Commuter Strategy: Avoiding Rush Hour & Maximising Profit

David avoids the typical in-and-out of London rush hours.

“While everyone rushes into Central, I focus on rides leaving Central to outer boroughs. It pays better, has less traffic, and I cut 4–5 hours of driving each week.”

This reverse commuter edge is all about knowing when and where high-paying trips happen — outside traditional patterns.

Event-Based Demand: How to be in the Right Place at the Right Time

Don’t just rely on major events. David closely monitors hyper-local demand drivers such as:

Small concerts
Theatre show endings
Football matches (outside major stadiums too)

David uses sites like Eventbrite, TimeOut, and general social media news to stay informed about where potential customers are likely to request rides from.

“I know when the show at Crystal Palace ends. I get there 10 minutes early, and there’s always demand.”

Track your Earnings like a Business, not a Hobby

David keeps a personal dashboard of his earnings data:

Best days and times
Average earnings per trip
Weekly surge patterns
Zones with best fare/mile ratio

By reviewing this regularly, he avoids low-paying time slots and focuses on predictable high-income windows.

Final Thoughts: Smart Uber Driving in London is about Strategy, Not Just Hours

David Osgood’s approach proves that driving for Uber in London can be more than a grind — it can be a well-run business. By using maps and AI technology, data, collaboration, and planning, David earns more and drives less.

If you're a London PCO driver or Uber partner looking to increase your earnings, take a page from David's playbook. The future of on demand driving success isn’t just about working harder — it’s about driving smarter.

About Splend

At Splend, we believe in drivers. We know their vehicles need to work harder than most; that they drive more miles than most; that their insurance is hefty; their maintenance costs high and that they can face unreasonable finance rates – which is a heavy load to carry on their own.

That’s why at Splend, we exist to support rideshare drivers with a new model, that takes all those car ownership costs, and provides them for less, with lower purchase prices, better rates, lower servicing and insurance costs – all for one weekly repayment, all in one place.