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Hitch Rotation Schedule Calendar
A hitch rotation (FIFO roster in Australia, fly in, fly out) is a block of 12-hour shifts on site followed by a block at home. Pick a day you start work and get your whole year.
Hitch Rotation Schedule at a glance
- Cycle
- 28 days
- Shift length
- 12 hours
- Crews for 24/7
- 4
- Hours a week
- 42
- Hours a year
- 2,190
- Days off per cycle
- 14
What is a Hitch Rotation schedule?
A hitch rotation (FIFO roster in Australia, fly in, fly out) is a block of 12-hour shifts on site followed by a block at home. The most common are 14 days on and 14 off (even time), 7 on and 7 off, 14 on and 7 off (often called 2 and 1), 21 on and 7 off, 28 on and 28 off and 8 on and 6 off. Offshore platforms, oilfields, mines and remote camps use them, and 7 on 7 off is also common in hospitals.
One cycle, crew by crew
14 on 7 off (21 days)
8 on 6 off (14 days)
14 on 14 off (28 days)
7 on 7 off (14 days)
21 on 7 off (28 days)
28 on 28 off (56 days)
Employers often shift the start or swap the order of blocks. If your rota differs, change the start date until the calendar matches a week you already know.
Printable Hitch Rotation schedule template
Working a Hitch Rotation schedule
On a hitch rotation the crew change date is what matters: count from it and every later hitch follows. Put your first day on site as the start date in the calendar and choose your rotation; the calendar then shows each hitch and each day at home for the whole year.
Travel days are handled differently by each employer: some count them as working days, some as days off and some pay them separately. If your travel day is part of the hitch, include it when you set the start date.
Even-time rotations (7/7, 14/14, 28/28) need two crews for each position on day shift, and four for day and night. A 14/7 needs three crews and a 21/7 four, because the time on site is longer than the time at home.
Overtime on a Hitch Rotation schedule: it depends on the workweek
Federal overtime is due for hours over 40 in a workweek, a fixed 7-day period that your employer chooses and that does not have to start on Monday (29 CFR 778.105). With the same shifts, the day it starts changes how the hours fall into weeks, and so the overtime. Crew A, cycle starting on a Monday:
| Workweek starts | Hours in each week | Overtime hours a year |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 84, 84, 0, 0 | 1,144 |
| Tuesday | 84, 72, 0, 12 | 988 |
| Wednesday | 84, 60, 0, 24 | 832 |
| Thursday | 84, 48, 0, 36 | 676 |
| Friday | 84, 36, 0, 48 | 676 |
| Saturday | 84, 24, 0, 60 | 832 |
| Sunday | 84, 12, 0, 72 | 988 |
Compare this pattern with every other 24/7 option in 24/7 shift schedules compared. Federal rule only, before leave and swaps. Daily overtime states such as California count differently: use “Your pay” in the calendar or the shift pay calculator.
How many hours is a Hitch Rotation schedule?
| Version | Cycle | Crews | Avg hours a week | Hours a year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 on 7 off | 21 days | 3 | 56 | 2,920 |
| 8 on 6 off | 14 days | 2 | 48 | 2,502.9 |
| 14 on 14 off | 28 days | 2 | 42 | 2,190 |
| 7 on 7 off | 14 days | 2 | 42 | 2,190 |
| 21 on 7 off | 28 days | 4 | 63 | 3,285 |
| 28 on 28 off | 56 days | 2 | 42 | 2,190 |
Hours a year = hours worked in one cycle × 365 ÷ days in the cycle. 14 on 14 off: 168 h × 365 ÷ 28 = 2,190 h. These are scheduled hours; overtime, leave and swaps change your own total.
Hitch Rotation pay calculator: hours, overtime and pay a year at your hourly rate.
Hitch Rotation Schedule pros and cons
Pros
- Long, predictable breaks at home.
- Easy to plan holidays and travel around.
- Even time (7/7, 14/14, 28/28) gives half the year at home.
Cons
- Long stretches away from family.
- Travel days are often unpaid or count as days off.
- Rotations differ from site to site, so check your own crew change date.
Hitch Rotation Schedule calendar 2027
An example year with Crew A starting its cycle on Monday, January 4, 2027; the other crews follow 14 days apart. For your own dates, use the calendar at the top of the page.
| Crew | Shifts in 2027 | Hours | Full weekends off |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 182 | 2,184 | 26 |
| B | 183 | 2,196 | 26 |
Day shifts yellow, nights blue, 24-hour shifts red, US federal holidays with an orange corner.
January 2027
February 2027
March 2027
April 2027
May 2027
June 2027
July 2027
August 2027
September 2027
October 2027
November 2027
December 2027
Who uses the Hitch Rotation schedule?
Mining, oil and gas, and construction camps in Australia, Canada and offshore.
Similar patterns
- Pitman Schedule14-day cycle, 42 h a week
- DuPont Schedule28-day cycle, 42 h a week
- 24/48 Schedule3-day cycle, 56 h a week
Questions
How many hours a week is a Hitch Rotation schedule?
On average 42 hours a week: 14 shifts of 12 hours every 28 days. Over a year that is about 2,190 scheduled hours, before overtime, leave or Kelly days.
How many crews does a Hitch Rotation schedule need?
2 crews for this version, with exactly one crew on each shift every day.
How many hours a year is a Hitch Rotation schedule?
About 2,190 scheduled hours a year: about 183 shifts of 12 hours. Overtime, leave and shift swaps change your own total; the pay calculator works it out at your hourly rate.
How long is the Hitch Rotation schedule cycle?
28 days. After that the same days repeat, so the calendar for any year follows from one start date.
How do I add my shifts to Google Calendar or my iPhone?
Pick your pattern and a day you start a block, press "Add to calendar" and open the file. Google Calendar, Apple Calendar and Outlook import it as all-day events, so daylight saving time does not move them.
Can my family see my schedule?
Yes. Press "Copy link" ("Share" on a phone) and send it. The link holds your pattern and start date, so it opens the same calendar on any phone. Nobody needs an account.
Can I download it to Excel?
Yes. Press "Excel" to download the year as a CSV file that opens in Excel, Google Sheets or Numbers. With "All crews" selected you get one column per crew, ready to print or post for the whole team.