A roadside inspection is graded by level, and the level tells you how far the inspector went. Most operators meet two of them. The levels are not a scoring system and passing one is not a certificate; what they are is a defined scope, which is useful to know because it tells you exactly which of your own records were about to be tested.
What the common levels cover
The most thorough is a full examination of both the driver and the vehicle, including the parts an inspector has to get under the vehicle to see. The next covers the same ground as far as it can be reached without going underneath, which is why it is the one most often performed at the roadside. A third is driver-only: licence, medical certification, record of duty status, and the paperwork in the cab. Higher levels exist for specific purposes, and there is a walk-around vehicle-only level that examines the unit without the driver examination.
Why the level matters to your records
A driver-only inspection tests your driver file and your duty records. A vehicle inspection tests the condition of the unit, which your own daily checks were supposed to have found first. When a roadside inspection produces a defect your last three DVIRs do not mention, that is a finding about your check regime, not about the truck. Reading the level tells you which half of your own house was just examined.
What to do with the result
Put it in your own record, against the vehicle or the driver it concerned, with the date. Fleets treat roadside results as somebody else's paperwork and file them separately, which loses the most useful comparison available: what an independent inspector found on a vehicle, next to what your own drivers reported on it that week. If those two disagree consistently, the problem is not the inspector.
Questions people ask about what is a level 2 dot inspection
What is a Level 2 DOT inspection?
A walk-around examination of both driver and vehicle covering everything that can be checked without getting underneath the unit. It is the level most commonly performed at the roadside for that reason.
Is passing an inspection a certificate?
No. It is a record that this unit met the criteria examined at that moment. It carries no promise about tomorrow, which is why the daily check regime is what actually protects you.
Should roadside results go into our own system?
Yes, against the vehicle or driver concerned. The comparison between what an inspector found and what your own checks reported that week is the most useful signal you will get about whether the checks are real.