When you are learning and on a buddy box you won't have to worry about running empty, Most flights will be much shorter than a full tank will permit.
You will find you still have plenty of fuel left when you land.
Hand crank or electric fuel pump, doesn't matter which, you can still get an idea of how much fuel you used when you refill.
By the time you solo you will know how long you can fly on a tank.
In the two years (not much time ) that I have been flying I have only dead sticked 2 times because I ran out of fuel. I don't use a timer and I fly often.
One other thing to note, after a couple of deadstick landings you will find it is nothing to be afraid of. Some people will tell you that some of their best landing were deadstick. (I have had about 20 or so deadsticks, mostly from an engine I couldn't get tuned right and a gallon of bad fuel I had last year, and not a single one of them was a bad landing)