Michigan → Illinois · Interstate 75 / Interstate 94
Punching Chicago, Illinois, into the GPS for the trip back from Detroit, Michigan, the dashboard once again shows the 450 km (280 miles) separating the two cities along Interstate 75 / Interstate 94 and estimates 4h 17m to wrap up the return. Detroit, the Motor City and historic capital of the American auto industry, fades in the rear window while the vehicle picks up the homeward path toward Chicago, the largest Midwest metropolis and a national logistics hub. Unlike the outbound leg, it pays to walk around the truck before pulling out — fuel level, tire pressure, dashboard alerts and load straps all deserve a fresh look, because there is less slack to absorb a surprise once fatigue has settled in. Topping off the tank costs roughly $37.63 to cover the same 40.9 liters (10.8 gallons) consumed on the way out. The return reimbursement reaches $193.50 at the $0.43/km benchmark. Before pulling into the driveway, close out the Clara receipt with the final odometer reading: corporate finance accepts the digital file with no wet-ink signature required.