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                                                                     EXHIBIT 4.5
                        SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE


                    SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE (this "Supplemental Indenture"),
               dated as of March 1, 1998 among TA TRAVEL, L.L.C. (the "New
               Subsidiary Guarantor"), a subsidiary of TA Operating Corporation
               which is a subsidiary of TravelCenters of America, Inc. (or its
               successor), a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), THE COMPANY,
               on behalf of itself and the Subsidiary Guarantors (the "Existing
               Subsidiary Guarantors") under the Indenture referred to below,
               and STATE STREET BANK AND TRUST COMPANY, as successor to FLEET
               NATIONAL BANK, a national banking association, as successor
               trustee under the indenture referred to below (the "Trustee").


                           W I T N E S S E T H :


          WHEREAS the Company has heretofore executed and delivered to the
Trustee an Indenture (the "Indenture"), dated as of March 27, 1997, providing
for the issuance of an aggregate principal amount of $125,000,000 of 10-1/4%
Senior Subordinated Notes due 2007 (the "Securities");

          WHEREAS Section 4.11 of the Indenture provides that under certain
circumstances the Company is required to cause the New Subsidiary Guarantor
to execute and deliver to the Trustee a supplemental indenture pursuant to
which the New Subsidiary Guarantor shall unconditionally guarantee all of the
Company's obligations under the Securities pursuant to a Subsidiary Guaranty
on the terms and conditions set forth herein; and

          WHEREAS pursuant to Section 9.01 of the Indenture, the Trustee, the
Company and Existing Subsidiary Guarantors are authorized to execute and deliver
this Supplemental Indenture;


          NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing and for other good
and valuable consideration, the receipt of which is hereby acknowledged, the New
Subsidiary Guarantor, the Company, the Existing Subsidiary Guarantors and the
Trustee mutually covenant and agree for the equal and ratable benefit of the
holders of the Securities as follows:

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          1.  DEFINITIONS.  (a)  Capitalized terms used herein without
definition shall have the meanings assigned to them in the Indenture.

           (b)  For all purposes of this Supplement, except as otherwise herein
expressly provided or unless the context otherwise requires:  (i) the terms and
expressions used herein shall have the same meanings as corresponding terms and
expressions used in the Indenture; and (ii) the words "herein," "hereof" and
"hereby" and other words of similar import used in this Supplement refer to this
Supplement as a whole and not to any particular section hereof.

          2.  AGREEMENT TO GUARANTEE.  The New Subsidiary Guarantor hereby
agrees, jointly and severally with all other Subsidiary Guarantors, to Guarantee
the Company's obligations under the Securities on the term and subject to the
conditions set forth in Article 11 of the Indenture and to be bound by all other
applicable provisions of the Indenture.

          3.  RATIFICATION OF INDENTURE; SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES PART OF
INDENTURE.  Except as expressly amended hereby, the Indenture is in all respects
ratified and confirmed and all the terms, conditions and provisions thereof
shall remain in full force and effect.  This Supplemental Indenture shall form a
part of the Indenture for all purposes, and every holder of Securities
heretofore or hereafter authenticated and delivered shall be bound hereby.

          4.  GOVERNING LAW.  THIS SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE SHALL BE GOVERNED BY,
AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH, THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK BUT WITHOUT
GIVING EFFECT TO APPLICABLE PRINCIPLES OF CONFLICTS OF LAW TO THE EXTENT THAT
THE APPLICATION OF THE LAWS OF ANOTHER JURISDICTION WOULD BE REQUIRED THEREBY.

          5.  TRUSTEE MAKES NO REPRESENTATION. The Trustee makes no
representation as to the validity or sufficiency of this Supplemental Indenture.

          6.  COUNTERPARTS.  The parties may sign any number of copies of this
Supplemental Indenture.  Each signed copy shall be an original, but all of them
together represent the same agreement.

          7.  EFFECT OF HEADINGS.  The Section headings herein are for
convenience only and shall not effect the construction thereof.

          IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Supplemental
Indenture to be duly executed as of the date first above written.


                                       TA TRAVEL, L.L.C.

                                         By  /s/ James W. George
                                             -------------------------
                                             Name:  James W. George

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                                             Title:  Sr. VP and CFO



                                    TRAVELCENTERS OF AMERICA, INC. on behalf
                                    of itself and the Existing Subsidiary
                                    Guarantors,

                                         by   /s/ James W. George
                                              --------------------------
                                              Name: James W. George
                                              Title: Sr. VP and CFO


                                    STATE STREET BANK AND TRUST COMPANY, as
                                    successor to FLEET NATIONAL BANK as
                                    successor Trustee,

                                         by  /s/ Susan C. Merker
                                             ---------------------------
                                             Name: Susan C. Merker
                                             Title: Assistant Vice President


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