In government procurement, sewage treatment vehicles—as critical equipment for municipal sanitation—directly impact urban environmental quality and operational maintenance costs. A municipal sanitation department in Jingzhou (hereinafter referred to as the 'Jingzhou Procuring Party') conducted a second procurement of Dongfeng Yizhan-style sewage treatment vehicles in 2025. From the pitfalls encountered during its initial procurement to the precise selection made the second time around, its experience offers valuable insights for other agencies. This article analyzes the case based on publicly available tender information and Chengli Special Purpose Vehicle’s knowledge base, and interprets the vehicle-selection logic employed by experienced buyers. I. Pitfalls in the First Procurement: The Low-Price Trap and Inadequate Configuration In early 2024, the Jingzhou Procuring Party purchased two sewage treatment vehicles for the first time, with a budget capped at approximately RMB 392,000 (per publicly disclosed tender information). To reduce costs, it opted for a low-cost solution from a small-scale modification workshop, with a unit price of roughly RMB 150,000. However, several issues soon emerged: • Unstable Chassis Quality: A non-mainstream chassis was selected; frequent problems—including engine overheating and abnormal transmission noise—occurred during actual operation, requiring repair cycles lasting several weeks. • Low Upfit Treatment Efficiency: Core wastewater treatment components (e.g., separation systems) lacked sufficient capacity, achieving only 60% of the designed daily processing volume, resulting in significantly reduced operational efficiency. • Slow After-Sales Response: As the modification workshop was located in another province, technicians required 3–5 days to arrive on-site after fault reporting, severely disrupting routine operations. • Incomplete Regulatory Registration, Hindering License Plate Issuance: The model was not fully registered in the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) Announcement, causing repeated rejections during local annual inspections in Jingzhou and necessitating additional fees to complete registration formalities. This experience taught the Jingzhou Procuring Party an important lesson: Price is not the sole criterion—chassis reliability, upfit performance, after-sales support, and full MIIT Announcement compliance are all essential factors. II. How the Second Procurement Avoided These Pitfalls: Clarifying Requirements and Prioritizing Established Suppliers In early 2025, the Jingzhou Procuring Party launched its second procurement, with a budget capped at approximately RMB 448,000 (in line with local procurement practices), aiming to acquire two Dongfeng Yizhan-style sewage treatment vehicles. This time, it adopted the following risk-mitigation measures: • Defined Technical Specifications Clearly: Referencing parameters listed in the MIIT Announcement, it specified requirements including a Dongfeng-branded chassis (e.g., CLW5070GSSD6 series), an upfit treatment capacity of no less than 5 m³/hour, and compliance with China VI emission standards. • Focused on Established Suppliers: Priority evaluation was given to manufacturers with proven government supply records—such as Chengli Special Purpose Vehicle. Chengli has delivered 15 street-sweeping-and-washing vehicles to Wuhan Municipal Urban Management Bureau and 10 water-sprinkling vehicles to a Henan provincial sanitation office, demonstrating extensive experience in municipal projects. • Strengthened After-Sales Clauses: Tender documents explicitly mandated nationwide chassis warranty coverage, lifetime upfit service, and supplier commitment to dispatch spare parts within 24 hours. • Conducted On-Site Factory Inspection: Representatives from the procuring party visited Chengli Automobile Industrial Park in Suizhou, Hubei Province, to verify production qualifications and delivery capability. Ultimatel