Government Procurement Case and Bid-Winning Solution Analysis for the New Dongfeng Sewage Treatment Vehicle in Nantong — Q3 2025. A municipal sanitation department in Nantong procured a batch of new Dongfeng sewage treatment vehicles via public tender, with a project budget of approximately RMB 1.5 million. The winning bid was awarded to Chengli Special Purpose Vehicle Co., Ltd., supplying Dongfeng-chassis sewage treatment vehicles at a unit price of around RMB 268,000 (per publicly available tender information). This article provides an in-depth analysis of the case from perspectives including blue-plate vs. yellow-plate classification, operational cost, vehicle specifications, and selection recommendations—offering practical reference for similar procurement projects. I. Project Background and Requirements Analysis Nantong is located in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, featuring a dense network of rivers and waterways. There is substantial demand for municipal pipeline maintenance, river remediation, and industrial wastewater treatment. This procurement primarily serves: • Sewage suction and preliminary treatment following cleaning of aging urban pipelines; • Emergency treatment of black-and-odorous river water; • Wastewater transfer and designated treatment for industrial parks. The procuring entity explicitly required vehicles equipped with self-priming, self-discharging, filtration, and preliminary purification capabilities; chassis compliant with China VI emission standards; and flexible driver licensing requirements—supporting both professional drivers (Class B license) and temporary personnel (Class C license). II. Blue-Plate (Class C License) vs. Yellow-Plate (Class B License): The Critical Selection Threshold In this tender, Chengli offered two alternative configurations for evaluation by the bidding committee: Comparison Dimension Blue-Plate Option (Drivable with Class C License) Yellow-Plate Option (Requires Class B License) Representative Model CLW5070GSSD6 (5 m³ sewage tank) Dongfeng Dolly D9 Yellow-Plate (8–12 m³) Driver Qualification Class C1/C2 license sufficient Class B2 or higher license required Gross Vehicle Weight ≤ 4.5 tons (upper limit for blue-plate registration) > 4.5 tons (typically 8–18 tons) Tank Capacity 3–5 m³ 8–12 m³ Single-Operation Efficiency Suitable for small-area, high-frequency operations Suitable for large-volume, long-distance transport Purchase Cost (Reference: Public Tender Data) Approx. RMB 98,000–120,000 (5 m³ blue-plate) Approx. RMB 145,000–245,000 (8–12 m³) Annual Inspection & Road Access High road access rights; no urban driving restrictions Restricted access in some urban zones; permits required Applicable Scenarios Streets, communities, internal industrial park roads Municipal trunk pipelines, large-scale industrial facilities Ultimately, considering Nantong’s complex urban road conditions and the fact that many assigned drivers hold only Class C licenses, the procuring entity selected the blue-plate option as the primary configuration, supplemented by a limited number of yellow-plate units for large-volume transport tasks. Chengli’s CLW5070GSSD6 model (5 m³ sewage tank) emerged as the principal winning bid. III. Operational Cost Differences: Blue-Plate Option Offers Greater Savings Beyond acquisition cost, operational cost was another key consideration for the procuring entity. Based on actual operational data provided by Chengli’s after-sales team (drawn from multiple municipal projects): • Fuel Cost: Blue-plate models equipped with Dongfeng light-duty engines consume approximately 12–15 L per 100 km, whereas yellow-plate models (e.g., Dongfeng Dolly) consume about 18–22 L/100 km. Assuming daily travel of 80 km and annual operation of 300 days, the blue-plate option saves approximately RMB 8,000–12,000 annually in fuel expenses. • Insurance Costs: Annual vessel tax and commercial insurance for blue-plate vehicles range from RMB 3,000–4,000, versus RMB 6,000–8,000