North Carolina → Alabama · Interstate 85 / Interstate 77
Before turning the key for Birmingham, Alabama, on the homeward run from Charlotte, North Carolina, do a quick inventory sweep of onboard equipment: proposal binder, undelivered promotional items, and visitor badge should each go into a separate compartment so nothing slides into the footwell during a sharp brake. Interstate 85 / Interstate 77 accepts the 684 km (425 miles) of the return in roughly 6h 31m. Pulling out of Charlotte (the Queen City of the Carolinas and the second-largest US banking center), the road eventually puts the driver back in front of the urban skyline of Birmingham (the largest city in Alabama and former steel-industry capital of the Deep South). Refueling sits near $57.22 for the same 62.2 liters (16.4 gallons) at the EIA national average benchmark. Return reimbursement, calculated against $0.43/km, returns $294.12 into the driver's wallet. Snap the closing odometer with the phone camera and attach it directly to the Clara receipt — internal controls accept photographic evidence without a supplementary spreadsheet.