Louisiana → Alabama · Interstate 10 / Interstate 610
Before turning the key for Birmingham, Alabama, on the homeward run from New Orleans, Louisiana, 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 10 / Interstate 610 accepts the 551 km (342 miles) of the return in roughly 6h 14m. Pulling out of New Orleans (the Mississippi River delta port and the birthplace of jazz music), 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 $46.09 for the same 50.1 liters (13.2 gallons) at the EIA national average benchmark. Return reimbursement, calculated against $0.43/km, returns $236.93 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.