Kentucky → Illinois · Interstate 65 / Interstate 64
Punching Chicago, Illinois, into the GPS for the trip back from Louisville, Kentucky, the dashboard once again shows the 511 km (318 miles) separating the two cities along Interstate 65 / Interstate 64 and estimates 4h 52m to wrap up the return. Louisville, the largest city in Kentucky and home of the Kentucky Derby horse race, 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 $42.78 to cover the same 46.5 liters (12.3 gallons) consumed on the way out. The return reimbursement reaches $219.73 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.