Do not let your opposing counsel select a court reporter for your depositions. Agree to the rates for the court reporter's services, e.g., original transcript and one copy, additional copies, a floppy or hard disk of the transcript, travel costs, etc. Have the court reporter send you those rates in writing, so you can bring them with you to the deposition. Confirm with the court reporter before starting the deposition the rates agreed to. If you are ever going to be late for a court appearance, and hopefully this will never occur, call the judge's chambers as soon as you realize it, give them a reason why you will be late and an expected time of arrival at the court.
Trial lawyers are prepared and punctual, always.
Being late sends the wrong message to the court and to your opponents. The last vestige remaining in our society today of the feudal concept of one person having absolute dominion and control over their own fiefdom, or fief, is the trial court judge in their own courtroom. If you want to be a good trial lawyer, then get into a busy prosecutor's shop, or a busy public defender's shop, right out of law school for a trial lawyering internship. Live at the courthouse every day. Try as many cases to a jury as possible and as often as possible.