Pitman Schedule: Calendar Calculator & Complete Guide
Enter your squad's cycle start date and team below — get an instant answer for any date plus your full 12-month Pitman calendar.
How the Pitman schedule works
The Pitman schedule (sometimes written 2-3-2) is a 14-day rotation built for around-the-clock operations — you will find it in police departments, dispatch centers, hospitals, refineries, and security operations. Four crews work 12-hour shifts; two crews own the day shift, two own the night shift, and each pair alternates through the same rhythm:
| Mon–Tue | Wed–Thu | Fri–Sun | Mon–Tue | Wed–Thu | Fri–Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Work | Off | Work | Off | Work | Off |
(The example above starts on a Monday; your crew's cycle can start on any weekday — that is exactly what the start-date field in the calculator pins down.) Week one you work Monday–Tuesday and Friday–Sunday; week two flips it, handing you the Friday–Sunday block off. That every-other-weekend-off guarantee is the reason unions and schedulers keep coming back to the Pitman.
Pitman by the numbers
- Cycle length: 14 days, 7 working shifts of 12 hours
- Weekly hours: 36 one week, 48 the next — 42 average
- Longest stretch: 3 consecutive shifts (the weekend block)
- Weekends off: every other one, always as a full 3-day break when the cycle starts Monday
- Crews: 4 fixed squads (A/B days, C/D nights is a common labeling)
Because one week runs 48 hours, hourly employees typically see overtime every second week under the standard 40-hour threshold; how departments budget or offset that differs, so treat pay questions as a policy question for your agency rather than a property of the pattern itself.
Living on the Pitman: what to expect
- The 3-on weekend block is the hard part. Friday–Saturday–Sunday on 12s tests anyone; most officers guard their sleep hard on those weeks.
- Fixed nights are a lifestyle, not a rotation. Unlike the DuPont, the classic Pitman does not flip you between days and nights — night crews stay on nights, which many people actually prefer once their sleep adapts.
- Planning is easy once you trust the loop. The pattern repeats every two weeks forever, so next year's Fourth of July is already decided — type it into the checker above and you will know in a second.
Pitman vs. other 12-hour rotations
If your site calls it the Panama or 2-2-3, you are working the same 14-day rhythm — see our 2-2-3 guide for that naming. The DuPont schedule is the other classic 4-crew rotation: it stretches over 28 days, mixes day and night blocks in the same cycle, and pays you back with seven consecutive days off each month. Pitman trades that big block for a steadier, easier-to-memorize two-week pulse.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Pitman schedule?
The Pitman is a 14-day rotating shift pattern for 24/7 coverage using four crews and 12-hour shifts: 2 days on, 2 off, 3 on, 2 off, 2 on, 3 off. It averages 42 hours per week and gives every crew a full weekend off every other week.
What is the difference between the Pitman and the 2-2-3 (Panama) schedule?
The day-to-day on/off rhythm is identical — both follow 2 on, 2 off, 3 on, 2 off, 2 on, 3 off. In practice, "Pitman" usually refers to versions where crews keep fixed day or night assignments (common in police departments), while "Panama" is more often used at sites that rotate crews between days and nights. Same math, different naming tradition.
How many hours a week do you work on a Pitman schedule?
Seven 12-hour shifts per 14-day cycle: one 36-hour week followed by one 48-hour week, averaging 42 hours. The alternating long week is where overtime typically shows up for hourly employees.
Why do police departments use the Pitman schedule?
It keeps squads intact (everyone rotates together), guarantees every other weekend off, and never schedules more than three 12-hour tours in a row — a balance of coverage, predictability, and recovery that fits patrol staffing well.
Is there a Pitman schedule template or calendar I can download?
Yes — the calculator on this page generates your exact 12-month Pitman calendar from your crew’s cycle start date, and the .ics download adds every shift to Google Calendar, Apple Calendar, or Outlook in one tap.