Pipeline rotations: 6/1, 14/7, 20/10

The most common rotation patterns are 6 days on / 1 day off (6/1), 14 days on / 7 days off (14/7), and 20 days on / 10 days off (20/10), with the exact schedule depending on the project, the contractor, and how remote the camp is. More remote spreads -- like much of the Coastal GasLink route -- have historically run longer "on" stretches with a higher living-out allowance to compensate; spreads closer to existing towns more often use shorter rotations like 6/1 (2025 estimate, unconfirmed -- confirm the specific project's schedule with the contractor).

What "on" actually means

On days are typically 10-12 hour shifts, which leaves limited time for anything besides working, eating, and sleeping. As with other camp-based rotations, days off don't really start until travel home is done, so a shorter break like a single day off on a 6/1 rotation is mostly a rest day rather than a trip home. See our camp and spread life guide for what a rotation actually feels like day to day.

Seasonal hiring and rotation timing

Pipeline construction is not steady year-round. Spring through fall (roughly April-October, 2025 estimate, unconfirmed) is historically the busiest construction window as new spreads kick off and run through the warmer, longer-daylight months. Fall brings a wave of integrity digs and the last construction spreads before winter. Winter shifts the work toward station and facility maintenance, where ground conditions allow. See /jobs/ for how hiring volume tracks this calendar.

Planning around project-based work

Because pipeline work moves from project to project, there can be unpaid gaps between spreads while waiting for the next contract, especially outside the spring-to-fall construction window. Most experienced workers plan finances around their confirmed base rate and treat overtime and living-out allowance as extra on top rather than something to count on for every rotation -- see /wages/ for the rate ranges those calculations start from.