DuPont vs. Pitman Schedule: Which 12-Hour Rotation Fits?
Updated 2026-08-03
DuPont and Pitman are both four-team, 12-hour schedules designed for 24/7 coverage. Both average 42 hours per week across their full cycle. The meaningful difference is how they distribute work blocks, day/night shifts, and recovery time.
Pitman is the 2-2-3 or Panama schedule. DuPont is a 28-day cycle with a mix of day and night blocks followed by a full week off.
Side-by-side comparison
| Pitman / 2-2-3 | DuPont | |
|---|---|---|
| Full cycle | 14 days | 28 days |
| Typical shift length | 12 hours | 12 hours |
| Longest consecutive work block | 3 shifts | 4 shifts |
| Longest recovery block | 3 days | 7 days |
| Day/night approach | Often fixed day or night crews | Each crew usually rotates through both |
| Average weekly hours | 42 | 42 |
When Pitman is a better fit
Choose a 2-2-3 schedule when short work blocks and frequent breaks are the priority. No one works more than three consecutive 12-hour shifts, and the pattern is relatively easy to teach because it repeats every two weeks. Teams that prefer to keep staff on a stable day or night assignment also tend to find it easier to manage.
The compromise is that the calendar has shorter recovery blocks. A three-day break is useful, but it is not the same as a full week away from work.
When DuPont is a better fit
Choose the DuPont schedule when a longer recovery period is valuable to the operation and the team. Its standout feature is the seven consecutive days off at the end of every 28-day cycle. That can make travel, family time, and long-term planning easier.
The trade-off is complexity. A crew moves through nights and days within the same cycle, and the pattern includes a run of four night shifts followed later by four day shifts. The larger calendar needs especially clear communication and careful fatigue management.
Questions to decide between them
Before choosing, ask the team and operations lead:
- Is it safer and more sustainable for people to stay on a fixed day or night shift?
- Would staff value frequent short breaks or one longer break each cycle?
- Can the business reliably cover leave and training with four crews?
- How much administrative complexity can the scheduler support?
Try each pattern in a calendar before you commit. The shift schedule maker lets you set a start date, select a crew, and print a multi-month view; the four-team setup guide walks through the coverage checks that should happen before publishing.