Government procurement case of a Dongfeng single-cab sludge suction truck (blue license plate, 5 m³) in Ganzhou: From initial procurement pitfalls to second-time purchasing logic. In municipal sanitation, sludge suction trucks are critical equipment for maintaining urban drainage systems—especially in old urban districts and industrial parks, where demand is steadily increasing. However, for many grassroots procurement units, vehicle selection, budget control, and post-purchase maintenance remain key pain points. This article takes two procurement experiences of a municipal sanitation department in Ganzhou (hereinafter referred to as the 'Ganzhou Procurement Unit') as its entry point, offering an in-depth analysis of the selection logic for blue-plate, 5 m³ sludge suction trucks, along with practical solutions based on real tender data. I. First Procurement: Pitfalls Encountered and Lessons Learned In 2023, due to urban drainage network renovation, the Ganzhou Procurement Unit launched its first public tender for two sludge suction trucks, with a budget capped at approximately RMB 397,000 (based on local procurement norms at the time). The winning bidder supplied a 'customized' sludge suction truck built on a standard chassis—not listed in the MIIT’s official vehicle announcement directory. However, numerous issues arose after delivery: • Registration difficulties: The vehicle was not included in the MIIT’s Announcement Directory, preventing normal registration and annual inspection—directly undermining operational efficiency. • Chassis compatibility issues: Insufficient load-bearing capacity led to frame deformation under prolonged heavy-duty operation, resulting in high repair costs. • Lack of after-sales support: The winning bidder was a temporary assembly workshop; spare parts for the superstructure took 2–3 weeks to arrive upon failure, causing delays in municipal engineering projects. Internal feedback indicated that the actual utilization rate of the initially procured vehicles fell below 60%, and cumulative repair expenses had already exceeded 15% of the original purchase cost. These lessons prompted the procurement unit to fundamentally revise its vehicle selection strategy ahead of its second procurement round in 2025. II. Second Procurement: How to Mitigate Risks? In 2025, the Ganzhou Procurement Unit issued another tender, specifying clear requirements: Dongfeng single-cab chassis, blue license plate, 5 m³ sludge suction truck, with a budget capped at approximately RMB 340,000 (per publicly available tender information). This time, the procurement unit implemented strict screening across the following dimensions: 1. Announcement Compliance: The Primary Threshold The procurement unit explicitly required that the vehicle must be listed in the MIIT’s official Announcement Directory and comply with China VI emission standards. Referencing Chengli Special Purpose Vehicle Co., Ltd. (hereinafter 'Chengli') announcement data—for example, model CLW5070GSSD6 (built on the same chassis platform)—the vehicle’s full compliance ensures nationwide registration, annual inspection, and commercial operation eligibility. This requirement immediately disqualified non-standard modified vehicles. 2. Chassis Selection: Reliability of the Dongfeng Single-Cab Platform The Dongfeng single-cab chassis is a mature, widely deployed platform in the sanitation sector, offering superior load-bearing capacity, maneuverability, and parts interchangeability compared to those from smaller manufacturers. Through an on-site visit to Chengli’s Suizhou production base, the procurement unit confirmed that Dongfeng chassis enjoy factory-backed nationwide warranty coverage, while the superstructure—including the sludge tank and high-pressure pump—is covered by lifetime service. This integrated solution significantly reduces long-term maintenance risks. 3. Budget and Configuration Transparency Unlike the first procurement’s opaque 'package pricing' approac