North Carolina → Georgia · Interstate 40 / Interstate 440 (Beltline)
Punching Atlanta, Georgia, into the GPS for the trip back from Raleigh, North Carolina, the dashboard once again shows the 674 km (419 miles) separating the two cities along Interstate 40 / Interstate 440 (Beltline) and estimates 6h 25m to wrap up the return. Raleigh, the capital of North Carolina and anchor of the Research Triangle, fades in the rear window while the vehicle picks up the homeward path toward Atlanta, the capital of Georgia and largest economic and aviation hub in the Southeast. 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 $56.40 to cover the same 61.3 liters (16.2 gallons) consumed on the way out. The return reimbursement reaches $289.82 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.