B737-300 PLT IS CONCERNED WITH DISPATCHING THE ACFT WITH A FUEL QUANTITY INDICATOR INOP.

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THE PRACTICE OF RUNNING THESE ACFT WITH THE FUEL GAUGES DEFERRED RENDERS ALL VNAV FUNCTIONS UNUSABLE (A SIGNIFICANT FLT PLANNING TOOL WHEN CONSIDERING FUEL BURNS; WX DEVS; RERTES; AND RESERVES. WHEN THIS SITUATION IS ADDED TO TSTM WX (ALMOST EVERY DAY) IT MAKES FLT PLANNING ENRTE MORE DIFFICULT AND TIME CONSUMING. AS AN ALTERNATIVE FLT PLANNING TOOL; DISPATCH HAS HISTORICALLY BEEN ABLE TO PROVIDE TIMELY FLT PLANS TO THE COCKPIT IN THE CASE OF ATC RERTES. THIS CAPABILITY IS NOT PARTICULARLY EFFECTIVE WITH MULTIPLE SHORT DEVS FOR ENRTE WX. ALSO; IT SEEMS THAT DISPATCH PERSONNEL ARE LESS ABLE TO PERFORM TIMELY FLT PLAN UPLOADS IN RECENT MONTHS. A SECONDARY METHOD OF RECALCULATING FUEL BURNS WHEN RERTES ARE NECESSARY IS TO USE THE 'FUEL USED' READOUT FROM THE ENG PANEL AND THEN DO THE MATH -- NOT ALWAYS PRACTICAL IN SHORT-TERM DECISION MAKING WITH MINIMAL FUEL. THERE SEEMS TO BE 2 OBVIOUS REMEDIES: 1) FIX THE FUEL INDICATING SYS. 2) ADD FUEL TO PROVIDE A CATCH-ALL BUFFER. THERE IS AN OBVIOUS LACK OF ACTION REGARDING OPTION #1. CONTRARY TO MOST OF THE OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY THEMES RECENTLY EMPHASIZED AT ACR; THIS SCENARIO LEAVES THE CAPT WITH LITTLE CHOICE BUT TO ADD FUEL ON ANY LEG THAT MIGHT REQUIRE EVEN SLIGHT DEVS. THE LONGER THE FLT SEGMENT; THE GREATER THE NEED FOR A BUFFER. ADDITIONALLY; TAKE THE FLT PLANNING TOOLS THAT VNAV AND A QUICK SCAN OF THE FUEL QUANTITY INDICATORS AWAY DURING ANOTHER; UNRELATED IRREGULAR OP; AND SAFETY (OPTIONS) IS DEGRADED EVEN FURTHER.