A case study of the second procurement of a blue license plate sewage treatment vehicle by a municipal sanitation department in Qujing: from pitfalls to precise model selection. For a street-level environmental maintenance unit in Qujing City, the procurement of sewage treatment vehicles was once a 'bitter experience.' During the initial purchase, insufficient understanding of vehicle specifications and supplier expertise led to frequent operational issues—including inadequate chassis load capacity, low sewage treatment efficiency, and high upper-structure failure rates—seriously affecting routine cleaning of regional sewer networks. The unit’s director recalled: 'We opted for the cheapest option and bought an assembled vehicle from a small local manufacturer; within six months, it required three major overhauls, with repair costs exceeding the vehicle’s purchase price.' For the second procurement, they adopted a completely revised strategy—shifting from 'lowest price first' to 'proven solution first'—and ultimately selected Chengli Special Purpose Vehicle Co., Ltd.’s Dongfeng D6 blue license plate sewage treatment vehicle solution. This article uses this case as a reference to deeply analyze how to avoid common pitfalls during second-time procurement and elucidate the vehicle selection logic employed by experienced buyers. Pitfalls of the First Procurement: Low Price ≠ High Cost-Effectiveness During the first procurement, the unit maintained a budget of approximately RMB 172,000, ultimately selecting a quotation (around RMB 138,000) from a local small-scale manufacturer—overlooking several critical issues: • Inadequate Chassis–Upper Structure Compatibility: The chassis used was not an official Dongfeng factory-certified model listed in the MIIT Announcement, resulting in excessive gross vehicle weight and non-compliance with blue license plate registration requirements. Consequently, the vehicle could only operate in suburban areas and was prohibited from entering urban core zones. • Low-Efficiency Sewage Treatment System: The sewage tank volume was merely 2.5 m³, necessitating repeated loading/unloading per batch—reducing operational efficiency to only 60% of comparable models. • Absence of After-Sales Support: The small manufacturer lacked nationwide warranty coverage; spare parts delivery took 15–20 days, directly disrupting scheduled operations. Per local procurement practice, the initial procurement’s 'failure' incurred approximately RMB 30,000 in additional repair expenses and caused delays in two municipal inspections within six months. Second Procurement: How to Precisely Mitigate Risks? For the second procurement, the unit issued a public tender specifying mandatory supplier qualifications: • Complete MIIT Announcement Compliance for Nationwide Registration: Required vehicle model to be officially listed in the MIIT Announcement (e.g., Chengli CLW5070GSSD6 or similar blue license plate models), with original Dongfeng D6 chassis ensuring full compliance with blue license plate regulations and hassle-free annual inspections. • Lifetime Upper-Structure Service Commitment: Supplier must guarantee lifetime after-sales support for the upper structure, plus nationwide Dongfeng chassis warranty coverage and 24-hour direct spare parts dispatch. • Verified Real-World Case References: Required documented examples of prior government procurement projects (e.g., Chengli’s delivery of 15 street-sweeping vehicles to Wuhan Municipal Urban Management Bureau; 5 water-sprinkling + mist-cannon vehicles to a Guangdong industrial park). Ultimately, Chengli Special Purpose Vehicle won the bid with its 'Dongfeng D6 Blue License Plate Sewage Treatment Vehicle' solution, at a unit price of approximately RMB 135,000 (based on publicly available tender data). Key advantages of this solution include: Comparison Item | First Procurement (Small Manufacturer) | Second Procurement (Chengli Solution) ---|---|--- Chassis Brand | Non-Dong