(Bloomberg) -- Truckers delivering fuel to 17 states and the District of Columbia impacted by the Colonial Pipeline shutdown can temporarily drive more hours than normal each day under an emergency exemption issued by the U.S. government Sunday.

The action was designed “to avoid disruption to supply” in states from Alabama to New York, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration said in an emailed press release.

The FMCSA, an arm of the Transportation Department, said it’s closely monitoring driver work hours to ensure safety. Drivers are normally restricted to a maximum of 11 hours of driving during a 14-hour work day.

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