2-2-3 (DuPont) Shift Schedule Planner

Map out a DuPont (2-2-3) rotation by choosing a start date, planning horizon, and shift length. The planner summarises day versus night load, staffed hours per crew, coverage across the window, and the longest rest stretch so you can balance staffing and overtime.

First day the crew reports (enter YYYYMMDD, e.g., 20250106).
Duration of the plan window in weeks.
Length of each shift (e.g., 12-hour tours).
Optional. Default 4 crews cycling through the rota.
Optional. Default 0 — first block is day shift; set 1 to begin on nights.

The planner assumes evenly staffed crews across all shifts. Layer in overtime rules and regulatory rest minimums before publishing schedules.

Examples

  • Start 2025-01-06 for 8 weeks, 12 h shifts, 4 crews, day-first ⇒ Rotation 2025-01-06 → 2025-03-02 (8.0 weeks) • Per crew: 28 day shifts, 28 night shifts, 28 days off • Hours per crew: 672 h • Fleet coverage: 100.00% of the 1,344 h window with 4 crews • Longest continuous rest: 3 days • First 14-day pattern: D D | O O | N N N | O O | D D | O O O.
  • Start 2025-03-01 for 6 weeks, 12 h shifts, 5 crews, night-first ⇒ Rotation 2025-03-01 → 2025-04-12 (6.0 weeks) • Per crew: 21 day shifts, 21 night shifts, 21 days off • Hours per crew: 504 h • Fleet coverage: 100.00% of the 1,008 h window with 5 crews • Longest continuous rest: 3 days • First 14-day pattern: N N | O O | D D D | O O | N N | O O O.

FAQ

How do I adapt when a crew is on vacation?

Reduce the crew count temporarily (e.g., from 4 to 3) to see the coverage gap, then schedule overtime or floaters for the deficit days in that window.

Can I export this rotation to share with HR?

Use the preview string as a legend and map it to calendar dates in your spreadsheet or scheduling software. Each letter corresponds to a 12-hour block starting from the chosen date.

What if our shifts are 10 hours instead of 12?

Change the shift length field to 10 and rerun the calculation. The cycle structure remains the same; only the hours per crew and coverage percentage adjust.

Additional Information

  • The classic 2-2-3 (Panama/DuPont) pattern alternates two day shifts, two off days, three night shifts, two off days, two day shifts, and a three-day weekend.
  • Every 14-day cycle alternates between day-heavy and night-heavy weeks so that crews experience both day and night rotations across 28 days.
  • Coverage % compares combined staffed hours from all crews against the total hours in the planning window.

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