B737 CAPT IS CONCERNED THAT NEW FUELERS ARE USING A DIFFERENT FUELING PROTOCOL THAN IN THE PAST; FUELING BOTH WING TANKS AND THE CENTER TANK SIMULTANEOUSLY.

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WHILE SITTING ON THE FLT DECK PREFLTING; I NOTICED WE WERE BEING FUELED EQUALLY IN ALL 3 TANKS. ACCORDING TO OUR B737 FLT HANDBOOK; THERE IS A LIMITATION PROHIBITING THERE BEING MORE THAN 1000 LBS OF FUEL IN THE CTR TANK UNLESS BOTH MAINS ARE FULL. NOTICING THIS LIMITATION HAD BEEN EXCEEDED; MAINT WAS CONTACTED AND AN ENTRY PLACED IN THE MAINT LOGBOOK. MAINT CAME OUT AND NOTED THAT FUELING WAS COMPLETED. NOW THAT FUELING WAS COMPLETED; BOTH WING TANKS WERE NOW FULL SO THERE COULD BE MORE THAN 1000 LBS IN THE CTR TANK. MAINT SAID THERE WAS NO PROB AND SIGNED OFF THE MAINT LOGBOOK. THEY THEN EXPLAINED TO ME THAT IT WAS ALL RIGHT TO FILL ALL 3 TANKS SIMULTANEOUSLY SO LONG AS THE AIRPLANE ISN'T MOVED OR OPERATED IN THAT CONDITION. IN THE PAST; I'VE BEEN TOLD BY MAINT THAT THERE SHOULD BE NO FUELING OVER 1000 LBS IN A CTR TANK UNLESS BOTH WINGS TANKS ARE FULL. I'VE BEEN ON THE B737 SINCE 1992 AND I'VE ALWAYS NOTICED IN THE PAST THAT FUELERS FILL THE WING TANKS FIRST BEFORE ADDING ANY FUEL TO THE CTR TANK. WE NOW HAVE A GROUP OF FUELERS THAT SPEAK LITTLE TO NO ENGLISH AND THEY SEEM TO HAVE A HABIT OF SIMULTANEOUSLY FUELING ALL 3 TANKS WHEN FUELING. I CAN SEE BOTH SIDES OF THE ISSUE; BUT IT'S VERY CONFUSING TO HAVE THINGS GO BOTH WAYS. IN THE PAST; I'VE SEEN SEVERAL INSTANCES WHERE PLTS ARE GIVEN ONE SET OF LIMITATIONS; WHILE MAINT IS GIVEN A LESS RESTRICTIVE SET OF LIMITATIONS. IN MY OPINION; A TRUE LIMITATION SHOULD BE JUST THAT -- A LIMITATION -- PERIOD! IF SOMETHING IS A LIMITATION; THEN IT SHOULD READ THE SAME IN ALL MANUALS. THERE SHOULD NOT BE 2 SETS OF MANUALS CONTAINING 2 DIFFERING SETS OF LIMITATIONS.