Ever thought of just getting off the Interstates completely and running the US Hwy system? I find it much more relaxing. You do have to put a bit more planning into it rather than the brain dead get-on-the-Interstate route planning. A good truckers Atlas helps with the big rigs. Just try to catch the designated "truck bypass" to prevent getting hung up in traffic in the center of some small towns.
US280 is a good E-W route and you can pick I-85 up in Opelika or near Tuskegee
I used to run N/S and had to bypass Atlanta either via US441 thru Athens on the east side (heading to SW NC) or US27 on the Westside (heading to Chattanooga) to pick up I-75 north of Atlanta. I was going to/from S GA or FL panhandle. The US highways look like they would take longer but I discovered that I may have added 50 miles to my route going the Athens route but I saved an hour in time as opposed to going thru Atlanta, sitting on the 285 parking lot and again at the exits around the malls at Macon. And I was not as tired. (FYI, I take the west Bypass around Athens as it is better than the east side that LOOKS shorter but, time-wise, isn't), and I was having to do it in a limited amount of time due to work.
I have found that between traffic and road construction, I tend to make better time on US hwys and State hwys (designated SR on maps). But then I also consult my trucker's atlas when planning a route. And after my last teeth-jarring, hair-raising trip on I-20, I will probably go out of my way to stay off of Interstate hwys as much as possible. But that's just me and I tend to do things a little differently.
