(US) Driving long-distance for the first time, is there anything I should know?

I've never had to drive more than like 10 miles before in my young life and I'm going on my first ever long-distance drive (~760 miles) from Chicago to Charlotte for a new job and I'm a tad bit nervous.

I have a few questions:

• Is it recommended to do the bulk of the drive at night? (12am-6am) I would assume there's less traffic, therefore my total travel time will be greatly reduced, is this correct? If so, is it worth it or should I be fine driving by day? My goal is to make the trip in 2 days. I will be driving on the weekend.
• Is nighttime car theft common in the US? I've seen some scary YT videos where a road was blocked and a group of people jump out and attempt car theft. Should I be on the lookout for this at all or can I relax?
• Any roads to avoid?
• How expensive are tolls, generally?
• Is it recommended to do the drive all in one go or break it up into two 6-hour drives or even smaller?
• I'm going to use a car rental. If my car happens to malfunction, who do I call, the car rental company or some sort of roadside assistance company?
• I'm using Google Maps to guide me, any tips?
• Any tips in general?

Thanks!